Chapter 10 - THE SECOND BETRAYAL
The next morning, Daniel arrived with bad news.
Oliver had contacted three foundation trustees.
He claimed Loretta was emotionally unstable.
He said she had become obsessed with an innocent misunderstanding involving a family heirloom.
He suggested she was unfit to lead the foundation.
Loretta listened without interrupting.
"Anything else?"
Daniel hesitated.
"He's threatening litigation over his employment contract."
"Of course he is."
"And Camille has retained counsel."
Loretta looked toward the windows.
"What does she want?"
"She claims you deliberately damaged her professional reputation."
Loretta turned.
"By asking her to return my mother's bracelet?"
"That's her argument."
For the first time since the gala, Loretta laughed.
It was a tired laugh.
Daniel did not smile.
"There's something more serious."
He placed a new report on the desk.
The auditors had traced a portion of the diverted funds to a private investment vehicle controlled by Oliver.
The money had passed through two consulting companies before reaching an account associated with a luxury property development near Lake Geneva.
Loretta stared.
"Lake Geneva."
Daniel nodded.
The place Oliver had mentioned in the voicemail.
The place where he intended to spend the weekend with Camille.
"Did foundation money purchase the property?"
"We don't know yet. The transfers suggest possible misuse of foundation funds, but we need the underlying records."
Loretta opened the report.
The property was called Silver Birch House.
A lakeside estate with six bedrooms, a private dock, and a heated swimming pool.
She recognized it immediately.
Oliver had shown her photographs the previous summer.
He had described it as a possible investment opportunity.
Loretta had declined.
The foundation was not in the business of buying vacation homes.
Now she understood why he had stopped mentioning it.
"Can we recover the money?"
"Possibly. But first we need to establish exactly where it went."
Loretta looked at the photographs.
There was a white stone terrace overlooking the lake.
A wine cellar.
A guesthouse.
A bedroom with windows facing the water.
She imagined Oliver standing there with Camille.
Drinking the good wine.
Laughing about his trusting wife.
Something cold settled in her chest.
"Daniel."
"Yes?"
"I want every transaction examined."
"We're doing that."
"And I want the board to understand that this isn't a personal disagreement."
He nodded.
"It's a fiduciary matter."
"Exactly."
Loretta stood.
Then she added:
"And I want the foundation's staff protected. Whatever happens to Oliver, their salaries and programs cannot become collateral damage."
Daniel smiled faintly.
"Your mother would have liked that."
Loretta looked toward the bracelet.
"She would have asked why I didn't notice sooner."
May you like
"No," Daniel said.
"She would have asked what you intended to do now."
