Elena immediately saved the number.
She called Jonathan.
By 8:00 a.m., she was back at Harrington & Cole.
This time, she didn't go through the lobby.
A security officer escorted her upstairs.
Jonathan was waiting.
"We need to talk."
"I know."
He showed her the phone records.
"Someone called you?"
"Yes."
"What did they say?"
Elena repeated the conversation.
Jonathan's face became grim.
"We're involving federal investigators."
Elena nodded.
"Good."
"There's something else."
He showed her a photograph.
It was taken by a security camera.
A man stood outside Elena's apartment building.
His face was partially obscured.
Elena recognized the jacket.
She had seen the man two days earlier.
At the bank.
Standing near Counter Seven.
"He was watching me."
Jonathan nodded.
"Our security team found the footage."
Elena looked at the image.
"Who is he?"
"We don't know."
At that moment, Margaret entered.
"We have another problem."
Jonathan turned.
"What?"
"Thomas Greene's car was found."
"Where?"
"Three blocks from the old warehouse district."
Margaret placed a photograph on the table.
The car's driver's door was open.
Thomas was nowhere to be found.
Police had been notified.
But no one knew whether Thomas had fled, been kidnapped, or was hiding.
Elena looked at Jonathan.
"Did he take anything?"
"Not that we know."
"He took something."
"What?"
"The information."
Jonathan frowned.
"Explain."
"If Thomas was involved, he knew investigators would eventually connect the transfers to him."
"So?"
"He wouldn't need money."
Elena pointed at the photograph.
"He would need leverage."
Margaret stared at her.
"Leverage against whom?"
Elena looked at Jonathan.
"The people who paid him."
That afternoon, Jonathan authorized a complete audit of the bank's high-value corporate accounts.
The audit revealed something disturbing.
For nearly three years, a small group of employees had approved unusual transactions involving the same network of companies.
Most of the transactions were individually small enough to avoid immediate attention.
Together, they represented millions.
But one employee's name appeared more often than anyone else's.
Andrew Miller.
Jonathan stared at the report.
"Andrew?"
Margaret was beside him.
"The associate from Counter Seven."
"He's twenty-nine."
"Age doesn't make someone innocent."
Jonathan read further.
Andrew had approved documentation for several accounts connected to Northbridge.
He had also accessed internal records related to Elena's company before she ever walked into the bank.
Jonathan's face became cold.
"Bring him upstairs."
Security found Andrew at his desk.
He was pale when they told him.
Inside the conference room, Jonathan sat across from him.
"Andrew."
"Yes, sir?"
"Do you know Elena Brooks?"
Andrew swallowed.
"I met her yesterday."
"Before yesterday."
Andrew shook his head.
"No."
Jonathan slid a document across the table.
"Then explain why you accessed her company's file six weeks ago."
Andrew stared at the paper.
His face drained of color.
"I don't know."
"Your credentials were used."
"I must have—"
"Don't lie."
Andrew looked at the door.
Two security officers stood outside.
Jonathan leaned forward.
"Who told you to monitor Elena Brooks?"
Andrew remained silent.
Margaret entered the room.
Andrew looked at her.
She spoke softly.
"You laughed at her yesterday."
Andrew lowered his eyes.
"I made a mistake."
"That wasn't your biggest mistake."
Andrew's breathing became faster.
Finally, he whispered:
"I didn't know what they were doing."
"Who?"
"I swear."
"Who?"
Andrew closed his eyes.
"Thomas."
Jonathan's expression hardened.
"Thomas ordered you?"
Andrew nodded.
"He told me to flag her account if she ever came in."
"Why?"
"He said she was dangerous."
Elena, standing outside the room, heard the answer.
She entered.
Andrew looked at her.
"I didn't know."
Elena stared at him.
"You knew enough to laugh."
He looked ashamed.
"You're right."
She placed a document on the table.
"You want to make things right?"
Andrew nodded.
"Then tell them everything."
Andrew hesitated.
Then he whispered:
"There is another person."
Jonathan leaned forward.
"Who?"
Andrew looked toward the security cameras.
His voice dropped.
"Someone above Thomas."
The Name on the Account
Andrew finally gave them a name.
Richard Cole.
The room went silent.
Margaret's face changed.
Richard was her younger brother.
He was also the bank's vice chairman.
For decades, Richard Cole had been considered one of the most respected financial executives in the region.
He had served on charity boards.
He had funded hospitals.
He had spoken at universities.
His name appeared in newspapers beside words like "leadership," "integrity," and "community."
Margaret stared at Andrew.
"You are accusing my brother."
Andrew shook his head.
"I'm telling you what I know."
Jonathan looked at Elena.
She said nothing.
Richard arrived thirty minutes later.
He entered the conference room calmly.
"What's going on?"
Jonathan stood.
"We need to talk."
Richard looked around.
Then his eyes landed on Elena.
His expression changed for only a fraction of a second.
But Elena saw it.
"You."
She nodded.
"Me."
Richard smiled.
"Ms. Brooks."
"Mr. Cole."
Margaret stepped forward.
"Richard, Andrew says you authorized certain transactions."
Richard laughed.
"Andrew?"
He turned toward the young man.
"Are you serious?"
Andrew looked frightened.
Richard continued.
"This is absurd."
Jonathan placed documents on the table.
"We found your signature on three approvals."