“I’m tired.”
She laughed for the first time in hours.
“I understood.”
She hired an independent protection team through outside counsel.
Not corporate.
By dawn, the board chairman had also retained personal criminal counsel.
That fact spread before breakfast.
The CEO’s relationship with him shifted permanently at 8:12 a.m.
He called.
She answered.
“You brought federal agents into company.”
“I reported attempted sabotage.”
“You don’t know who did it.”
“No.”
“Then stop implying board involvement.”
“I haven’t.”
“Your counsel has.”
“My counsel said financing and sabotage are being investigated separately.”
“Media won’t hear separately.”
The CEO closed her eyes.
“You’re worried about media?”
“I’m worried about destroying a company your father built.”
The phrase irritated her.
“You use him whenever you want me obedient.”
Silence.
The chairman said:
“That is unfair.”
“Is it?”
“I stood beside you when no one else thought you were ready.”
“You did.”
“I defended your appointment.”
“You did.”
“I treated you like my own daughter.”
“You did.”
She let the words sit.
Then:
“None of that answers whether you asked for my route yesterday.”
He was silent.
“I did.”
“Why?”
“I wanted to know if you would make the meeting.”
“Why did my security chief curse when he learned?”
“I have no idea.”
“Why did you move meeting early after his crash?”
“I didn’t know he crashed.”
“How did you know there was a security event before I told you?”
Silence.
The CEO sat straighter.
“Answer.”
The chairman’s voice lowered.
“Corporate security notified my office.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
“Name.”
“My assistant took call.”
“From?”
“I’ll ask.”
“Ask now.”
“This is ridiculous.”
“No.”
“This is the first useful conversation we’ve had.”
The chairman exhaled.
“I will get back to you.”
“No.”
“If you hang up without answering, I ask independent counsel to seize your communications.”
Silence.
“Do you hear yourself?”
“Yes.”
“Do you?”
He ended the call.
That was enough.
The CEO immediately requested the board’s independent committee preserve the chairman’s devices.
The board approved.
The chairman sued to block it.
Then withdrew the suit twelve hours later.
His attorney knew how that looked.
The CFO resigned the next morning.
That was worse.