The first discovery was disappointing: some transfers Andrew had copied were duplicate summaries rather than separate transactions.

The original total required reconciliation.

I was almost relieved.

It reminded me that anger was not a substitute for arithmetic.

Then Nina uncovered the real pattern.

Eighty-three thousand six hundred and forty dollars had reached an account held by Brenda over six months.

It had been charged to project support, travel, and consulting expenses, but no matching service reports existed.

The approval trail led to Mark’s corporate credentials.