Chapter 9 - The Friend Who Walked In
Nobody raced across the city like characters in a movie.
Lena made three calls instead.
The first went to Northline's legal department.
The second went to Hartwell's outside counsel.
The third went to an investigator working for her firm.
By 9:33 p.m., Northline agreed to place a temporary hold on the Hartwell archive until ownership and preservation obligations were clarified.
Nora expected to feel victorious.
Instead she felt exhausted.
Every time they closed one door, another problem appeared behind it.
Paige sat beside her at the Meridian's private conference table.
"I am sorry," Paige said.
Nora looked at her.
"For what?"
"For not telling you sooner."
"You were scared too."
Paige nodded.
"That is not the whole reason."
Nora waited.
Paige twisted a ring around her finger.
"Caleb offered me a promotion two months ago."
Nora's stomach tightened.
"Why?"
"He wanted me to stop asking questions about NB Creative."
"Did you?"
Paige looked ashamed.
"For three weeks."
Nora stood and walked toward the window.
The admission hurt more than she expected.
Paige had known something was wrong and chosen silence.
"I told myself I needed the job," Paige said.
"Then I saw your name attached to a second transfer."
Nora turned back.
"And that is when you copied the files?"
"Yes."
"Why should I trust you now?"
Paige accepted the question without defending herself.
"You should not trust me because I say sorry."
She slid her laptop across the table.
"Trust what I saved."
Inside was an email chain between Caleb and a senior accountant.
The accountant asked whether Nora had reviewed a consulting contract.
Caleb replied with five words.
SHE DOESN'T NEED TO KNOW.
Nora read it twice.
Another message discussed moving approval notices away from Nora's primary email.
A third instructed staff to retain her old laptop after the replacement was issued.
The evidence was becoming clearer.
Then Paige opened one final message.
It was from Vivian Hartwell.
Her instruction was more careful.
PREPARE CONTINGENCY COMMUNICATIONS IF NORA BECOMES UNCOOPERATIVE.
Nora sat down slowly.
"She knew."
"At least about the plan to control the story," Paige said.
Lena entered the room at that moment.
"Northline placed the hold."
For the first time all evening, everyone exhaled.
Then Lena looked at Paige's screen.
"Where did those emails come from?"
Paige hesitated.
"My work archive."
"Were you authorized to access them?"
"Some were forwarded to accounting."
"Some?"
Paige lowered her eyes.
Lena's expression sharpened.
"Paige, I need the exact answer."
"One thread came from Caleb's assistant's shared inbox."
"Did you have permission?"
"Technically, my account still had access."
Lena closed the laptop.
"Then we do not publish anything until I verify how it was obtained."
Nora's frustration surged.
"Every piece of evidence has a problem."
"That is normal," Lena said.
"Truth still has rules."
Adrian, who had been silent, looked toward the conference room door.
One of his bodyguards entered and handed him a card.
"Mr. Vale, someone is downstairs asking for Ms. Bennett."
Nora stiffened.
"Caleb?"
"No."
Adrian read the name on the card.
His expression became unreadable.
"Your father."
May you like
Nora stopped breathing.
She had not spoken to her father in nearly four years.
