Another record referenced a private repositioning flight that wasn't in the company's authorization system.
The discrepancies could have been administrative errors.
She knew better than to assume misconduct without evidence.
But she asked her aviation executive to investigate.
That morning, he sent another message.
The aircraft has been assigned to a flight this afternoon. You did not approve it.
She excused herself from the scholarship luncheon.
Then called him.
He answered on the first ring.
The senior aviation executive was a fifty-nine-year-old American man who had spent more than three decades in corporate aviation operations. He was tall, silver-haired, and known for being almost painfully careful about documentation.
He had joined Meridian Atlas after a previous aviation provider failed to meet the company's reporting standards.
The CEO trusted his judgment.
But she never encouraged him to treat that trust as a substitute for verification.
"What happened?" she asked.
He took a breath.
"We found a discrepancy in the aircraft's departure package."
She stepped into a quiet corridor.
"What kind?"
"The crew received a manifest identifying an executive principal who isn't on our approved travel list."
The CEO stopped walking.
"Who is the principal?"
The aviation executive hesitated.
"The chief financial officer."
For several seconds, she said nothing.
Then she asked whether the CFO had submitted a flight request.
"No."
"Did anyone in my office approve it?"
"No."
"Was the aircraft supposed to depart today?"
"Not before tomorrow."
She looked toward the chandelier reflected in the corridor mirror.
Then asked what destination appeared on the crew's documents.
The executive named a private airport near Washington, D.C.
That caught her attention.
The company had an important board meeting scheduled for the following morning.
The CFO had been pressuring her to approve a proposed acquisition involving several regional logistics facilities.
She had declined to sign until the legal and financial teams completed their reviews.
The transaction was worth hundreds of millions.
And she had recently discovered inconsistencies in the projected operating costs.
The CFO wasn't pleased.
But he hadn't given her any reason to believe he would misuse the company aircraft.
At least, not until now.
She lowered her voice.
"Who signed the flight authorization?"
The executive paused.
Then answered.
"That's the problem."
She waited.
"The document carries a signature purporting to be yours."
The CEO felt her entire body become still.
For several seconds, she couldn't speak.
Then she asked him to send the document securely.
He agreed.
When it arrived, she opened the file.
At the bottom was her name.
And beneath it was a digital representation of her signature.
It looked convincing.
But she'd never signed the authorization.
She stared at the screen.
Then closed her eyes.