Chapter 10 - THE SIGNATURE
Emily looked at Matthew’s signature until the letters stopped resembling a name.
Diane sat back down.
She looked pleased now.
Too pleased.
Emily turned toward the screen.
“You guaranteed Ambrose’s loan?”
Matthew’s face remained still.
“Yes.”
“You told me you didn’t know the terms.”
“I didn’t know the altered terms.”
“But you were involved.”
“Yes.”
“How involved?”
A director cleared his throat.
“Perhaps this should be discussed privately.”
Emily did not look away from the screen.
“No.”
She heard Diane breathe out slowly.
Emily continued.
“Everybody in this room is deciding whether I’m too unstable to control my own company.”
She pointed at Matthew’s signature.
“I think they can watch me find out I was lied to.”
Matthew’s eyes changed.
It was not guilt exactly.
Maybe respect.
That irritated her.
He said, “Four years ago, Hale Systems couldn’t meet a bond payment.”
Emily looked around the table.
No one seemed surprised.
“You all knew?”
Helen Walsh stood near the wall.
Her face was pale.
The CFO, Peter Lang, looked down.
Diane folded her hands.
Matthew continued.
“Your father came to Carter Meridian for emergency financing.”
“You said Ambrose financed him.”
“He did. Through a syndicated facility that I helped assemble.”
“So you brought Ambrose in.”
“Yes.”
The room seemed smaller.
Emily’s voice was quiet.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because when I picked you up last night, I was not ready to explain four years of corporate financing while you were bleeding in my back seat.”
“That part I understand.”
She looked at him.
“What about after?”
Matthew was silent.
Diane smiled faintly.
Emily almost turned on her.
She stopped herself.
Matthew said, “Because I wanted the acquisition.”
The truth landed harder because he did not decorate it.
Emily nodded slowly.
“There it is.”
Rachel’s voice came through the speaker from beside him.
“Emily, the altered covenant appears to have been inserted after Mr. Carter signed.”
“That doesn’t erase what he hid.”
“No.”
Emily looked at the board.
“Who knew about the transfer to me?”
Silence.
She looked at Helen.
“Helen?”
Helen swallowed.
“Your father told me six months before he died.”
“Who else?”
“Peter.”
The CFO looked up sharply.
Helen’s face tightened.
“He prepared the internal ledger adjustment.”
Peter Lang’s chair scraped backward.
“That is not accurate.”
Diane looked at him.
Too quickly.
Emily saw it.
Matthew’s voice came from the screen.
“Emily.”
She ignored him.
“Peter, did you know?”
The CFO stood.
“I need counsel present.”
The general counsel frowned.
“I am counsel.”
“Personal counsel.”
He moved toward the door.
Emily said, “Sit down.”
He kept walking.
Diane said nothing.
Emily looked at security through the glass wall.
“Tom.”
The lobby guard was not there.
Two unfamiliar men stood outside instead.
Matthew’s voice sharpened.
“Those are not your employees.”
The boardroom doors opened.
The men entered.
One produced a badge.
“Federal financial crimes task force.”
Rachel spoke immediately through the screen.
“Emily, do not answer questions without me present.”
The agent ignored the screen.
“Emily Hale?”
“Yes.”
“We have a warrant to seize company records related to suspected wire fraud and money laundering.”
Diane gasped perfectly.
Too perfectly.
Emily looked at her.
The second agent walked directly to the steel box.
Emily put both hands on it.
“That belongs to me personally.”
The agent showed another page.
“This warrant includes materials removed from First Commonwealth Bank this morning.”
Emily stared.
“How could a warrant name something we opened less than an hour ago?”
The agent did not answer.
Matthew did.
“Because someone told them before you got here.”
Everyone looked around the boardroom.
Emily’s eyes moved to Margaret.
She was not there.
To Pike.
Not there.
To Rachel and Matthew on the screen.
Then to Helen.
Peter Lang suddenly bolted.
He shoved past the federal agent and ran through the open doors.
“Peter!”
One agent chased him.
The other reached for the steel box.
Emily held on.
“Ms. Hale.”
“Show me the judge’s signature.”
He hesitated.
“Now.”
He turned the warrant toward her.
Emily read the name.
Judge Samuel Laughton.
The same judge who had signed her psychiatric hold.
She laughed.
The agent frowned.
“Something funny?”
“No.”
Emily released the box.
“Something obvious.”
He took it.
Diane’s shoulders relaxed.
Emily saw that too.
She walked toward her stepmother.
Diane looked up.
Emily bent close enough that only Diane could hear.
“You wanted them to take that box.”
Diane’s smile did not change.
Emily whispered, “Which means the thing you’re scared of isn’t inside it.”
For the first time, Diane’s eyes widened.
Emily straightened.
Then the fire alarm went off.
Everybody turned.
May you like
Black smoke began curling beneath the boardroom doors.
And from the hallway came a man’s scream.
