Chapter 3 - THE SHELL GAME COLLAPSES
The clock on the mantel chimed nine times.
The sound echoed through the high ceilings of the penthouse.
Mr. Henderson began his presentation.
He showed images of bank statements,
forged signatures,
and dummy invoices.
Grant had been creative,
I’ll give him that.
He had created a phantom construction project in Dubai.
He had billed the company millions for steel that never existed.
He had used the funds to buy Sienna a villa in Tuscany.
A villa I had already put a lien on.
“The total amount of misappropriated funds,”
Henderson said,
“is thirty-four million dollars.”
Sienna gasped,
clutching the back of the chair.
Grant stared at the table.
“You can’t prove the intent,”
Grant whispered.
“I was investing for the company.”
“Investments usually require a board vote,”
Arthur Bell said dryly.
“You bypassed the board thirty-two times.”
“I had executive discretion!”
Grant shouted,
finally snapping.
“You had a limited power of attorney,”
Madeleine corrected him.
“Which Evelyn revoked three months ago.”
Grant’s head snapped up.
“What?”
“You’ve been signing documents with no authority since June,”
I told him.
“Every contract you’ve made,
every transfer you’ve authorized,
is legally void.”
“The bank let me do it!”
“Because I told them to,”
I said.
“I wanted to see how deep you would dig the hole.”
“You let me commit felonies?”
he asked,
disbelief coloring his voice.
“I let you show the world who you are,”
I replied.
“I simply provided the shovel.”
Grant looked at Sienna.
She was backed against the elevator doors.
The white roses she had dropped were being crushed under her heels.
“Grant,
fix this,”
she pleaded.
“You said you owned half of this.”
“He owns nothing,”
I said,
standing up.
“This penthouse is held by the trust.”
“His cars are leased by the company.”
May you like
“Even the suit he’s wearing was an expense account item.”
“I’m taking it all back tonight.”
