The golf course would be partially redesigned.
The existing practice facilities would become outdoor classrooms.
Walking paths would connect the different sections of the property.
A smaller recreational area would remain available to the community.
Darius had spent hours reviewing the plans.
He wanted the transformation to be practical.
He did not want an expensive monument to his mother.
He wanted a functioning institution that could help people.
At 7:30, Naomi entered his office.
“You've been here long?”
“About fifteen minutes.”
She looked at the architectural drawings.
“You worked on these yesterday?”
“Most of the day.”
Naomi picked up one page.
“This is substantial.”
“It needs to be.”
“Have you considered the financial implications?”
“Yes.”
“Closing Harbor Ridge will create contractual obligations. Membership refunds, employee transitions, vendor settlements, property conversion, and construction costs.”
“I know.”
“Some members will sue.”
“I expect that.”
“Some employees will be worried.”
“That is why their employment needs to be protected.”
Naomi put the drawings down.
“You're serious about this.”
Darius looked at her.
“I wouldn't have spent Sunday reviewing architectural plans if I weren't.”
She smiled faintly.
Then her expression became more serious.
“There is something you should know.”
“What?”
“Marianne's attorney has requested a formal meeting with the board.”
Darius nodded.
“About what?”
“She intends to challenge the administrative suspension.”
“On what grounds?”
“Retaliation and procedural unfairness.”
Darius looked at the clock.
“Then let's make sure the board has everything.”
Naomi nodded.
“And Kenneth?”
“His attorney has requested access to the preliminary audit findings.”
“Grant it through the proper process.”
“Understood.”
Darius gathered the documents.
“Naomi?”
“Yes?”
“I want the board to understand something today.”
“What?”
“This investigation cannot become a convenient way to remove two executives and pretend the rest of the organization is healthy.”
Naomi considered that.
“You believe there are other people involved?”
“I believe systems rarely become corrupt because of two people acting alone.”
He looked at the window.
“Some people approve things. Some people ignore things. Some people benefit. Others stay quiet because they are afraid.”
He turned back.
“If we only remove Marianne and Kenneth, the same culture may survive under different names.”
Naomi nodded slowly.
“Then we'll make that clear.”
The boardroom at Marlowe Haven Hospitality was located on the twenty-second floor of its downtown office building.
It was larger than the boardroom at Harbor Ridge.
A long glass table occupied the center.
The walls were decorated with photographs of the company's luxury properties.
Hotels.
Resorts.
Restaurants.
Private clubs.
Each photograph represented a successful business.
At least, that was what the company had believed.
The board members arrived gradually.
Helen Price, chair of the audit committee, entered first.
She was sixty-two, a former banking executive, and one of the few directors who had consistently challenged the company's financial reporting.
Next came Robert Gaines, a retired hospitality executive.
Then Cynthia Moore, who had joined the board three years earlier as an independent director.
Two other directors joined remotely.
Kenneth Ellsworth's seat remained empty.
Marianne had not been invited to participate in the board's deliberations because her employment status was under review.
At ten o'clock, Helen opened the meeting.
“Thank you for attending. We have several matters to discuss, beginning with the incident at Harbor Ridge.”
She looked toward Darius.
“Mr. Whitaker, would you like to make an opening statement?”
Darius stood.
He did not bring a prepared speech.
He placed one document on the table.
It was a copy of the police incident report.
Then he placed the original scholarship luncheon program beside it.
“I want to begin by separating two issues,” he said.
“The first concerns the incident involving Marianne Ellsworth. The second concerns the wider condition of Harbor Ridge.”
He paused.
“The first issue is serious. The second may be more serious.”
Helen nodded.
Darius continued.
“On Saturday, I was publicly accused of stealing my own vehicle. I provided identification, registration, insurance, and proof of membership. The documents matched. Nevertheless, the accusation continued.”
He looked around the room.
“I was then subjected to a police investigation without any credible evidence being presented to support the allegation.”
Robert Gaines shifted in his chair.
“Has the police department completed its review?”
“Not yet.”
Darius continued.
“The body-camera footage has been preserved. Witness statements have been collected. The company has also begun an independent review of the incident.”
Cynthia Moore looked at the police report.
“Was there any actual evidence that the vehicle belonged to someone else?”
“No.”
“Was there evidence that you threatened Mrs. Ellsworth?”
“Not that I am aware of.”
Helen made a note.
Darius sat down.
Naomi took over.
She connected the presentation to the screen.
“Over the past several weeks, the independent review has identified three areas requiring immediate attention.”