"Anyone who appoints an investigator may influence the scope of the work, intentionally or otherwise. That doesn't mean the investigator is compromised. We need more information."
Evelyn thought about the ballroom.
Adrian had presented the financial concerns as though they were already established facts.
Yet the company was now saying that an independent review was still underway.
"Can they accuse me publicly before the review is complete?"
"Public statements raise different legal questions depending on their wording, the circumstances, and the jurisdiction. We'll assess the announcement and the company's conduct with local counsel if necessary. For now, preserve the evidence and avoid public retaliation."
Evelyn nodded.
At 4:30 p.m., her phone rang.
The caller identified himself as Daniel Price, a former financial analyst who had worked with Victor Hale on an earlier restructuring.
Evelyn did not recognize the number.
"How did you get my contact information?" she asked.
"Through a mutual business acquaintance. I hope you don't mind the call."
"What do you want?"
"I read about your situation."
"Then you know I shouldn't be discussing the investigation with strangers."
"I understand. I'm not calling to ask you for confidential information."
"Then why are you calling?"
Daniel hesitated.
"Because I worked with Victor, and I think you should understand something about his business model."
Evelyn looked at Rachel, who had joined the call on speakerphone with her consent.
"Go on," Rachel said.
Daniel seemed surprised to hear another voice.
"Who is that?"
"My attorney."
"All right. I can only speak about what I personally observed. Victor was very good at identifying companies under pressure. He would offer restructuring advice, then introduce investors who could provide financing."
"That sounds ordinary," Rachel said.
"It can be. But sometimes the proposed financing depended on moving assets into new entities before the deal closed. Those entities could have complicated ownership structures."
"Did you observe anything illegal?"
"No. I didn't have access to every document, and I never saw proof of illegal activity. I left because I was uncomfortable with how little some clients understood about the proposed arrangements."
Evelyn felt her pulse quicken.
"What happened when you raised concerns?"
"Victor told me I was an analyst, not a lawyer. He said my job was to model the numbers, not question the strategy."
"Did you work on Hartwell Development?"
"No."
"Did you work on Northbridge?"
"No."
"Then what makes you think your experience is relevant?"
Daniel paused.
"Because I saw Victor use the same phrase in two different companies. 'Strategic asset consolidation.' And in both cases, the owners were told that the restructuring was essential to securing financing."
Rachel made a note.
"Can you provide documents supporting what you're telling us?"
"I can provide documents relating to my own employment and work, subject to any confidentiality obligations. I won't give you anything I'm not entitled to disclose."
"That is the correct approach," Rachel said. "If you wish to assist, we can arrange a formal interview and review what information can lawfully be shared."
Daniel agreed.
Before ending the call, he said something that stayed with Evelyn.
"One more thing. Victor rarely works alone. He relies on someone inside the company who understands its weaknesses."
The line went quiet.
Rachel thanked him and ended the call.
Evelyn looked at her.
"Adrian."
"Perhaps," Rachel said. "But it could also be someone else. We don't yet know who had access to the relevant financial records or who communicated with Victor."
"Leonard."
"Possibly."
"Martin."
"Possibly."
Evelyn exhaled.
She had wanted a name, a clear answer, a person she could point to and say, There. That is the one who did this.
Instead, she had another question.
Who inside Hartwell had given Victor the information he needed?
That evening, Evelyn returned to her hotel and opened her father's old business journal, which she had brought from home months earlier.
The journal contained notes from his final years in the property business. Most entries concerned land valuations, contractor disputes, and financing arrangements.
Near the back, she found a page dated four months before his death.
Never allow a lender to become the only buyer.
Below it, he had written:
If the financing requires you to surrender control before the money arrives, the money is not the real product.
Evelyn read the words several times.
Her father had been cautious, sometimes excessively so. He disliked complex ownership structures and believed that the person who controlled the documents often controlled the outcome.
She had once found his approach old-fashioned.