Chapter 21: The Board Room

The trustees' hearing began on the twenty-ninth at ten, in the long beige conference room on the second floor of Fitzhugh Lumber's headquarters.

The examiner from the state sat at the head of the table with a laptop and a gavel he clearly hadn't expected to need.

Eleanor sat on one side with Marion.

Lowell and Beau sat on the other with the sleek grey lawyer between them, and a second, younger lawyer behind.

I sat at the back of the room against the wall, in my one blazer, with a box of paper on my knees.

The doors stood open on purpose.

Down the hall in the lobby, under the forest mural, two hundred chairs had been set out.

Every one of them was full.

The examiner's voice carried.

"This is an inspection hearing under the plan's rules," he said.

"The trustees have agreed to answer questions on the record. The retirees may listen from the lobby."

"This is highly irregular," the grey lawyer said.

"It was Mrs. Fitzhugh's request, and the plan's rule allows it." The examiner shuffled a page. "Mrs. Fitzhugh. You have the floor."

Eleanor stood.

She did not carry a single note.

"I'd like to enter three things," she said.

"First, the trustees' own copy of the loan register, which I received on the tenth business day after my demand."

"Entered."

"Second, a statement from a man who used my password on July twelfth." She laid the page on the table.

"He has agreed to answer questions."

The chief of staff, who had been sitting by the wall with a face the color of putty, half rose, thought better of it, and sat down.

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