Chapter 4 - A File That Should Not Exist
“That’s impossible,” Ethan said.
The forensic specialist, a compact woman named Tessa Wynn, rotated her laptop so he could see the log. “Your employee credential was used at 2:14 a.m. The system shows a successful login, a directory export, and a deletion request.”
“I was home.”
“Were you asleep?”
“I was awake until after midnight. I filed the report.”
“Then you were awake when the activity began.”
Ethan remembered the night: his kitchen light, the untouched coffee, the phone vibrating once at 1:58 a.m. He had assumed it was an automated alert.
“I never logged into the system after sending the report.”
Tessa nodded. “That’s what the evidence suggests.”
Adrian looked at him. “Could anyone else have used your credentials?”
“Not without my authentication token.”
“Where was it?”
“In my home office.”
“With you?”
Ethan stood. “Are you accusing me of deleting my own evidence?”
“I’m testing every possibility.”
“Test the one where someone cloned my token.”
Tessa raised a hand. “The access pattern is unusual. The credential authenticated through a remote desktop session, but the token signature is imperfect. It may be a replay.”
“Meaning?”
“Someone copied the appearance of your login.”
Ethan exhaled. “Can you prove that?”
“Not yet.”
The next interview was with Owen Pike, Whitmore’s CFO. He arrived with a lawyer and the expression of a man who considered every question a personal insult.
“North Lake was a legitimate vendor,” Owen said. “It provided strategic analysis during a period of expansion.”
“Where are the deliverables?” Adrian asked.
“In the company archive.”
“The archive shows twelve missing folders.”
“Then your archive is incomplete.”
Evelyn leaned toward the camera. “Mr. Pike, the board has ordered preservation of all records. Are you aware that destruction or alteration after notice can create personal liability?”
Owen’s lawyer answered. “My client is aware of his obligations.”
Owen’s eyes moved to Ethan. “Some people are eager to become heroes without understanding the cost.”
“Are you threatening me?” Ethan asked.
“I’m describing the consequences of reckless accusations.”
After the interview, Ethan found a message on his personal phone from an unknown number.
You looked for the North Lake files. You should have looked for the North Lake money.
Attached was a photograph of an old blue ledger, its leather cover split along the spine. In the corner of the image, Ethan recognized the Whitmore family crest.
He forwarded it to Adrian.
“Who sent this?” Priya asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Do you recognize the ledger?”
“No.”
Mara, standing by the window, went completely still.
Ethan noticed. “You do.”
She shook her head too quickly.
“Mara.”
Her voice dropped. “That ledger belonged to Daniel’s grandfather.”
“What was in it?”
May you like
She looked at the closed conference-room door.
“The first time the Whitmores stole from the company.”
