Chapter 58
THE SOLID OAK DOOR OPENS and Phil strides out. “Good morning, Terrence and Meredith, I trust you both had a good weekend. Are we ready to impress the trustees?”
Terrence picks invisible lint from the sleeve of his dark suit jacket. “I came by to inquire if there was anything you needed.”
“Appreciate that.” Phil smiles.
“But now, I’m going to need to bring you up to speed.” Terrence sighs almost theatrically. “There’s been some unethical conduct—I might even say criminal—I’ve been made aware of. I’m sorry to say, but Meredith has gotten herself mixed up in some very troubling behaviors.”
Phil’s mouth opens, but he doesn’t speak, while I simply can’t. Although nothing that Terrence is saying is any surprise at this point, the surreal shock in hearing his condemnation in the executive suite, in front of our CEO, skewers a rod straight through me.
Terrence spins toward me. “She has obtained confidential sales data to boost the success of her ETFs. Simply unconscionable.”
Phil finds his voice. “Terrence, that is quite an accusation, and right before our board meeting. I don’t understand. Meredith was the one to bring the data to our attention. I can hardly believe she’s behind it.”
“Oh, she’s crafty. As you know, I’ve had Candace track her movements with Betsey, and I have proof of her accepting the data.” Terrence shakes his head, stepping closer to Phil.
Phil begins to talk, but Terrence continues. “We might never know how she was able to convince Meymack to comply with her fraud, but we can assume it has to do with how she’s been able to rise so quickly in this industry.”
Something cracks deep within me. I thought I could sit by and watch this play out, that Terrence would say more to incriminate himself. But I want to slap the smugness from his face.
“At least I wasn’t idiotic enough to pay all the minions using the same account, traced right back to the source.” My lip curls into a sneer of its own accord.
Terrence also appears like he wants to hit someone. Probably me.
Phil must sense this as he steps forward.
“We need to deal with this right now.” He turns slightly and extends his hand toward his door as a tall, trim Black man strides from his office.
“Terrence, have you met Gaven Newal? He is the SEC Enforcement Division chief. Gaven, this is my chief of compliance, whom I’ve just finished telling you all about. ”