Chapter 11 - the boardroom Solomon thought he owned
Bennett Strategy Group held an emergency board meeting on Monday morning.
Solomon arrived with two attorneys.
Charlotte arrived with one.
Claire arrived with Natalie, a forensic accountant and thirty-two pages of evidence.
Howard Bell attended by video.
The company's general counsel, Rebecca Sloan, looked as though she had not slept.
Nobody discussed the affair.
Claire had made that clear.
Jennifer's robe did not matter here.
The board would consider fraud.
Unauthorized use of company funds.
Falsified corporate resolutions.
Improper acquisition of shareholder credentials.
Attempted manipulation of voting rights.
Solomon tried to control the opening.
"My wife is using a domestic disagreement to destabilize this company."
Claire did not respond.
Rebecca did.
"The documentation submitted raises corporate issues independent of your marriage."
Solomon leaned back.
"The documentation was stolen."
Natalie said, "Some was found inside your home office. Some was provided by the investigator you retained. Some came from company servers."
Solomon's lawyer whispered to him.
Claire watched.
For years, Solomon had enjoyed rooms like this.
He was charismatic when stakes were abstract.
He could turn mistakes into strategy.
Failure into market conditions.
Arrogance into decisiveness.
But evidence was an enemy charm could not confuse.
The forensic accountant presented company transfers.
Two hundred eighty thousand dollars routed to a consulting entity controlled by Charlotte.
Ninety thousand paid to Calvin Mercer under misleading vendor codes.
Forty-seven thousand paid to Derek Shaw.
Another one hundred sixty thousand transferred to a debt-restructuring firm connected to Solomon's old obligations.
Howard Bell looked furious.
"You told me those payments were litigation reserves."
Solomon replied, "They were."
"No, they weren't."
Charlotte intervened.
"Howard, this company has survived because Solomon makes difficult decisions."
Howard stared at her through the screen.
"Did you pay me to sign a voting proxy?"
Silence.
Claire looked at Natalie.
They had not expected that question.
Howard held up an envelope.
"Because I still have the cash."
Solomon's face changed.
Howard continued.
"Fifty thousand dollars. Solomon said it was a consulting advance."
Rebecca asked, "Did you perform consulting work?"
"No."
"Did he ask for anything in return?"
Howard looked directly at Solomon.
"He wanted my voting proxy if Claire became unavailable."
The room went still.
Solomon's attorney said, "My client disputes that characterization."
Howard laughed.
"Good for your client."
Claire spoke for the first time.
"Why did you agree?"
Howard looked ashamed.
"Because I needed the money."
"Why are you telling us now?"
"Because I didn't know what he meant by unavailable."
Claire understood.
Howard had seen the reports.
The future-dated death certificate had changed everything.
Rebecca called a recess.
During it, Solomon approached Claire.
Natalie stepped between them.
Solomon raised both hands.
"I just want to speak to my wife."
Claire replied, "Former wife."
Something flashed across his face.
"You filed?"
"This morning."
He stared at her.
"You don't want to do this."
Claire almost admired the sentence.
After everything, Solomon still believed he could define what Claire wanted.
"You planned a custody case against me."
"I was preparing."
"You drugged me."
"I gave you something to sleep."
"Without telling me."
"You were exhausted."
"You forged my signature."
"That wasn't me."
"You hired the man who did it."
Solomon lowered his voice.
"My mother pushed this too far."
Claire stared.
There it was.
The first betrayal within the conspiracy.
He was ready to sacrifice Charlotte.
"You expect me to believe she controlled you?"
"No."
"But you'd like a judge to."
Solomon looked toward the boardroom doors.
"Claire, we can settle."
She laughed softly.
"You already drafted my settlement."
"I made mistakes."
"You wrote my death certificate."
"I didn't."
"Derek Shaw's recording says you ordered it."
Solomon went pale.
Claire stepped closer.
"You still don't understand."
"What?"
"This isn't a negotiation anymore."
She walked away.
When the board reconvened, Rebecca announced that Solomon would be suspended as chief executive pending investigation.
Charlotte would be removed from all financial committees.
Company accounts would be audited.
And the fraud clause in Claire's investment agreement would be formally reviewed.
Solomon stood.
"You can't do this."
Rebecca replied, "The board just did."
For the first time in seven years, Solomon looked at Claire without confidence.
He looked afraid.
The meeting ended at noon.
At 12:17, Detective Alvarez called Claire.
"We found Derek Shaw."
Claire stopped walking.
"Where?"
"Airport."
"Was he leaving?"
"Yes."
"Did he talk?"
"He wants a lawyer."
Claire waited.
Alvarez continued.
"But before he asked for one, he said something."
"What?"
"He said the death certificate wasn't Solomon's idea."
Claire's stomach tightened.
"Whose was it?"
May you like
A pause.
"Charlotte's."
