No single transaction was large enough to attract immediate attention.
Twenty thousand here.
Thirty-five thousand there.
Seventeen thousand somewhere else.
But collectively, the transfers totaled $7.2 million.
And the money was gone.
Daniel Reynolds called Elena into the conference room.
"We need to be careful," he said.
"About what?"
"About what we know."
Elena sat down.
"What do you know?"
Daniel placed a file on the table.
"We found unauthorized transfers."
"From the Whitmore Trust?"
"Yes."
"How many?"
"Forty-seven."
"Total?"
"Approximately seven point two million."
Elena remained calm.
"Where did it go?"
"We're tracing it."
"You've been tracing it for how long?"
"Since this afternoon."
"So you don't know."
"Not yet."
Elena looked at Margaret.
"Who had access?"
Margaret frowned.
"That's complicated."
"It shouldn't be."
"There are multiple levels of authorization."
"Then list them."
Margaret hesitated.
Daniel said quietly:
"Employees, external administrators, legal representatives, and certain executive accounts."
"Names."
He looked at her.
"You aren't a bank employee."
"No."
"You aren't required to investigate this."
"I know."
"Then why are you?"
Elena's voice softened.
"Because that money was supposed to educate children."
Nobody answered.
She continued.
"My foundation agreed to invest nearly one hundred million dollars because I believed the institution administering the money was capable of protecting it."
She stood.
"Now I'm not sure."
Daniel looked uncomfortable.
"Ms. Brooks, we will find out what happened."
"I hope you do."
She walked toward the door.
Then turned.
"And when you find out, don't give me a polished statement."
"What should we give you?"
"The truth."
Meanwhile, Andrew had begun doing something he had never done before.
He was reviewing his own actions.
He opened the transaction records from Counter Seven.
He realized Elena's check had passed through an unusual verification path.
That was strange.
Normally, a certified check of that size would trigger an automated review.
But her check had been pre-verified.
Someone at the bank had already authorized it.
Andrew searched the internal system.
The authorization code belonged to a senior executive account.
He frowned.
Then searched again.
The same authorization code had been used on several transfers from the Whitmore Trust.
His stomach tightened.
He took a screenshot.
Then stopped.
He knew he should report it.
But he was afraid.
Not of losing his job.
Of what he might uncover.
At 5:20 p.m., Andrew walked into Margaret Sloan's office.
"I found something."
Margaret looked up.
"What?"
He closed the door.
"I think the trust transfers were authorized internally."
Margaret stared at him.
"Show me."
He placed the records on her desk.
Margaret read them.
Her expression changed.
"Where did you get this?"
"My access."
"You shouldn't have been able to see this."
"I know."
Margaret looked at him carefully.
"Andrew, do you understand what you're saying?"
"Yes."
"These records could implicate someone very senior."
"I know."
"Are you certain?"
"I checked three times."
Margaret stood.
"Come with me."
They went directly to Daniel Reynolds.
Within thirty minutes, a restricted investigation team was assembled.
The bank's internal security division began pulling access logs.
And then they found the first major clue.
Every suspicious transfer had been reviewed by one person.
Thomas Whitaker.
The regional director.
Thomas.
The same man who had been in the conference room with Elena.
The same man who had enthusiastically discussed her potential $96 million relationship.
Margaret stared at the screen.
"No."
Daniel looked at her.
"You know him."
"I've worked with him for fourteen years."
"That doesn't mean anything."
"It does to me."
Daniel shook his head.
"We need proof."
At 7:10 p.m., Thomas received a call.
He answered.
"Yes?"
A voice spoke.
Thomas's face went pale.
"What?"
Another pause.
"No. They can't know that."
He ended the call.
Then he looked through the glass wall of his office.
The bank was almost empty.
He slowly closed the blinds.
He had thought Elena Brooks was an opportunity.
Now he understood she was a threat.
Not because she had money.
Because she had questions.
And questions were dangerous when they were asked by someone who knew how to find answers.
The Trap
Elena returned to Harrington & Cole the next morning.
She wore the same denim jacket.
The same black shirt.
The same simple watch.
Andrew saw her enter.
This time, he stood immediately.
"Good morning, Ms. Brooks."
"Good morning."
"I've been asked to escort you upstairs."
"By whom?"
"Ms. Sloan."
Elena nodded.
As they walked toward the elevator, Andrew spoke quietly.
"I owe you another apology."
Elena looked at him.
"For what?"
"For not realizing what I was looking at."
"You don't need to know how much money someone has."
"I know."
"You need to know whether they're telling the truth."
Andrew smiled slightly.
"I'm learning."
The elevator doors opened.
Margaret was waiting.
"We found something," she said.
Elena stepped out.
"What?"
"We believe the money was diverted through a shell company."
"Whose?"
"We're not certain."
"Thomas Whitaker?"
Margaret's expression tightened.
"We haven't established that."
Elena looked at Andrew.
He looked nervous.
"Andrew found the authorization trail," Margaret said.
Elena turned toward him.
"Why did you look?"
Andrew hesitated.
"Because I realized something was wrong."
"After yesterday?"
"Yes."
Elena smiled faintly.
"Sometimes embarrassment is useful."
They entered the conference room.
Daniel had prepared a screen.
The suspicious transactions appeared.
Elena studied them.
"These aren't random."
"No."
"They're structured."