Three days later, Owen called with information that turned our private conflict into something larger.

Nathaniel’s father, Malcolm Whitcomb, had retired from active management but still controlled the family trust that held the firm’s largest properties.

His long-serving executive secretary, Beth Lawson, had kept paper records when the legal department digitized its archives.

Beth was recently widowed and no longer depended on the firm for employment.

She agreed to meet with Nathaniel and Owen after they obtained appropriate permission to review old business correspondence.

I did not attend that meeting.