Chapter 7 - A FURNACE IN THE DARK
I left Maya's office and drove straight to my mother's house.
Her porch light was on, but the living room windows were black.
She opened the door wearing a cardigan and two scarves.
"The furnace quit again," she said, as if that were the worst news she could give me.
I checked the thermostat.
The control board had failed.
I could replace it, but the replacement part was expensive and the unit was near the end of its life.
My mother noticed my hands shaking.
"Caleb, what happened?"
I showed her the photograph.
She sat down slowly.
"Someone took that today?"
"Yes."
We called the police and filed a report.
Then I installed temporary electric heaters and took her to my apartment.
She argued all the way to the car, insisting she did not want me risking my career over her.
"I'm not risking my career over you," I said.
"I'm trying to keep someone from using you against me."
The distinction did not make her feel better.
Daniel called after midnight.
"Nora told me about the threat."
"Do you know who sent it?"
"No, and I won't pretend I do."
I appreciated that.
"Is this about the acquisition?"
"The acquisition exposed the problem. It did not create it."
"Then why am I the one getting punished?"
"Because your records don't agree with theirs."
He explained that North Ridge's parent company, Halden Industrial Services, had been negotiating a sale of several regional divisions.
Whitcomb Capital had found unusually high emergency expense reimbursements in the Pittsburgh territory.
The records were linked to vendors owned through a chain of shell companies.
"Curtis is one name on the approval trail," Daniel said.
"He's not necessarily the top."
"Who's above him?"
"We're working on it."
I watched my mother sleeping on the couch, surrounded by blankets.
"I stopped because your kids were cold," I said.
"I didn't do it to start a war."
"Neither did I."
The next morning, Maya called.
"We can send a preservation notice today."
"Do it."
"There's something else."
She had reviewed the forged inventory signature.
The system logged a device identifier, not just an employee name.
The device used to approve the missing compressor had been issued to someone in regional management.
"Curtis?"
"No."
She paused.
"His supervisor."
I knew the name before she said it.
Regional vice president Graham Voss.
May you like
The man scheduled to personally recommend Curtis for promotion.
