25 Chapter 25–Underground Investigation
25 Chapter 25 – Underground Investigation
Evelyn’s expression brightened for the first time since we’d started talking. “Hazel, that’s brilliant. But where do we find trustworthy people with the necessary skills?”
Damian nodded approvingly but looked puzzled about one detail. “The night shift makes sense for secrecy, but why exclusively nights?”
Liam and Damian exchanged a look of understanding that told me they were already seeing the possibilities. My boss leaned forward intently. “You have a complete plan, don’t you, Hazel?”
Owen looked confused and worried. “But Hazel, without professional auditors, how do we catch these people?”
“What I’m about to share stays between us five. You’re the only people in this company I can trust completely right now.” His voice carried a weight I’d never heard before. “Six months ago, I started noticing discrepancies in our financial reports. Small things at first, but they didn’t add up when I cross–referenced them with our accounting and commercial data. Damian and I have been quietly investigating, and after the last quarterly report, we’re certain of one thing. Someone is systematically stealing from this company.”
“Excellent. We start implementation immediately, but there’s one more requirement. From now on, our weekend meetings happen at my house. Hazel and Owen, you’ll be compensated for the additional time, naturally. We all nodded our agreement. “Evelyn, I know you’re transitioning out, but if we need you back, can you return?”
A chill ran down my spine as pieces clicked into place. Liam, if this is happening across multiple departments simultaneously, we’re not dealing with a lone wolf. This is organized, coordinated. It’s a group effort. I paused, remembering something that made my stomach drop. “I’ve seen this before. When I worked at the construction company, one of Aiden Dalton’s friends experienced something identical. His business seemed rock solid one day and was completely destroyed the next.”
One by one, everyone agreed and filed out of the office. I started to follow, but Liam’s weary voice stopped me.
Damian’s eyes sharpened with interest. “What exactly happened to him?”
25 Chapter 25 Underground Investigation
“Absolutely. It’s our best option.”
“Hazel, stay for a moment, please.”
I had been thinking about this exact scenario since Damian first mentioned the missing money. “We create our own audit team, but we do it covertly. We hire three or four people who appear to be regular new employees, but they’re actually investigators we trust completely. They infiltrate different departments as spies, monitoring daily operations while conducting their real work after hours when the building is empty.”
Liam ran both hands through his hair, a gesture of frustration I’d rarely seen from him. “Exactly why I had you pull those accounting documents yesterday without warning, Evelyn. But this situation is massive, and we need a comprehensive audit to understand the full scope.”
“I remember the case, Damian said grimly. “The lawsuit is still ongoing. Several arrests were made, but Allen never recovered most of what was stolen from him.”
Chapter 25 Underground Investigation
Liam’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Albert Allen is still doing this type of work?”
Evelyn’s face went pale. “If we’re being attacked on multiple fronts, this
multiple fronts, this company could be completely gutted. We could be looking at bankruptcy. Her voice trembled slightly, betraying the fear we all felt.
“Complete isolation prevents discovery and eliminates bribery opportunities. If they never interact with company employees, no one can figure out what they’re really doing or attempt to corrupt them. Plus, strangers working during business hours. would raise immediate suspicion.”
The words hit me like a physical blow. I glanced at Owen, whose usual easy demeanor had vanished completely. His hands were clenched on his knees, mirroring my own growing anxiety. Damian leaned forward, his expression grim.
Hazel’s POV
“Perfect. I’ll arrange a meeting with Allen at my house next Saturday. Evelyn, your final assignment is relocating everyone from the floor below executive level. Start spreading news about the renovation project. I’ll also meet with Mitchell, our head of security. He’s completely trustworthy and will help us install the monitoring equipment.” Liam’s
discuss this matter only in private meetings at my house. Never in this Dulang aga
Evelyn’s maternal instincts showed in her warm smile. “Whatever you need, dear. I’ll be
there
“He had to reinvent himself after losing everything. He took extensive courses in forensic accounting and fraud detection. He’s helped several other companies that found themselves in similar situations.” The sadness in my voice was impossible to hide. “He’s a good man who didn’t deserve what happened to him.”
“His family’s other small businesses kept them from complete financial ruin, but he lost his life’s work.” I felt angry all over again thinking about it. “Liam, Allen would be perfect to lead this investigation. He knows exactly how these schemes operate and how to catch the perpetrators.”
Liam’s decision was immediate and decisive. “Then that’s exactly what we’re going to do. Hazel, your plan is our solution.” He looked around the circle at each of us. “Damian, are you on board?”
“It’s worse than simple embezzlement,” Damian continued, his voice low and controlled. “They’re siphoning off other resources too. We’ve lost three major clients this month alone, and several others have significantly reduced their contracts with us. This isn’t coincidence.”
Liam’s expression shifted to one of recognition mixed with surprise. “Wait, you’re talking about Albert Allen? He was my father’s close friend. I met with him after the bankruptcy, and he mentioned someone had helped him expose the fraud scheme. That was you?”
I nodded, feeling more confident as the strategy crystallized in my mind. “The building has that empty floor below the executive suite. We announce renovations and clear it out completely, then set up a secure audit headquarters there. Just like you’ve done with the executive level, we restrict access to only the people in this room. Our undercover investigators work their regular jobs during the day, gathering intelligence and copying documents. Meanwhile, you install monitoring equipment throughout the building, recording devices in offices and on phone lines. The actual analysis happens. at night when our audit team can work without any contact with regular employees.”
“Albert Allen owned Apex Steel. He thought he was being cautious by hiring a professional audit firm when he noticed irregularities. The auditors gave him a clean
25 Chapter 25–Underground Investigation
bill of health, and within a week, his company was bankrupt. Everything had been systematically stripped away.” I felt the familiar anger rising as I remembered Allen’s devastation. “Aiden assigned me to help him for three months afterward, trying to piece together how it happened.”
“Yes. We discovered the audit firm had been compromised from day one. The perpetrators bought off the auditors before they even started working. That’s why I strongly advise against hiring an external audit firm right now. The moment
we do, whoever is behind this will know we’re onto them. They’ll destroy evidence, sabotage the investigation, or corrupt the auditors.”
“I still have contacts from Allen’s investigation. Independent professionals, highly qualified, and they’ve handled this exact type of fraud before. Actually, Mr. Allen himself would be invaluable. He’s become something of an expert in corporate fraud detection since his own experience.”
“Evelyn?”
Everyone assembled in Liam’s office, and he instructed me to secure both my office. door and his before we began. We settled into the leather sofas arranged in a circle, the atmosphere heavy with unspoken tension. Liam’s jaw was set tight as he started speaking.
“Completely. It’s perfect.”
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