Chapter 8 - The Price of Loyalty
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Peter Sloane arrived at the penthouse at nine the following morning.
He wore a navy suit, carried a leather portfolio, and looked irritated that Raphael had requested an unscheduled meeting.
"What's this about?" Peter asked.
Raphael sat behind his desk.
"Money."
Peter smiled thinly.
"If this is about the quarterly figures, I sent the updated report last night."
"It's about $8.4 million."
The smile disappeared.
Raphael placed copies of the suspicious transactions on the desk.
Peter glanced at them, then leaned back.
"I don't recognize those accounts."
"Your administrator credentials were used to alter the access logs."
"Then someone has compromised the system."
"That is what everyone keeps saying."
Peter's expression hardened.
"Are you accusing me of stealing from you?"
"I'm asking you to explain why your credentials appear in the records."
"I can have my team investigate."
"No. An independent team is already investigating."
Peter stared at him.
For a brief moment, something like fear crossed his face.
Then he recovered.
"You're making a mistake, Raphael. You've allowed a wounded employee to turn a financial discrepancy into a conspiracy."
Raphael's eyes became cold.
"Choose your next words carefully."
Peter stood.
"She's an accountant. She found irregularities and panicked. Now she's feeding you stories about people who have served you for years."
"She climbed forty-two floors with broken ribs to warn me that someone was trying to destroy my organization."
"That doesn't make her right."
"No," Raphael said. "The evidence will determine that."
Peter gathered his portfolio.
"You are letting emotion cloud your judgment."
Raphael rose.
"And you are leaving my office until the investigation is complete. Your access is suspended. Do not contact employees about the case, and do not attempt to remove company records."
Peter's face flushed.
"You can't suspend me without cause."
"I just did."
Peter walked toward the door.
Before leaving, he turned back.
"You're going to regret choosing her over the people who built your empire."
Raphael did not answer.
After Peter left, Dominic entered.
"That went badly."
"It went exactly as expected."
Dominic looked at the documents.
"Do you think he's responsible?"
"I think he has something to hide."
"Then we should bring him in."
"No. We will let the investigators do their work."
Dominic seemed surprised.
Raphael continued, "If Peter is guilty, I want evidence that will stand without my threats. If he's innocent, I want to know that too."
Dominic nodded slowly.
Meanwhile, Nora's recovery had begun to improve. The doctors allowed her to sit in a wheelchair for short periods, though she was still unable to put weight on her injured ankle.
She spent the afternoon reviewing copies of the financial records with Samuel.
The more they examined the accounts, the clearer the pattern became. The suspicious transfers had been routed through three companies, each with different registered owners but overlapping service providers.
One company paid the other.
The second sent money to the third.
The third transferred funds into an account associated with a private investment group.
The transactions appeared designed to make stolen money look like legitimate revenue.
Nora traced the final account to a firm registered in Delaware.
Its director was a retired attorney.
Its mailing address belonged to a commercial office complex.
And its largest client was a company owned by Peter Sloane's brother.
Nora leaned back, wincing at the movement.
"That's our connection."
Samuel examined the records.
"It suggests one. We still need to establish who controlled the account."
Raphael entered the room.
"What did you find?"
Nora pointed to the documents.
"Peter's family may have been receiving money from the companies involved."
Raphael studied the page.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he looked at Samuel.
"Preserve everything. Send the records to the investigators."
He turned back to Nora.
"How are you feeling?"
"Like someone used me as a staircase."
His expression tightened.
"I'm sorry."
She looked at him.
"For what?"
"For making you believe you had to risk your life before I would listen."
The room fell quiet.
Before Nora could answer, Samuel's phone rang.
May you like
He listened, then looked at Raphael.
"Peter Sloane has left the city."
