Then she opened her eyes.
“Get the original approval records.”
The accountant nodded.
She continued.
“And preserve the communications linking the procurement program to the proposed financing.”
Diane looked toward her.
“We'll do that through the proper investigation process.”
Noelle nodded.
For the first time, the shape of the problem was becoming visible.
An executive had pushed expensive maintenance arrangements through a supplier associated with the financier offering to acquire Ashford's distressed debt.
Those arrangements contributed to the financial pressure used to justify the financing proposal.
And the same executive's department had overridden the safety restriction preventing that financier from boarding Flight 907.
It might still be possible that some connections had innocent explanations.
But there were far too many questions to dismiss.
Noelle looked toward Margaret.
Then whispered.
“I think someone has been making the company look weaker than it is.”
The older woman stared.
For several seconds, she remained quiet.
Then answered.
“We'd better find out.”
The employee who finally explained the false authorization was twenty-nine-year-old Mara Lee.
Mara worked as an executive operations coordinator under Adrian Pike.
She was diligent, organized, and accustomed to solving problems before her supervisor noticed they existed.
She also had a mortgage.
A young son.
And a husband recovering from a serious workplace injury.
Losing her job would have been devastating.
That was why she spent two days staring at the investigators' request before deciding to speak.
Mara hadn't invented the forged executive authorization.
But she had assembled the document.
The previous evening, Adrian instructed her to prepare an urgent VIP clearance package.
He provided a template bearing Noelle's title and signature image.
Mara assumed the approval had already been obtained.
She inserted the booking details.
Updated the date.
And sent the package back for review.
Adrian returned it with a short message.
Approved. Upload immediately.
Mara did.
The next morning, Gavin's booking appeared as cleared.
Then Flight 907 was delayed.
The CEO challenged the authorization.
And Mara realized the document might not have represented a decision Noelle had actually made.
She felt sick.
For two days, she considered remaining silent.
Adrian was powerful.
He knew people across the industry.
And he had already warned employees that the company couldn't tolerate disloyalty during the financing crisis.
But Mara also knew the document had been used to place a prohibited passenger on an aircraft.
She thought about the cabin crew.
About the injury that led to Gavin's restriction.