Then at Thomas.
“You’re Thomas Vale.”
“Yes.”
She seemed confused.
“I’ve only met with the audit committee remotely.”
Thomas nodded.
“And our general counsel.”
“Yes.”
Vanessa looked at Adrian.
Slowly.
Something terrifying dawned on her face.
“You work for Vale Meridian.”
Adrian said nothing.
Vanessa laughed once in disbelief.
“You told me you were a partner in Cole Meridian Engineering.”
Thomas’s eyebrows rose.
“There is no Cole Meridian Engineering.”
I stared at my husband.
Adrian’s mouth tightened.
“It’s complicated.”
Vanessa stepped backward.
“No.”
“You told me Thomas Vale was an investor.”
Thomas looked almost impressed by the audacity.
“I am the CEO.”
Vanessa’s face became pale.
Then she whispered:
“Oh my God.”
She looked at me.
“I didn’t know.”
I believed her.
Not because I wanted to.
Because she looked as though the ground beneath her had disappeared too.
Adrian reached for her arm.
She pulled away.
“Don’t.”
People nearby had begun noticing.
Thomas glanced around.
Then something in his expression hardened.
He walked toward the center of the terrace.
Adrian followed.
“Thomas.”
Thomas ignored him.
“Thomas, we need to talk.”
Still nothing.
Thomas reached the microphone used earlier for announcements.
He tapped it once.
Conversations began fading.
Adrian looked at me.
Then Vanessa.
Then Thomas.
I watched fear spread across his face.
Thomas spoke.
“Everyone, may I have your attention?”
The lawn became quiet.
“I need to make one brief clarification before dinner.”
Adrian whispered:
“Don’t.”
Thomas continued.
“Many of you have met Vanessa Hale tonight.”
People turned toward her.
Vanessa stood completely still.
Thomas said:
“For those who don’t know, Ms. Hale is a principal at Hale Mercer Advisory.”
Adrian closed his eyes.
“Our audit committee recently retained her firm as outside forensic advisers during an internal financial review.”
The silence changed.
Employees began looking at one another.
Thomas did not mention Adrian.
He did not need to.
Adrian looked as if he might be sick.
Thomas continued:
“Ms. Hale’s presence tonight was not arranged through the company, and I was unaware she would be attending.”
He looked directly at Adrian.
“Given what I’ve just learned, certain members of leadership will need to speak privately before the evening continues.”
Then he set the microphone down.
No accusations.
No dramatic public firing.
Just enough truth.
Adrian turned toward Vanessa.
“You knew?”
She stared.
“About what?”
“The audit.”
“I knew I was reviewing vendor activity.”
“You knew it was my group?”
“No.”
“Our client was initially coded internally.”
“I was removed from direct transaction review when I recognized one supplier name you mentioned socially.”
Thomas stepped closer.
“What supplier?”
Vanessa looked at him.
“Cedarbrook Technical Solutions.”
My stomach dropped.
Cedarbrook.
As in Cedarbrook Lane.
Our street.
Thomas’s face changed.
Vanessa continued:
“When Adrian mentioned Cedarbrook during dinner three weeks ago, I realized there could be a conflict.”
“I disclosed it to my firm’s ethics partner.”
“I haven’t touched that file since.”
I looked at Adrian.
“What is Cedarbrook Technical Solutions?”
“Claire, don’t.”
Thomas said:
“Answer her.”
“It’s a vendor.”
“What kind?”
Adrian’s voice sharpened.
“Thomas, I am not discussing confidential company matters on your lawn.”
Thomas smiled without humor.
“For once, that’s a reasonable sentence.”
He pointed toward the house.
“Library.”
Five minutes later, I was sitting in an enormous wood-paneled room inside Evermere Lake Estate.
Thomas stood near the fireplace.
Vanessa sat opposite me.
Adrian refused to sit.
He paced.
Thomas’s general counsel joined us by phone.
I should have felt out of place.
Instead, I felt strangely clear.
Thomas asked Vanessa:
“What did Adrian tell you about Cedarbrook Technical Solutions?”
She looked uncomfortable.
“Before tonight?”
“Yes.”
“That it was a consulting entity he partially owned.”
I stared.
Adrian stopped moving.
Vanessa continued.
“He said it would become part of a new business after he left Vale Meridian.”
Thomas said:
“Adrian does not own Cedarbrook Technical Solutions.”
Vanessa frowned.
“Then who does?”
Thomas’s phone buzzed.
He read something.
Then looked at me.
“According to our preliminary vendor file, Claire Bennett.”
My entire body went cold.
“What?”
Adrian said immediately:
“It’s just paperwork.”
I stood.
“What did you say?”
“Claire.”
“I do not own a consulting company.”
Thomas looked at me.
“Have you ever signed a vendor conflict disclosure for Vale Meridian?”
“No.”
“Do you have an LLC?”
“No.”
“Have you ever received payments from Vale Meridian?”
“No.”
Thomas’s expression became grim.
Vanessa leaned forward.
“Claire, does the address 48 Cedarbrook Lane mean anything to you?”
I stared.
“That’s our house.”
Nobody spoke.
Adrian looked toward the window.
I whispered:
“You used our home address?”
“It’s more complicated than that.”
I laughed.
The sound frightened even me.
“Then please.”
“For the first time tonight.”
“Explain something.”
He rubbed his face.
“Cedarbrook was used for consulting reimbursements.”
“Whose?”
“Mine.”
Thomas’s voice became sharp.
“Your employment agreement prohibits self-dealing through undisclosed vendors.”
Adrian turned on him.
“You pay outside consultants twice what executives make.”
