“The maintenance logs show the main water valves were shut down that entire day, Donald,” I said, keeping my voice level and precise. “There was no pressure in the lines to cause a backup.”
Adrian adjusted his cuffs, his eyes moving between my ledger and his uncle’s red face. “Claire, it could just be a clerical error on the billing date. Donald’s team had three different crews on site that week.”
“The invoice number is sequential with the billing from August,” I said. “That means this document was generated three months ago and held back.”
Donald leaned forward, his large hands flat on the polished wood of the boardroom table. “We do forty million dollars of business with Harrow Hospitality every year, Claire. I do not appreciate being audited by my nephew’s fiancée over a minor plumbing repair.”
“It is not an audit, Donald,” Adrian said quickly, his voice rising in that rapid, eager tone he used whenever his family started to crowd him. “Claire is just organizing the pre-wedding disclosures for the board.”
“The board does not need to see work orders for twelve-thousand dollar pipe leaks,” Donald said, folding his handkerchief and tucking it into his breast pocket. “Adrian, sign the release so we can get the subcontractors paid before the weekend.”
