Richard leaned forward. Those differences could have administrative explanations. Daniel nodded. They could. Richard looked at him.
Then perhaps we should avoid making assumptions. Daniel remained calm. I agree. Clare watched him carefully. Daniel was not trying to win an argument.
He was simply refusing to say more than the facts aloud. Another board member asked, "How often did you see these discrepancies?" Daniel looked through his records. I noticed several over the past year. Did you report them? I reported the maintenance issues.
I did not know the financial summaries had been changed. Clareire asked, "When did you first notice something unusual?" Daniel answered, "When the equipment charges did not match the service records." Richard interrupted again. "That still does not establish responsibility." Clare turned toward him. "No, it does not." She paused. "That is why we are reviewing the authorization history." The finance director brought up the approval records.
Several adjustments had been made after the original invoices were submitted. Multiple entries had passed through the operations office. One board member looked at Richard. Were you aware of these changes? Richard answered carefully.
I oversee many departments. I do not personally review every transaction. Clare nodded. That is why we need the full review. Daniel closed his folder.
If you need anything else, I can provide it. One board member stopped him. Before you go, Mr. Carter, there is something I want to understand. Why did you keep such detailed maintenance records? Daniel thought for a moment.
Because when you fix something, you need to know what was wrong before it breaks again. The board member smiled slightly. That is a good answer. Daniel stood and left the room. The door closed behind him.
Clare looked around the table. No one spoke for several seconds. Richard finally said, "You are giving too much weight to one employee." Clare answered quietly. I am giving weight to records. She gathered the documents and those records are telling us to keep looking outside.
Daniel returned to the maintenance department and checked his phone. Lily had sent another message asking about the strawberry ice cream he had promised to bring home. He smiled and typed, "I did not forget." Then he placed the phone in his pocket and went back to work. Upstairs, Clare received another message from the finance team. The independent review had found additional discrepancies, and the number of affected transactions was larger than anyone had expected.
Clare read the message twice. Then she looked toward the closed conference room door. The truth was no longer a small accounting question. It was becoming the reason the entire staffing plan had to be reconsidered. "Would you still talk to me if you knew exactly who I was that morning?" Clareire Bennett asked.
Daniel Carter looked at her across the quiet lobby where they had first met, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. It had been 17 days since the board review began. The independent investigation had confirmed that several financial adjustments had been improperly assigned to facilities and the proposed staffing cuts had been cancelled. Richard Hail had stepped down from his position while the company continued reviewing the remaining records. Daniel's job was secure and the board had offered him a promotion to facilities supervisor.
He had not accepted it yet. I probably would, Daniel finally said. Clare smiled. Probably. You were still pretty funny before I knew you were the chief executive officer.
Clare laughed softly. And you were still flirting with me before you knew. Daniel shook his head. I thought you were waiting for someone who was late. I was.