Chapter 4 - The Accountant’s Secret
Arthur denied everything.
For six minutes.
Then Nora slammed the photograph onto his kitchen table.
“Stop lying to me.”
Arthur stared at it.
Roman stood near the window, silent.
Finally, Arthur whispered, “Leo approached me months ago.”
“Why?”
“He knew who you were.”
Nora froze.
“What does that mean?”
“He knew you studied finance.”
Roman stepped forward.
“Continue.”
Arthur looked terrified.
“He asked about Nora. Where she worked. Whether she still followed markets.”
Nora stared at Roman.
“You told me yesterday was random.”
“It was.”
“Then why was Leo asking about me?”
Roman’s jaw tightened.
Arthur swallowed.
“He wanted me to convince Nora to look at some investments.”
“When?” Nora demanded.
“Months ago.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“I thought I could make money first.”
Nora turned away.
Roman asked, “Did Leo lend you money?”
Arthur nodded.
The room went silent.
“How much?” Roman asked.
“Forty thousand.”
Nora slowly looked back.
Her father’s debt wasn't owed to some random bookmaker.
It traced back to Leo.
Roman took out his phone.
“Bring him in.”
Nora caught his wrist.
“No.”
Roman looked at her hand.
She released him.
“You don't get to make him disappear.”
Roman’s eyes hardened.
“I didn't say that.”
“You didn't have to.”
“This is my company.”
“And this is my father.”
Roman studied her.
“What do you suggest?”
Nora looked again at the photograph.
“We find out why.”
Two hours later, Leo sat in Roman’s conference room.
Nora placed a stack of records in front of him.
“You knew who I was before that dinner.”
Leo said nothing.
Roman stood behind her.
“You approached my father.”
Still nothing.
Nora slid another page forward.
“And you were hiding losses.”
Leo’s face changed.
Roman noticed.
“What losses?”
Nora turned toward him.
“I reviewed the internal statements you gave me.”
“You've been working here six hours.”
“I work quickly.”
Roman looked almost impressed despite himself.
Nora continued.
“Leo wasn't moving money badly because he was incompetent.”
She looked directly at Leo.
“He was trying to cover something.”
Leo stood.
“This is absurd.”
“Sit down,” Roman said.
Leo sat.
Nora pushed forward another sheet.
“You've been disguising failed investments as operating expenses.”
Roman's expression became dangerously calm.
“How much?”
Nora answered.
“Just over eight million dollars.”
Leo whispered, “You don't understand.”
“Then explain it,” Nora said.
Leo looked at Roman.
“I was going to replace it.”
Roman laughed once.
There was no humor in it.
“With what?”
“My investments were supposed to recover.”
Nora understood.
“You started gambling.”
Leo looked at her.
“Not gambling.”
“That's exactly what it was.”
Roman’s voice dropped.
“And Arthur?”
Leo looked away.
Nora answered for him.
“He needed desperate borrowers.”
Roman understood immediately.
Leo had been using financially vulnerable people around Boston to create layers between himself and his failing investments.
Arthur had simply been one of them.
Roman leaned both hands against the table.
“You used her father.”
Leo suddenly pointed at Nora.
“She was nobody!”
Roman went completely still.
Nora’s expression hardened.
Leo realized too late what he'd said.
Roman spoke quietly.
“Get out.”
Leo blinked.
“What?”
“You are finished.”
“Roman, twenty years—”
“Twenty years bought you the opportunity to leave this room with your dignity.”
Leo stood.
“And her?”
Roman looked at Nora.
“What about her?”
“You're replacing me with a waitress?”
Nora answered first.
“No.”
Leo laughed bitterly.
Then Nora pushed the eight-million-dollar discrepancy report toward him.
“You're being replaced by someone who checks the numbers.”
Roman’s mouth twitched.
Leo left.
The door closed.
Nora exhaled.
Roman looked at her.
“You enjoyed that.”
“Maybe a little.”
Then Roman’s expression became serious.
“I owe you an apology.”
Nora blinked.
“For the restaurant?”
“For deciding what you were worth based on the uniform you were wearing.”
That landed harder than she expected.
Nora looked away.
Roman continued.
May you like
“I won't make that mistake again.”
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