Chapter 4 - The Man Dominic Trusted
Martin Keene had worked for Dominic Hale for eleven years.
He had signed hospital grants, negotiated acquisitions, buried Dominic's father, and stood beside the family at every photograph that mattered.
When Owen brought him into the library, Martin looked offended rather than frightened.
"This is absurd."
Dominic shut the doors.
The gala continued two rooms away under the strangest possible instructions: dessert, music, and please remain available to security.
"Did you hire Eli Ross?" Dominic asked.
"Who?"
Owen set the fake badge on the desk.
Martin's eyes touched it for half a second.
Naomi saw the answer before he spoke.
"I've never seen that."
"You looked at it like you had."
Martin turned to her. "And you are?"
"The woman Vanessa kicked."
"No. I mean really."
Naomi leaned against the edge of a bookcase.
"Tonight, that's enough."
Dominic put Eli's phone on the desk.
"The payment account traces to a vendor called Northstar Event Logistics."
Martin shrugged. "We use hundreds of vendors."
"You approved Northstar."
Silence.
"For what?" Dominic asked.
"Event support."
"They don't have a website," Owen said. "No employees. No office. The registered address is a mailbox."
Martin's expression changed.
Barely.
But Naomi saw it.
"Who owns it?" Dominic asked.
Martin looked at Naomi again.
"You should ask your fiancée."
Dominic stepped closer.
"I'm asking you."
Martin exhaled.
"Vanessa came to me four months ago. She said certain staff incidents were becoming a reputational problem. Complaints. Threats of lawsuits. People trying to exploit your name."
Naomi felt anger rise but kept her face still.
"So you paid them?"
"We settled nuisance claims."
"Whose nuisance?"
He ignored her.
Dominic's voice was colder now.
"How many?"
"I don't know."
"Try again."
Martin rubbed his forehead.
"Seven. Maybe eight."
"Eight employees accused Vanessa of mistreating them?"
"Not all Vanessa."
"How many?"
Martin didn't answer.
That was an answer.
Dominic looked as though someone had removed the floor beneath him.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Martin laughed without humor.
"Because your mother told me not to."
The room went still.
Dominic's eyes narrowed.
"My mother?"
"She said the engagement had to survive until the foundation vote. She said Vanessa was volatile, but manageable."
Naomi watched Dominic absorb the word manageable.
People with money used soft words for hard things.
A bruised employee became a nuisance claim.
A threat became volatility.
Silence became management.
Dominic turned toward Owen.
"Find my mother."
Martin spoke before Owen reached the door.
"There's something else."
Dominic looked back.
Martin opened a folder on his phone and held up a bank record.
"Northstar didn't only pay staff."
"Who else?"
Martin enlarged one line.
A transfer for $180,000.
Recipient: STERLING SOCIETY CONSULTING.
Naomi looked at Vanessa's name hidden inside the company title.
Dominic whispered, "What was that for?"
Martin's answer was quiet.
"That's what I was trying to find out when somebody started deleting the records."
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