Chapter 12 - The Account That Survived
The deposit box was held at a private records facility outside Boston.
Leah did not go alone.
Daniel Mercer accompanied her, while Chloe remained at Vale Hart Industries to search the company archives for any reference to the nonexistent business named on Mara’s paperwork.
The company was called Meridian Strategic Partners.
According to state records, Meridian had been dissolved nine years earlier.
According to Hartwell Global’s internal payments, it had received nearly eighteen million dollars after its supposed closure.
Inside the deposit box, Leah found no cash.
There were account statements, handwritten transfer instructions, duplicate corporate seals, and a black ledger wrapped in plastic.
Every page contained dates, initials, and amounts.
R.H.
V.S.
E.H.
Leah recognized Ryan and Victor Sloane immediately.
The third set of initials troubled her.
Elaine Hartwell.
Daniel photographed every page before Leah touched the ledger again.
“Elaine claimed she did not know about the forged agreement,” he said.
“She may not have known about that document.”
“But she knew about something.”
Leah closed the box.
At Vale Hart, Chloe searched nine years of archived payments.
Shortly before noon, she found Meridian listed as a risk-management consultant. The invoices had been approved by Ryan, Sloane, and one other executive.
Chloe stared at the name.
Her father, Charles Hartwell.
He had approved the first payment six months before his death.
She called Leah.
“I found where it began.”
Leah heard the strain in her voice.
“With Ryan?”
“No.”
May you like
Chloe looked at the electronic signature on her screen.
“With my father.”
