Chapter 9 - THE DEPOSITION
The failed wipe attempt changed the tone of every conversation that followed.
Until that moment, Richard could still claim the case was an ugly divorce complicated by business records.
Now there was evidence that someone using his administrator credentials had attempted to destroy data after a court preservation order.
Harrison did not accuse him publicly.
He did something Richard hated more.
He noticed quietly.
Then he scheduled Richard's deposition.
The deposition took place in a private conference room overlooking Market Street.
Richard arrived with Martin Keane and two associates.
Khloe did not attend.
Harrison had advised against it.
Instead, she waited in another room with Mara and reviewed architectural plans for the Eastbank project.
The plans had become relevant because several invoices billed to Eastbank appeared to fund work at the penthouse.
Khloe recognized the discrepancies immediately.
"This stone order is wrong."
Mara looked over.
"How?"
"Eastbank's lobby specification was limestone."
"This invoice is Italian marble."
"And these dimensions do not fit any public area in the project."
Mara pulled the vendor record.
The delivery address had been redacted in the production.
But the job code remained.
Khloe searched her memory.
"That code wasn't Eastbank."
"Richard used AURELIA for the penthouse."
Mara's eyes narrowed.
"Aurelia Residential Holdings."
Khloe nodded.
"He charged penthouse materials to Eastbank."
Mara's expression became delighted in the alarming way it always did when accounting turned ugly.
"Keep going."
In the conference room next door, Harrison began with simple questions.
"State your full name."
"Richard James Harrington."
"Your position?"
"Chief executive officer of Harrington Commercial Group."
"How long have you held that role?"
"Eight years."
Harrison moved slowly through corporate structure.
Ownership.
Authority.
Bank access.
Software permissions.
Richard answered with controlled impatience.
Then Harrison asked,
"Do you know Vanessa Kensington?"
Martin objected to relevance.
Richard answered anyway.
"Yes."
"How?"
"She is an interior designer who worked on several Harrington projects."
Harrison waited.
"Anything else?"
Richard stared at him.
"We are in a relationship."
"When did that relationship begin?"
"I don't remember the exact date."
"Year?"
"Two years ago."
"While you were married to Khloe?"
Martin objected.
Harrison looked at Richard.
"You can answer."
Richard's face tightened.
"Yes."
"Is Ms. Kensington pregnant?"
"Yes."
"Are you the father?"
Martin leaned forward.
"Harrison."
"It's relevant to the property purchased and furnished with disputed funds."
Richard answered.
"Yes."
Harrison turned a page.
"Did you use funds from Khloe Harrington's separate trust to pay expenses for Ms. Kensington?"
Martin froze.
Richard looked at his attorney.
"Not knowingly."
Harrison's tone did not change.
"Did you use any funds from Khloe Harrington's separate trust to pay expenses for Ms. Kensington?"
"Funds were commingled."
"That was not the question."
Martin objected again.
Harrison waited.
Richard finally said,
"Possibly."
"Possibly meaning yes?"
"Possibly meaning I did not personally trace the source of every dollar."
Harrison placed an authorization form in front of him.
"Is that your signature?"
Richard looked down.
"Yes."
"This transfer moved seven hundred fifty thousand dollars from an account receiving Khloe's trust distribution into Beechmont Advisory."
"Correct?"
Richard studied the page.
"It appears so."
"Two days later, Beechmont paid the deposit for the Rittenhouse penthouse."
"Correct?"
"I would need to verify."
Harrison placed the next page down.
"It's already verified."
Richard's eyes lifted.
"Then why ask me?"
Harrison leaned back.
"To see whether you would tell the truth."
Martin objected sharply.
Richard's face flushed.
Harrison moved on.
"Did you take Khloe's passport?"
Richard stopped.
"No."
"Did you remove it from the safe in the Lower Merion residence?"
"No."
"Did you instruct anyone else to remove it?"
"No."
"Did Vanessa Kensington ask you whether you had obtained Khloe's passport?"
Richard's face changed.
Martin turned toward him.
"What?"
Harrison placed a printed message on the table.
Richard read it.
And did you get her passport?
