Chapter 2 - The Audit at Nine A.M.At 9:00 AM the following morning, the grand glass-and-marble boardroom on the thirty-second floor of Whitmore Enterprises in downtown Chicago was packed with eighteen board members, senior investors, and bank representatives.
Nolan Whitmore stood at the head of the mahogany conference table, wearing an immaculate six-thousand-dollar bespoke suit, holding a cup of espresso, displaying a high-definition slideshow for a thirty-million-dollar commercial merger.
Sitting near his right hand, wearing a dark lace dress and a heavy pearl necklace, was his mother, Patricia. Standing near the rear glass doors, holding her smartphone, scrolling casually through social media, was his younger sister, Emma.
"As you can see from our projected Q3 yields," Nolan announced smoothly, flashing his polished, million-dollar smile, "Whitmore Enterprises is positioned to dominate the Midwestern real estate market. My wife, Tessa, is currently resting at a private wellness facility following a brief personal health episode, but she fully supports our direction."
BOOM!
The heavy double glass doors of the executive conference room swung open with a sharp, echoing thud.
Stepping into the room, flanked by four uniformed Cook County Sheriff's deputies, six Federal Marshals, and two forensic accountants, was Detective Cole Voss.
The entire conference room went dead silent.
Nolan’s smile faltered instantly. He straightened his silk tie, his face contorting into an annoyed, arrogant frown. "Detective Voss? What is the meaning of this interruption?! We are in the middle of an executive board meeting!"
Patricia stood up from her leather chair, her pearl necklace tangling around her fingers, her voice shrill and commanding. "Officer, my son is the CEO of this firm! If this is regarding my daughter-in-law's psychiatric episode, we have already filed the involuntary commitment papers!"
Detective Voss didn't flinch. He walked straight up the length of the thirty-foot mahogany table, stopping directly beside Nolan.
"Nolan Whitmore," Detective Voss announced, his voice booming clearly across the room. "You are under arrest for Attempted First-Degree Murder, Conspiracy to Commit Insurance Fraud, Forgery, and Aggravated Domestic Battery."
A collective, horrified gasp swept through the eighteen board members and investors.
Emma dropped her smartphone onto the carpet floorboards, her face turning an ugly, paper-white shade of green. "N-Nolan...?! What is he talking about?!"
Nolan thrashed his arm away from the deputy's grip, his face flushed with an ugly, sweat-slicked rage. "THIS IS A ABSURD! MY WIFE IS CRAZY! SHE ATTACKED MY MOTHER! YOU HAVE NO EVIDENCE!"
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Bridget Colton stepped through the doorway, holding a high-definition tablet connected directly to the boardroom's central projector screen.
"Show them the evidence, Detective," Bridget commanded cleanly.
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