Eleanor stared at the detective, her breath coming in short, shallow gasps.

She looked at the door, then at Nathan, her hand reaching slowly toward her leather purse on the table.

The lead detective took a quick step forward and placed his hand firmly over hers.

“Step away from the bag, Mrs. Vance,” the detective said.

Eleanor froze, her fingers inches from the gold clasp of her purse.

I held my breath, my hand slipping into Nathan’s.

His grip was warm and tight.

“This is an outrage,” Eleanor whispered, her face turning a pale, sickly gray.

“We have a warrant for your arrest,” the detective said.

He pulled a folded piece of paper from his coat pocket.

“The charges include grand larceny, falsifying corporate records, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud,” he said.

A low murmur broke out among the board members.

Eleanor looked at Mr. Sterling, her eyes wide with desperation.

“Richard, do something,” she demanded.

Mr. Sterling looked down at his legal pad and adjusted his glasses.

“I am sorry, Eleanor,” he said quietly. “The evidence provided by the forensic auditors is absolute.”