Chapter 15 - THE LAST SIGNER"Make Grace the final signer," Adrián repeated. "They were going to leave her holding the whole mess."
Milo confirmed the note was included in an archived document, but he cautioned that handwriting alone proved little. The file's author and modification history, however, pointed to Malcolm's laptop and a folder shared with Victoria.
Grace sat across from the investigator and described every time Victoria had asked to use her workstation. She remembered a meeting in July when she had stepped out to carry boxes to the gala storage room. Her screen had locked automatically; when she came back, her access badge was missing. Victoria had returned it the next morning, laughing that Grace had left it in a stairwell.
"I believed her," Grace said.
"Trusting a colleague doesn't make you responsible for her fraud," the investigator replied. "We'll document the access and let the evidence speak."
Still, the foundation's insurance carrier announced it might reject part of the loss because senior leadership had ignored repeated warnings. Adrián would have to face the donors without pretending his organization was simply a helpless victim.
He called Grace into his office. "The board wants you onstage when we explain everything. They think people will believe you."
"People already saw my face covered in wine," she said. "I don't owe them another performance."
"You're right. I should have asked whether you wanted it."
Grace considered the shelters, the staff who had been told to keep quiet, the twelve grant recipients whose names would be kept private. "I'll speak if they agree to publish an audit and make reporting safe. Otherwise I'm staying home."
He agreed to put the conditions to a vote.
As Grace turned to leave, Lana rushed through the door. "Victoria filed an emergency lawsuit. She says the foundation stole her private records and defamed her at the gala."
"She can file what she likes," Adrián said.
"That's not the worst part," Lana replied. "The court papers name Grace as the person who supposedly gave her the forged contracts."
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Attached was an affidavit carrying Grace's signature.
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