Chapter 8 - The familiar seal
The seal Daniel recognized on Dana’s portfolio belonged to the Special Audit Committee of Bennett Meridian Hospitality Group.
Why did that terrify him?
Because Daniel had created it.
Six years earlier.
After a different executive was accused of inflating travel expenses, Daniel insisted the company needed independent board procedures.
He drafted the committee charter himself.
Three directors.
None reporting operationally to him.
Authority to retain outside counsel.
Authority to hire forensic accountants.
Authority to access financial systems without executive approval.
At the time Daniel called it:
“Good governance.”
Now good governance had turned around.
The people he thought would never compare notes included:
The company’s outside auditor.
Its commercial bank.
The Vesper Hotel.
Two legitimate vendors whose names appeared on altered invoices.
The corporate-card administrator.
And Melissa Grant.
Not all of them knew the full story.
They did not need to.
May you like
They each knew one piece.
Daniel’s control depended on the pieces never meeting.
