Chapter 24 - The Missing LedgerNadia Karim arrived at Marcus's office carrying a battered cardboard box.
She had once worked as an assistant controller for the Havenbridge Housing Fund.
Her evidence had helped investigators establish how Sterling redirected charitable funds.
But she had never stopped reviewing her old records.
"I found something after the criminal proceedings ended," she told Kalista.
"Why didn't you contact us earlier?"
"Because I didn't understand what it meant."
She removed an old accounting ledger.
Several transfers to North Quay Advisory were already familiar.
But others had been recorded under a different category.
Deferred Development Consideration.
Marcus leaned forward.
"These weren't ordinary consulting fees."
"No," Nadia replied. "They were advances tied to future property acquisitions."
Kalista examined the figures.
The amounts were smaller than she expected.
But their dates matched acquisitions around Harbor Row.
"Sterling wasn't just stealing charitable money," she said.
"He was helping someone acquire redevelopment rights."
Nadia nodded.
"And I believe Celeste Vale was that person."
Marcus remained cautious.
"These entries don't prove who ultimately received the funds."
"I know."
Nadia opened another folder.
"That's why I brought these."
Bank correspondence.
Account references.
Copies of instructions sent by employees who believed they were processing legitimate transactions.
One email stood out.
It mentioned an agreement called Project Lighthouse.
Kalista read the subject line twice.
"What's Lighthouse?"
Nadia shook her head.
"I never saw the full agreement."
"Who did?"
"Sterling. Thatcher. Celeste."
Kalista's expression hardened.
Thatcher had already admitted his role in improper financial approvals.
But the North Quay connection suggested the damage extended far beyond the crimes already resolved.
Marcus closed the folder.
"We'll give this to the independent investigators. We need the bank records before drawing conclusions."
Kalista nodded.
Then Nadia spoke again.
"There's something else."
She reached into the box and removed a photograph.
It showed Sterling standing beside Celeste Vale at a groundbreaking ceremony.
Behind them was a large blue sign.
PROJECT LIGHTHOUSE — A NEW FUTURE FOR HARBOR ROW.
The date was eleven years earlier.
Kalista stared at it.
May you like
The proposed redevelopment had been planned long before the residents received their latest notices.
And the woman now presenting herself as Harbor Row's savior had been connected to Sterling from the beginning.
Related Stories