His silence lasted too long.
"Where did you get this?"
"That's not your question to ask."
Richard looked at Martin.
The attorney looked furious.
Harrison continued.
"Did Ms. Kensington send that message to you?"
"It appears so."
"Why would she ask whether you had Khloe's passport?"
"I don't know."
"Did you discuss Khloe's passport with Ms. Kensington?"
"Not that I recall."
Harrison turned another page.
"Did you discuss taking Khloe outside the country after the divorce filing?"
Richard's head lifted sharply.
Martin objected.
Harrison ignored the performance.
"There is a charter reservation for Nassau."
"Three passengers."
"You."
"Ms. Kensington."
"An infant."
"Why would Khloe's passport matter to that trip?"
Richard's mouth tightened.
"It wouldn't."
"Then why did Ms. Kensington ask about it?"
"Ask her."
Harrison smiled faintly.
"We will."
The deposition lasted five hours.
By the end, Richard had contradicted two prior sworn filings.
He had admitted the relationship.
Admitted paternity of Vanessa's unborn son.
Admitted commingling funds.
And denied any attempt to delete company data.
Then Harrison showed him the system log.
"These are your administrator credentials?"
Richard stared at the screen.
"Yes."
"Were they used to initiate a remote wipe of Daniel Price's laptop?"
"I didn't do that."
"Do other people know your credentials?"
Richard hesitated.
"My assistant may."
Martin closed his eyes.
Harrison asked,
"Which assistant?"
Richard named Jenna Coletti.
Harrison wrote it down.
"Did you authorize Ms. Coletti to destroy data?"
"No."
"Did you instruct anyone to destroy data?"
"No."
"Then you agree the attempt was unauthorized?"
Richard realized the trap too late.
If unauthorized, it suggested a security incident.
If authorized, it suggested spoliation.
He stared at Harrison.
"I said I did not do it."
Harrison nodded.
"That's enough for today."
When the deposition ended, Martin remained seated after Richard left.
Harrison gathered his papers.
Martin spoke quietly.
"You have something else."
Harrison looked at him.
"I usually do."
"Do not play with me."
"I am not your client."
Martin lowered his voice.
"If there is criminal exposure I need to know about, I need enough to advise him."
Harrison held his gaze.
"Advise him to preserve documents, tell the truth under oath, and stop contacting my client except through counsel."
"That advice will age well."
Then he walked out.
In the adjacent room, Khloe stood when Harrison entered.
"How bad?"
"For him?"
"Yes."
"Worse than this morning."
She handed him the marble invoice.
"Then add this."
Harrison read it.
A slow, dangerous smile appeared.
"You found this?"
"He married a draftsman."
"You keep saying that."
"He keeps regretting it."
That evening, Richard went to Vanessa's rental apartment.
She opened the door wearing a cream robe stretched over her pregnancy.
"How did it go?"
Richard walked past her.
"Why did you ask about Khloe's passport in writing?"
Vanessa stopped.
"What?"
"The message."
"Harrison has it."
Her face changed.
"How?"
"I don't know."
"Did you take it?"
Richard turned.
"Did you?"
Vanessa's eyes flashed.
"Don't talk to me like I'm one of your employees."
"Answer me."
"You said we needed to keep her from traveling while the accounts were being moved."
Richard stared at her.
"I said it would be easier if she stayed in Pennsylvania."
"You said her passport was in the safe."
"That is not the same as telling you to take it."
Vanessa laughed incredulously.
"You are doing this now?"
"Doing what?"
"Pretending every ugly idea was mine."
Richard lowered his voice.
"Where is the passport?"
Vanessa walked toward the kitchen.
"I don't know."
"Vanessa."
"Maybe I moved it."
Richard went still.
"Where?"
She turned.
"Why?"
"So you can hand it back and make me the crazy mistress who stole it?"
Richard said nothing.
That silence told her everything.
Vanessa's face hardened.
"Get out."
"We need to talk."
"No."
"You need to go."
Richard stared at her.
"I am trying to protect us."
Vanessa put one hand over her belly.
"You are trying to protect yourself."
May you like
For once, Richard had no answer.
