Chapter 13 - The Plan
The succession file was brutally simple.
Drain the reserve through inflated vendor contracts.
Then transfer real estate management rights to Meridian Legacy.
The hospital buildings alone were worth more than $180 million.
Evelyn admitted enough to save herself from looking foolish, but not enough to clear anyone else.
"Grant proposed a restructuring," she said during questioning. "I believed it would stabilize Lakeshore."
"By making your company the beneficiary?" I asked.
Her lawyer objected.
I ignored him.
Evelyn looked older than she had the day before.
"Your father was emotionally attached to the old model."
"Children getting medicine is not an old model."
"Don't reduce this to slogans."
"Then explain the shell companies."
She had no answer.
Peter Lang had one.
He blamed Grant.
Grant blamed Evelyn.
Evelyn blamed Peter.
Everyone had apparently participated accidentally.
The evidence disagreed.
Then Priya found something none of them could explain away.
Red Elm Advisory had paid $62,000 to a company owned by the husband of one of our board members.
That board member had voted twice to approve emergency vendor exemptions.
I called an emergency board meeting for noon.
Grant's attorney filed an injunction to stop me.
He lost.
At 11:40, Vanessa walked into my office.
She looked nothing like the woman in silver heels.
No makeup.
No entourage.
"I found something in my father's study."
She handed me a notebook.
Grant's handwriting filled half the pages.
Donor names.
Board members.
Numbers.
Next to my name was one sentence:
AMELIA WILL NOT SELL. MAKE HER LOOK INCOMPETENT.
Vanessa watched me read it.
"I know what I did to you was disgusting."
"Yes."
"I'm not asking you to forgive me."
"Good."
She swallowed.
"But my father told me people only respect strength."
"He lied."
"I know."
Then she pointed to a page near the back.
A date was circled.
Tonight's gala.
Beside it Grant had written:
FINAL TEST - SERVICE FAILURE / PUBLIC INCIDENT IF POSSIBLE.
May you like
My skin went cold.
Vanessa whispered, "Amelia... I think my father wanted something to happen to you tonight."
