The preliminary hearing began three weeks later.
The courtroom was crowded with journalists, investors, former employees, and members of both families.
Richard Whitmore sat beside his attorney.
Emily and Victoria occupied the front row.
Alexander stood near the counsel table, watching as the judge reviewed the evidence submitted by the investigators.
The case was not a simple story of one guilty person and several innocent victims.
The financial records showed a complicated network of transfers, incomplete audits, forged authorizations, and decisions made by people who had placed the company’s reputation above transparency.
The court first heard evidence concerning Daniel Carter.
An independent forensic accounting team demonstrated that several documents used to accuse him had been altered after their original creation.
The signatures on key transfer authorizations did not match the verified examples of Daniel’s handwriting.
Bank records also established that he had not received the missing funds.
Emily listened as the findings were read aloud.
For twelve years, her father had been remembered as a man who had destroyed his own company.
Now the official evidence showed that the accusations against him had been built on unreliable records.
Richard took the witness stand.
He admitted that he had failed to investigate Daniel’s allegations properly.
He explained that he had feared the collapse of Whitmore Global and had accepted assurances from people he should have questioned.
The judge asked him whether he regretted his decisions.
Richard looked toward Emily.
“Every day.”
The court then examined the transactions connected to Northbridge Capital.
The evidence showed that Margaret Hale had authorized several transfers and failed to disclose conflicts of interest. Jonathan Pierce had helped create legal structures that concealed the recipients of some payments.
However, the investigators were careful to distinguish proven facts from allegations that remained unresolved.
Jonathan’s whereabouts were still unknown.
