Chapter 5 - THE SECRET IN THE FOUNDATION
The next morning, I received a call from the charity's executive director.
Her name was Patricia Sloan.
She sounded nervous.
“Clare, can you come in?”
I looked at the clock.
It was barely eight.
“What's wrong?”
“There's been an issue with the gala.”
My stomach tightened.
“What kind of issue?”
“A financial one.”
I arrived at the office forty minutes later.
Patricia sat behind her desk with a stack of documents.
She looked exhausted.
“Clare, you handle donor records.”
“Yes.”
“And you've been reviewing the scholarship accounts.”
“Yes.”
She swallowed.
“We've discovered discrepancies.”
I stared.
“What discrepancies?”
“Money is missing.”
My heart sank.
“How much?”
Patricia looked down.
“Nearly two million dollars.”
I couldn't speak.
The foundation funded scholarships for children whose families couldn't afford specialized medical care.
Two million dollars could change hundreds of lives.
“Who had access?” I asked.
Patricia hesitated.
Then said:
“Wesley Harkort.”
I stared at her.
“And Blair Kensington.”
A cold feeling spread through my chest.
Suddenly, the photograph made sense.
The missing handbag.
The tracker.
The seating arrangement.
They hadn't simply wanted to embarrass me.
They wanted me close to Leandro.
May you like
They wanted him distracted.
And they wanted me blamed.
