I preserved the Halbrook name. Nora opened her second briefcase and pulled out a legal pad covered with notes. Mrs. Halbrook, let me explain what your daughter doesn't know. The man she called the police on yesterday owns the patents to every piece of technology this company produces.
He controls the board votes that determine executive salaries. He has the authority to fire any employee, including family members, for misconduct. Eleanor's hands pressed flat against the table. Vanessa doesn't know about the sale. No, she believes she's fighting an intruder.
She has no idea she's attacking the person who prevented her family from losing everything. Nora leaned forward, but Marcus knows exactly who she is. And after yesterday, he knows exactly what kind of person she is. What do you want from me? Nora pulled out a federal subpoena and placed it on top of the other documents.
The FBI's civil rights division is investigating Halbrook Dynamics contracts with local police departments. They're particularly interested in how surveillance data was used to profile residents in wealthy neighborhoods. Eleanor read the subpoena with growing horror. They want me to testify about company operations. They want you to testify about everything.
The police contracts, the surveillance algorithms, the board's knowledge of discriminatory practices, the hidden sale to Marcus. Nora's voice was calm but merciless. You can cooperate voluntarily, or you can explain to federal investigators why you concealed material information from shareholders while profiting from biased technology. I never authorized discriminatory practices, but you authorized the contracts that enabled them. You signed the purchase agreements for the surveillance software.
You approved the police partnerships. Nora pointed to the stack of documents. Your signatures are on every major decision that created this mess. Eleanor stared at the papers spread across the table. Months of secret deals, hidden acquisitions, and family lies exposed in black and white.
If I cooperate, what happens to Vanessa? That depends on what she does next. But Mrs. Halbrook. Your daughter called the police on her own company's majority owner, had him arrested on false charges, and tried to destroy his reputation using technology your company provided to law enforcement.