Chapter 14 - The Board Turns
Crowe Meridian’s emergency board meeting began at nine Monday morning.
By 9:07, Damien understood Marcus had allies he had underestimated.
Gregory Shaw, a director for twelve years, placed the disputed consent on the table.
“We cannot simply ignore an executed governance document because Damien says he doesn’t remember the attachment.”
Damien stared at him.
“I remember signing an acknowledgment sheet. I did not approve this.”
Gregory spread his hands.
“Your signature is authentic.”
“The document isn’t.”
Another director, Helen Park, frowned.
“We should suspend implementation until counsel reviews it.”
Gregory shook his head.
“Markets hate uncertainty.”
Simone leaned forward.
“Markets also hate attempted murder.”
Silence.
Gregory glanced at her.
“That investigation has nothing to do with corporate governance.”
“Marcus Vale drafted this document.”
“Allegedly.”
Damien watched Gregory carefully.
“Why are you defending him?”
“I’m defending process.”
“No. You’re defending an outcome.”
Gregory’s face tightened.
The board’s independent counsel intervened.
“We should focus.”
Damien slid a folder across the table.
“These are photographs recovered by law enforcement showing Marcus surveilling me years before he joined the company.”
Several directors reacted.
Gregory did not.
That told Damien more than words.
Simone noticed too.
“You’ve seen them,” she said.
Gregory looked at her.
“No.”
“You didn’t even look down.”
He became defensive.
“I don’t need sensational photographs to understand fiduciary obligations.”
Damien leaned back.
“When did Marcus first approach you?”
“He didn’t.”
“Wrong answer.”
Gregory’s face hardened.
Damien nodded toward Claire, who stood near the door.
She activated the screen.
Corporate visitor records appeared.
Marcus Vale had met Gregory Shaw eleven times privately over two years.
Gregory’s complexion changed.
Helen Park stared.
“You said he never approached you.”
“I meant about this matter.”
Damien’s voice was low.
“You have one opportunity to stop lying.”
Gregory pushed back from the table.
“This is absurd.”
Simone spoke.
“Sit down.”
Perhaps because she sounded so much like Leonard Crowe, Gregory did.
Claire displayed financial records law enforcement had shared with corporate counsel.
A consulting entity linked to Gregory’s adult son had received $1.2 million from a Marcus-controlled company.
Gregory stared at the screen.
Helen whispered, “Greg.”
He looked around the room.
Nobody was with him anymore.
Damien said, “Were you helping Marcus take control?”
Gregory’s eyes filled with panic.
“No.”
“You took his money.”
“I thought it was consulting compensation.”
“For your son?”
“He does strategy work.”
“Then why did the payments begin three weeks after you signed Marcus’s succession memo?”
Gregory said nothing.
Board counsel immediately called a recess.
By noon, Gregory resigned.
By two, prosecutors had requested his financial records.
But the damage was larger than one director.
Marcus had spent years planting influence around Damien.
Employees.
Vendors.
Board members.
A paralegal.
Evelyn.
Every weakness had been converted into leverage.
That night Damien sat beside Simone at their father’s old house in Pasadena, which she had kept after Leonard’s death.
They drank coffee in the kitchen where they had once done homework.
“I keep thinking I should have seen him,” Damien said.
“Marcus?”
“All of it.”
Simone stirred her coffee.
“You think intelligence prevents betrayal.”
“Doesn’t it help?”
“No.”
“What does?”
“People telling you things you don’t want to hear.”
Damien smiled bitterly.
“Like you?”
“Especially me.”
He looked around.
Their father’s clock still hung above the pantry.
“You were right about independent governance.”
Simone nearly choked.
“Say it again.”
“No.”
“I want to record it.”
“I take it back.”
For the first time since the pool, Damien laughed.
The sound surprised him.
Then Claire called.
“We found Marcus.”
Damien stood instantly.
“Where?”
“Maybe.”
“Claire.”
“His company jet filed no flight plan, but a charter broker received a request under one of his aliases.”
“To where?”
“Vancouver.”
“When?”
“Tomorrow morning.”
Damien gripped the phone.
“Can police stop him?”
“They’re coordinating.”
Simone stood.
“What?”
Damien told her.
Then Claire added, “There’s something else.”
“What?”
“Marcus just sent a message to Evelyn’s attorney.”
“Why?”
“He wants a meeting.”
Damien stared at the dark kitchen window.
“What kind of meeting?”
“One where Evelyn comes alone.”
“Absolutely not.”
Claire’s answer was immediate.
“She won’t.”
Damien understood.
Law enforcement wanted Marcus to believe she would.
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The man who had manipulated everyone was finally afraid.
And fear made people careless.
