"Mr. Hale," Imani said, looking directly at Preston, "is there anything you want to tell the people here about Hale Strategy Group?" Preston rose so quickly his chair scraped the floor. "It's a consulting firm," he answered. "A legitimate outside adviser. We used them for strategic planning and operational support."
"That may be what the original contracts intended," Imani said. "Our auditors are examining the evidence of what was actually provided. The issue today is that the approval process did not adequately separate the interests of the executives requesting the work from those approving its payment. That requires an independent answer, not an assurance from the person whose decisions are under review."
Preston turned toward Garrett. "He approved every payment," he said, pointing. "Ask him. He can tell you they were standard expenses." Garrett remained seated until Helena looked toward him and asked whether he wished to respond. He stood, holding the folder in his hands.
"I approved them," Garrett said. The admission was barely audible at first, but the microphone on the conference table picked it up.
"I approved them because Mr. Hale told me to. I did not conduct the verification our policies required, and I kept the emails because I knew the process was wrong. I'm sorry. I'll give the auditors everything."
The room did not applaud. It would have been an easy moment to cheer somebody for choosing honesty, but the people listening understood that he had also been part of the problem. Garrett did not ask them to forgive him. He looked down at the folder and waited while Helena thanked him for cooperating and reminded the room that the investigation would assess every involved officer's conduct independently.
Preston's face had gone red. "This is a setup," he said. "You arranged a meeting without telling me who you were, you let employees make accusations, and now you're using a public forum to make me look guilty before anyone has investigated."
Imani did not retreat from the need for a fair process. "You're entitled to an accurate investigation," she answered. "So is Garrett. So is Maya. And every employee and shareholder affected by the company's decisions is entitled to know that we take those concerns seriously. The documents are preserved, the payments are on hold, and the people reviewing them do not report to you or to me for their conclusions."
She looked toward Sienna, whose phone was still in her hand. "Ms. Rhodes, you can keep filming," she said, recognizing Kelsey near the side aisle rather than the marketing associate who had been recording. "I want the public part of this discussion to be visible. The detailed financial records will be handled through the proper legal process, but the promise of accountability does not need to be hidden."
Kelsey lifted her own phone only after the company's communications officer signaled that recording was permitted. Her hands shook as she framed the stage. She had once held a phone to capture somebody else's embarrassment and found it amusing. Now she was recording a room where her own behavior had become part of an example nobody intended to forget.