Chapter 16 - The Man Who Held the Keys
David Ashe arrived at Priya's office carrying a canvas bag and the expression of a man who hadn't slept.
"I let Martin use my keycard," he said. "He told me the roof contractor needed access. I never agreed to change anything."
Eleanor joined by video from her cottage. She listened without interrupting while her nephew described the favor he had hidden from her.
"Why didn't you tell me?" she finally asked.
"Because I thought I'd get fired. And then I saw what they did to the artists."
David had managed the old buildings for fifteen years. His pay was modest, his loyalty usually unquestioned. He produced a text thread from Martin ordering him to leave the filing room unlocked for Gideon Vale's assistant.
"Did you see who entered?" Priya asked.
"Claire did. I let her through. She said she was picking up staging permits."
He also admitted giving Martin a scan of Eleanor's signature for an insurance form months earlier. Whether it had been used in the fake waiver required further investigation.
"You helped give them access," Eleanor said, her voice rough. "Even if you didn't know their plan."
"I know."
"Then you'll tell the truth to the auditors, even if it costs you your job."
David nodded.
After he left, Eleanor ended the call without saying goodbye. Jada sat beside the darkened screen, unable to offer an easy defense of him.
Later that night Priya received a secure message from Claire's attorney. Attached was a draft agreement showing that Martin promised Claire a promotion and a percentage of North Quay's fees if she replaced four jury selections with paying applicants.
May you like
One paragraph included a handwritten note in Claire's unmistakable block letters: Make Jada look unreasonable. Then the board won't listen to her.
