Chapter 3 - MY BOSS CALLED ME INTO HIS OFFICE
Richard came to work the next morning.
That shocked everybody.
Police had spent most of the previous day at his home.
News vans appeared by evening.
But at 8:15 a.m., Richard entered Colebridge Development wearing a charcoal suit.
At 8:32, his assistant called me.
“Richard wants to see you.”
I already knew why.
He closed the office door.
“Sit.”
I remained standing.
His expression hardened.
“Caroline.”
“I’d rather stand.”
He walked to the window.
“Your father has created an extraordinary problem.”
I almost laughed.
“My father?”
“Yes.”
“He repaired your pool.”
“He went digging into my family history.”
“He reported what appeared to be human remains.”
Richard turned.
“He could have called me.”
“He did.”
Silence.
“He asked about the wall.”
Richard looked away.
“And you told him there was nothing under it.”
“I believed there wasn’t.”
I did not believe him.
Neither did he, I think.
Then he changed tactics.
“Melissa tells me yesterday’s payment conversation became unpleasant.”
“She threatened my job.”
“She was upset.”
“She specifically mentioned that you employ me.”
Richard sighed.
“My wife says things emotionally.”
“Are you going to pay my father?”
His eyes narrowed.
“This is not the moment to discuss an invoice.”
“It was apparently the moment yesterday.”
“Caroline.”
I waited.
Then he said:
“I need you to stay away from this investigation.”
My stomach tightened.
“Why?”
“Because you have access to Colebridge financial records.”
“So?”
“And your father is now a witness.”
“A witness to something beneath your house.”
“Yes.”
“What does that have to do with company finances?”
He answered too quickly.
“Nothing.”
There it was.
If there was nothing, he did not need the warning.
Then:
“You are also not to discuss company records with law enforcement without legal authorization.”
I looked at him.
“If law enforcement contacts me, I’ll speak with counsel.”
“Good.”
“But I will not hide or destroy anything.”
His face changed.
“Nobody asked you to.”
Not yet.
I left.
At 10:14 a.m., my system access disappeared.
Email.
Financial reporting.
Contract database.
Everything.
IT told me my account was “under compliance review.”
At 10:19, HR called me into a meeting.
Administrative leave.
Paid.
Pending conflict review.
The reason:
My father’s involvement in “pending litigation concerning property belonging to the CEO.”
I stared at the letter.
“What litigation?”
HR director Megan Shaw looked uncomfortable.
“Potential litigation.”
“My father hasn’t sued anybody.”
“I understand.”
“So why am I being removed from systems?”
“Richard believes there is a conflict.”
“Did Richard order this?”
Megan said nothing.
That was an answer.
I called an employment attorney before leaving the building.
Dad was furious.
Not because I was suspended.
Because he thought he had caused it.
“This is exactly why I should’ve warned you.”
“No.”
“Caroline.”
“No.”
I looked at him.
“You don’t get to take responsibility for Richard retaliating because you reported something.”
Dad stared.
Then nodded.
“Fair.”
That evening, my attorney sent Colebridge a preservation notice.
Do not delete emails.
Messages.
Access logs.
HR instructions.
Financial files relating to Richard or the property.
I expected Richard to back down.
Instead, he made another mistake.
He called Dad.
Dad recorded notes immediately afterward.
Richard offered to pay the $7,800.
Plus $15,000 extra.
In exchange, Dad would issue a written statement saying he had “misinterpreted the concealed structure” and contacted police unnecessarily.
Dad asked:
“Would that statement be true?”
May you like
Richard hung up.
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