Chapter 24 - The Man Behind the Valuation
Sarah's attorney arranged a limited review of the TriBeCa model by an independent digital-forensics specialist, Naomi Park. I wasn't given unrestricted access to the archive. I was shown only the findings relevant to documents already discussed with me.
“The leaked valuation is real,” Naomi said on the call. “But the associated authorization record may not identify its actual human sender.”
“Vanessa's assistant?” I asked.
“The credential was used. That isn't the same as saying Vanessa directed the transfer. We need device and server records.”
Another fact unsettled Adrian's earlier accusation: the most aggressive valuation adjustment had been entered from an account associated with the audit committee's chair, Alden Voss.
“Could he have approved it legitimately?” Miriam asked.
“Possibly. It's not proof of misconduct. It does mean the audit committee must be reviewed independently of him.”
I left the call with a headache. Vanessa had given us reasons to distrust her. That didn't make every ugly thing in Adrian's life her work.
May you like
When I informed Adrian of the narrow finding, he didn't ask Naomi's private number or demand the raw files. He said, “I'll recuse Alden from the internal review until independent counsel can look at it.”
It was an answer I hadn't expected. It wasn't yet one I could rely on.
