Business governance is business governance. Family dysfunction is, regrettably, not governed by statute. Eleanor almost smiled. Then Rebecca asked the question that mattered more than the bag.
“Does Harrison have access to company accounts beyond his authority?” Eleanor’s expression changed. “Why?” “Because if pressure for financing has escalated, I want to know whether impatience became self-help.”
Eleanor did not answer immediately. Harrison was vice president of development. He had approval authority within project budgets. He could sign vendor contracts under certain thresholds.
He could not transfer corporate funds for personal ventures without board approval. Eleanor had never believed he would cross that line. But until yesterday, she had never believed he would stand beside a woman who destroyed her birthday cake and ask his mother not to embarrass anyone. By noon, she had called the company controller.
By six that evening, the birthday cake no longer felt like the largest problem in her life. The controller’s name was Martin Vega, and he had worked for Whitmore Residential Group long enough to remember Harrison doing homework at the reception desk after school. He did not sound alarmed when Eleanor first called. He sounded cautious, which was worse.
“There are a few charges I meant to ask you about Monday,” he said. “Development-side consulting expenses. They’re coded to the Ashford renovation account, but the vendor name is Mercer Creative Strategy.” Eleanor gripped the phone more tightly.
“How much?” “Forty-eight thousand six hundred to date.” She closed her eyes. Mercer Creative Strategy was Sloan’s company.
Martin continued carefully. “There’s also a signed preliminary design agreement with Northline Architecture for the downtown Palmer Building. Harrison used a Whitmore email and his vice president title. It isn’t a property purchase contract, and I don’t see a corporate deposit yet.”