The special board meeting was held the following Wednesday.

I did not sit in the room while independent directors considered Connor’s conduct.

The audit committee had arranged for external counsel to guide them through their responsibilities, and Judith kept a careful record of what I was and was not told.

I spent those hours visiting our fulfillment center, where workers had been requesting new safety equipment for months.

The manager showed me a row of carts with defective brakes and explained that approval for replacements had stalled in the executive office.

Our first week was turning into a map of small abuses and neglected responsibilities.