Chapter 12 - A Gala Built on Lies
The Harbor House gala was scheduled for Saturday night. It was the Bellwether's most important event of the year, bringing in donors who paid for emergency beds, legal aid, and safe housing for women leaving dangerous homes. Elena considered canceling it. Claire advised against that.
“If the gala disappears, Victoria gets to say you destroyed the charity,” Claire said. “Hold it. Protect the donations. Make every dollar traceable.”
Elena called the shelter's director, Rachel Monroe, and explained what they had found. Rachel went quiet when Elena told her that nearly a million dollars might have been diverted. Elena closed her eyes. “I'm sorry. I will find the money.”
She ordered a separate escrow account for every gala donation and invited an independent accounting firm to observe the process. She also made the hotel pay the event staff their full rate in advance, including overtime. Several employees cried when they saw the corrected checks.
Nora brought Elena a list of staff who had been threatened. Jamie returned with his phone backed up in three places. Owen assigned guards to the charity office and the loading dock.
Victoria, however, had no intention of letting the gala proceed on Elena's terms. She announced that a private investor would attend to discuss a “strategic future” for the Bellwether. She also told the board that Elena was using charity funds to stage a publicity campaign.
“This is the account where our donations should have landed,” she said. “The balance is almost zero.”
A second sheet showed a transfer from the missing account to Northstar Guest Solutions, then to Sloane Urban. Rachel stared at the figures. “The man behind Sloane Urban is coming to the gala, isn't he?”
“Then we shouldn't let him leave without answering for it.”
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At the doorway, Davis looked up from his phone. His face had gone pale.
“Miss Vale,” he said, “Paul Mercer has vanished. And the last person he called was Victoria.”
