The empire he stole from me

being

ng the executive floor. One stood near the elevators, another occupied the r

called it

it surv

the proposed sale documents while waiti

keyboard. The threatenin

me. Gideon had reacted too quickly when he saw it. He hadn't loo

ooked co

make him t

him inte

s El

oked

case. He appeared to be in his early forties, with a

es

l. Finance

od. "

s been mentioned quit

row. "I hope tha

on who

ideon's office befor

have a

t the glas

a colleague or as someone who want

ave a br

cker than I

nside and cl

this morning," he said. "There are discre

expressi

d of disc

ledger and the final acquisition summary. I've raised the issue

se qui

you raise

nagement. T

hat ha

thi

iefcase on the d

w before you prepare that

d spreadsheet and t

ctions were

diverting money from Ellery Hospitality. Each payment had b

mary, the same amounts appeared

ted as a lo

described as an o

ad disappea

you get thi

nce copy. It hasn

ed the

hese were the or

ransaction references, but the suppo

access

n hes

ccess history was wiped du

oked

veni

er

ger down the

ou told

es

wer made

did he

tter would b

he

years

red a

osed the

I do know these figures don't reconcile. If you're preparing a report on the E

sto

ou telling

towards

s acquired. I remember the way people talked about him af

another question,

copy some

e walk

less for sev

e ye

the records didn't match, and

sheet and placed it

ideon sum

ndows of his office, looking down

e the

di

ll came to

't a qu

tebook on the

is building report m

n they're

u should hire be

tur

id he g

d his

't you a

I'm ask

on already knew Adrian had visited, and de

ancies in the Ellery

said

inal summary don't match. One payment was reclassified, another w

give you

n't a

ession h

ar

interested in

e records are

my father seems to be con

towards

pancies were

wh

ance and exte

y found

idence to establish that th

red a

he same as fi

it is

on caught m

a drawer and r

of the transactions were legitimate business payments. Others were not prope

omeone made sure the

lifted

accusations you

p me supp

ent

closer t

that the official records don't match the original ledger. You knew about

closed

was more complicated

r went to

kno

ith his na

w that

here and tell me th

ned, but he di

ething beneath his composure. Not

t disa

wers," he sai

ort, disbel

ing me to b

cords missing from this company, and I

nob

es nar

y being reminded

owning the hotel

lan

his hand tightened aro

ed away

ised financial summaries. You won't acce

if

to reconsider

up my n

ow we're be

towards

ar

top

found, don't assume it

d back

hat I've been try

ilding with Adrian's spreadsh

n't g

Madison Square Park. He was already seated when I ar

exhausted,

ening to

and placed the no

nd som

ion changed

dsheet and explained w

ed the figures

ave yo

forensic accountant a

Gideon

es

looked u

lowed you

know I hav

his attentio

hem against the public company filings and see whether Alde

w l

until t

aned

eren't the only problem. Someone restricted my

expression g

nows what you'r

becoming

spreadsheet an

complicated game between the two of you. He's good at contr

ost s

ing to sound l

didn't s

ong people. I don't want yo

spreadsh

official records had been altered, the original entries still existed,

leave, Nathaniel c

more

ha

ss to the original files,

hy

esit

o find the truth. I think he wants to d

urant with his w

my phone

on appeared from an

greeting, n

ne att

ject li

HER SIGNED BE

ped wa

ad died thr

the email seemed to k