Chapter 13: Five to Two

I walked into the fourth-floor boardroom at nine o'clock with my father's copy of the audit in my bag.

Quentin had not asked me to come.

I had not asked him if I could.

Rhiannon had texted at seven, from the cardiac unit.

Your dad is stable and bossy. Go get that man.

Seven board members sat around the long table where I had torn up a check.

Gilbert VanDerzee had taken the chair at the foot, with his handkerchief folded beside his water glass.

Gretchen moved down the row, laying a cream folder in front of each member.

The folders had the same cream color as the divorce petition.

Quentin stood at the head of the table.

He did not sit.

"Before anyone votes," he said, "I want the original audit of Holloway and VanDerzee from twelve years ago."

"Not a copy. The pages Frank Corr was shown the night he signed the loan call."

A board member cleared her throat.

"Quentin, the charge is conflict of interest. The audit has nothing to do with it."

"It has everything to do with it. I built this company on that audit."

Gilbert set down his glass.

"Let him have it," he said gently. "Gretchen, bring the binder."

"I pulled it from the archive last night, son. I thought you might ask."

Gretchen laid a gray binder on the table and opened it to the first page.

Every page had the same two letters in the bottom corner, in blue ink.

F.W.

"Frank initialed every sheet before he signed," Gilbert said. "It is in his own hand."

The board members leaned in and nodded.

I took my father's copy out of my bag and walked up to the table.

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