Chapter 5 - The Corporate Audit
At ten o'clock that morning, while Michael was being led back to his holding cell, I walked into the downtown headquarters of Horizon Commercial Realty.
Horizon was the regional brokerage firm where Michael worked as a senior leasing vice president, and where Chloe was employed in marketing.
I was accompanied by Marcus Vance and two certified public accountants from Deloitte’s forensic investigative unit.
The managing partner of the firm, a distinguished sixty-year-old named Thomas Higgins, met us in the executive boardroom.
Thomas had known my late grandfather for thirty years; he was the one who had offered Michael a junior position three years ago as a personal favor to my family.
"Emily, my dear," Thomas said, his face grave as he rose to shake my hand.
"I saw the police blotter from the 18th District this morning. I am profoundly, deeply sorry for the disgrace this man has brought upon your home."
"Thank you, Thomas," I said, sitting at the head of the conference table.
"I wish I were here on social terms, but Michael's fraudulent activities were not confined to my personal residence."
Marcus opened his leather briefcase, laying three thick spreadsheets on the table before Thomas.
"Thomas, over the past fourteen months, Michael used his signature authority on commercial escrow deposits to move funds through a shell company called Bennett Property Holdings," Marcus explained.
"He routed twenty-eight client deposits—totaling nearly four hundred and fifty thousand dollars—through that entity before returning them to client accounts."
Thomas’s eyes widened behind his wire-rimmed glasses, his face turning an alarming shade of mottled red.
"He was floating commercial client escrows to fund private investments?" Thomas gasped.
"He was using client escrows as bridge collateral to secure private commercial loans for luxury personal purchases," I corrected.
"Including a sports coupe leased under Chloe Henderson’s name, and two thousand dollars a month paid toward an unapproved corporate apartment in the Loop."
Thomas slammed his heavy palm against the mahogany table, the sound echoing through the glass walls of the conference room.
"Chloe Henderson was hired under his personal discretionary budget!" Thomas yelled, standing up.
"He told the board she was an essential marketing consultant for the Michigan Avenue retail accounts!"
"She wasn't managing marketing, Thomas," I said quietly, showing him copies of corporate expense receipts.
"She was traveling to Miami and Scottsdale on Horizon expense cards while Michael claimed they were attending trade conventions."
Thomas buzzed his executive assistant on the intercom, his voice shaking with absolute, unyielding rage.
"Susan! Have building security escort Chloe Henderson off the premises immediately. Revoke her keycards, wipe her email accounts, and secure her computer hard drive."
"And Susan?" Thomas added, breathing heavily.
"Call our general counsel and the Cook County State’s Attorney. We are filing immediate criminal charges against Michael Bennett for grand larceny and breach of fiduciary trust."
Thomas sat back down, rubbing his forehead with trembling fingers, looking at me with profound sorrow.
"Emily... I gave that boy his entire career because of your grandfather. He was nothing when you met him. A failed leasing agent living on credit cards."
"He was always nothing, Thomas," I answered softly, standing up from the table.
"He was just very good at wearing my grandfather's coat."
As I walked out of the Horizon tower into the crisp autumn sunshine on Wacker Drive, my phone chimed with a message from building management at Cloudview Towers.
Mrs. Bennett, the specialized locksmith has finished installing the custom biometric deadbolt on Unit 2902. Your new security codes have been activated.
I looked up at the glittering glass facade of my building rising fifty stories into the blue Chicago sky.
May you like
The locks had been changed again.
And this time, the only hand that could ever open that door belonged to me.
