She opened her briefcase and pulled out a sleek silver tablet.

“The side letters prove Victor diverted five million dollars to Brooke’s entity under the guise of consulting fees,” Evelyn said.

“That is embezzlement,” Diane said.

“It is,” Evelyn agreed. “And it violates every federal covenant we have with our lenders.”

She swiped her finger across the tablet screen.

“I have already notified our primary lenders at Northern Trust,” Evelyn said. “They are freezing the development draw accounts as we speak.”

“What about Victor’s personal money?” I asked.

“Diane’s filing will handle that,” Evelyn said. “But he will find out very quickly.”

My phone, lying on the glass coffee table, began to vibrate.

The screen lit up with Victor’s name.

None of us spoke.

We watched the phone slide a fraction of an inch across the glass as it vibrated.

The screen went dark, then immediately lit up again.

“Answer it, Claire,” Diane said. “Let him know the situation.”

I picked up the phone and swiped the screen.

“Victor,” I said.

“What did you do?” his voice screamed through the speaker.