Chapter 7 - The Missing Three Million
Margaret Bell authorized a forensic audit without telling Owen.
That decision probably saved the evidence.
Two outside accountants arrived Monday morning.
Owen complained immediately.
Daniel heard about it from Margaret.
“He says we’re treating him like a criminal.”
“We’re treating him like a CFO.”
Margaret sighed.
“You’re enjoying that sentence too much.”
Daniel did not deny it.
The auditors began with event vendors.
Within forty-eight hours, they identified $2.87 million paid over five years to companies sharing addresses, officers, banking relationships, or subcontractors connected to Halcyon.
Not all payments were fraudulent.
Enough were questionable.
Owen approved most.
Daniel stared at the preliminary report.
“Three million dollars.”
“Potentially,” Margaret corrected.
“Where did it go?”
“We don’t know yet.”
“Pike?”
“Recent payment to Halcyon was seventy-five thousand.”
“For the boutique event?”
“Invoice says crowd management and VIP logistics.”
“We already had security.”
“Yes.”
Daniel felt sick.
The invoice had been submitted six days before the event.
Approved by Owen.
Celeste had signed the event budget as brand liaison.
Both names.
Daniel called neither.
He drove to Rosa’s apartment instead.
She opened the door, surprised.
“You can’t keep showing up without warning.”
“Sorry.”
“Good.”
Daniel almost laughed.
“Can I come in?”
“Yes.”
Her apartment was small.
Neat.
Emma’s drawing was on the refrigerator.
Daniel noticed.
Rosa saw him notice.
“She made it last year.”
A picture of three women.
Emma.
Julia with angel wings.
Rosa.
Daniel felt a strange ache.
“Why am I not in it?”
Rosa smiled.
“Because she was drawing girls.”
“Good explanation.”
He sat.
“I need to ask about Julia.”
Rosa nodded.
“Did she ever say how much money she thought was missing?”
“No.”
“Did she think Owen was stealing?”
“She thought he was hiding something.”
“What?”
“She never knew.”
Daniel showed her the audit summary.
Rosa’s eyes widened.
“Almost three million.”
“Questionable.”
“That word is doing a lot.”
“Yes.”
She handed it back.
“Celeste signed the latest vendor budget.”
“I know.”
“Do you think she knows?”
Daniel hesitated.
“I think she knows something.”
Rosa studied him.
“You still want a version where she doesn’t.”
Daniel looked away.
“She’s my wife.”
“Yes.”
“Emma loved her once.”
“Yes.”
“I loved her.”
Rosa did not answer.
Daniel continued.
“Maybe she’s arrogant. Cruel. Maybe she wanted the event perfect.”
Rosa remained silent.
“But paying Pike?”
Daniel shook his head.
“I need proof.”
“That is reasonable.”
He looked at her.
“You sound disappointed.”
“I’m not.”
Rosa sat opposite.
“I want you to understand something.”
“What?”
“If Celeste is innocent of the tower, she still said those things to Emma.”
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
“I know.”
“Don’t make one truth disappear because you’re chasing a bigger one.”
He nodded.
That mattered.
Even if Celeste had nothing to do with Leonard Pike, she had humiliated a child.
Daniel’s daughter.
That required its own answer.
His phone rang.
Margaret.
“Daniel, where are you?”
“With Rosa.”
Margaret paused.
“All right.”
“What happened?”
“Owen tried accessing archived vendor records remotely.”
Daniel stood.
“After the audit began?”
“Yes.”
“Can he?”
“IT blocked him.”
“Why was he trying?”
“He says he needed normal finance data.”
Daniel laughed.
“Of course.”
“There’s more.”
Margaret sent a screenshot.
Owen had emailed Celeste five minutes after his access failed.
They found Mercer Street.
Daniel stared.
Not the auditors found old records.
Not there’s a review.
They found Mercer Street.
A phrase that assumed Celeste knew exactly what Mercer Street meant.
Rosa saw his expression.
“What?”
Daniel showed her.
Her face changed.
Celeste had never worked for Mercer Luxe when the Mercer Street boutique operated.
Daniel had never taken her there.
As far as he knew, she did not even know the old archive existed.
Yet Owen thought he needed to warn her that someone had found it.
Daniel looked toward Rosa.
“She knows.”
May you like
Rosa did not answer.
She did not need to.
