Chapter 2 - THE NEXT MORNING
Emma was taken to the emergency room.
The diagnosis was limited but serious enough to matter:
brief loss of consciousness,
mild concussion,
facial tenderness,
no fracture,
no internal injury.
She was discharged with monitoring instructions.
Police took preliminary statements.
Robert said he had not witnessed the incident.
Jason said he had.
Claire denied touching Emma.
Emma was tired, frightened, and not interviewed in depth that night.
That was deliberate.
A child specialist would speak with her later.
Claire stayed beside Emma until dawn.
Robert waited in the hallway.
Jason left before midnight.
At 6:12 a.m., Claire received an email from Bennett Home Supply.
Subject:
ANNUAL LENDER CERTIFICATION — SIGNATURE REQUIRED BY 10:00 A.M.
Claire stared.
She was controller of the company.
Bennett Home Supply distributed flooring, cabinets, hardware, and contractor materials across three states.
Revenue last year:
approximately $64 million.
Robert founded it.
Claire ran finance.
Jason ran business development.
The company’s revolving credit line required annual certification of:
inventory,
accounts receivable,
related-party transactions,
rebates,
and vendor incentive programs.
Claire had spent the previous week reviewing the certification.
She had not signed.
Why?
Because $742,800 in vendor marketing credits did not reconcile.
Some credits appeared to have been assigned to an outside company:
North Ridge Promotions LLC.
Claire had asked Jason about it two days earlier.
He said:
“Marketing handles that.”
Claire checked.
Marketing did not.
She asked again.
Jason became irritated.
Then last night Emma was struck.
Now Claire was sitting in a hospital with a concussion case attached to her name.
Her phone rang.
Robert.
She answered.
His voice was cold.
“You’re not going to the office.”
Claire stared.
“What?”
“Jason will sign the bank package.”
“He can’t.”
“I can authorize him.”
“Dad, no.”
“You need to deal with what happened to Emma.”
Claire looked at her sleeping daughter.
Then at the unsigned lender certification on her screen.
May you like
Jason had not only accused her.
He had timed it.
