Gold had been speaking for 17 minutes before Marcus entered. Based on the expression on the three neutral board members faces, two of them had the look of people who'd heard an argument that was internally consistent but somehow didn't add up. And the third was writing something and not looking at Gould at all. Dian's ex-husband, whose name was Craig and who had the groomed effect of someone who'd spent 20 years in rooms like this being listened to, was seated two seats from the chair. He looked at Marcus when Marcus walked in with the expression of someone who'd been told exactly who to look at.
Marcus sat where Hartwell indicated at the end of the table opposite the chair. He put his laptop down and opened it. Mr. Web, the chair said a woman named Patricia, mid60s reading glasses on a chain. You've submitted documentation relating to a vendor conflict in the Cambria project. We'd like to ask you some questions.
Of course, Marcus said they asked good questions. The neutral directors had read Hartwell's materials. He could tell from the specificity. One of them, a man named Okafor who' built a regional contracting firm before moving to the board, asked Marcus to walk him through the Pacific Ridge disqualification criteria one by one. Marcus walked him through them.
Okafor asked follow-up questions about the Nevada licensing flag. Marcus answered them. Okafor nodded twice in a way that meant he recognized the kind of documentation that came from someone who'd done this work before. Craig spoke once during the bid criteria discussion. The contractor in question was disqualified on technical grounds that any experienced coordinator could have identified.
He said the question is whether those grounds were identified neutrally or sought specifically to achieve a predetermined outcome. Marcus looked at him. The insurance certificate gap was identified through standard renewal verification. Marcus said the Nevada licensing flag appeared in a third-party database query that's part of our normal vendor screening. The Sacramento failed project is public record.
The bid bond calculation was a math check. He kept his voice level. If the documentation of those four items looks like it was seeking a predetermined outcome, I'd be interested to know which item you're suggesting I fabricated. Craig's jaw tightened slightly. Gold cleared his throat.
The concern isn't fabrication. He said it's selection. An employee with a prior history of conflict with a contractor group is in a position to scrutinize that group's affiliated vendors more harshly than Pacific Ridge Build had no disclosed affiliation with any contractor group in their bid documentation. Marcus said the connection to Trident Pacific subcontractor network is something I identified through external research after the disqualification not before. He paused if they disclosed the affiliation it would have been a different situation.
They didn't. Okafor leaned forward. How did you identify the connection after the disqualification? I recognized the company name from a subcontractor ledger in historical project files I retained from Phoenix. Marcus said the name appeared on a payment record I'd flagged during the original discrepancy review.
You retained those files? Okafor said I retained copies of documentation I created. Marcus said the original investigation files. Yes. Okafur looked at the chair.
Hartwell said. There's one additional item the board should hear. She looked at Marcus. Mr. Webb, he played the recording. Fitch's voice filled the conference room.
The particular assured tone that had lost its footing midcall. The questions about Pacific Ridge that demonstrated knowledge of bid parameters that had never been public. The phrase times I've got people who owe me more than you cost me. And then 6 seconds before Fitch hung up, Marcus' question about Trident Pacific's holding company. And the silence that followed at the specific, unmistakable silence of someone who just understood they'd said too much.
When it ended, the conference room was quiet. Craig was looking at the table. Gold had his pin down and his portfolio closed, which Marcus understood was a tell. Patricia, the chair, took off her reading glasses. Mr. Gold, she said, does your client have a response to the content of that recording?
Gold's response took 40 seconds to begin and used the words times context times and times characterization times four times. It did not address the specific bid parameters Fitch had referenced. The third neutral director, who hadn't spoken yet, looked up from what she'd been writing. Her name was Dr. Sue, and she'd been on the board for 11 years and had the reputation of someone who waited to speak until she had something worth saying. The bid parameters Mr. Fitch references in that recording.
She said, "Who would have had access to them at the time of the call?" Hartwell answered. The Cambria bid documentation was accessible to company employees with project level credentials and above. It was not accessible to external parties, including investors, unless shared by someone with internal access. Dr. Sue wrote something down. I'd like to recommend, she said, that the board authorize an internal audit of bid documentation access logs for the Cambria project covering the 30 days prior to Pacific Ridg's submission.
She looked at the chair. That audit would identify whether the parameters Mr. Fitch demonstrates knowledge of were accessed by someone who then shared them externally. Craig said that's a significant escalation for a Craig. Patricia said, not unkindly. You're accused from this portion of the discussion.
The vote to authorize the audit was 5 to one. Craig abstaining after Patricia's reminder made his vote moot. Either way, Marcus was asked to wait in the anti- room while the board discussed next steps. He sat in a chair with his laptop closed on his knees and looked at the city through the window and thought about nothing in particular, which was something he'd gotten better at over the years. The skill of sitting in waiting rooms and not running the numbers over and over when there was nothing to add to the calculation.
Hartwell came out 20 minutes later. The audit is authorized. She said the HR complaint against you has been referred to outside review, which effectively removes it from the internal HR process. Fitch's attorney will be notified that the board is requesting a response to the recording. She paused.
Gold's going to advise Fitch not to provide one. You won't have to, Marcus said. The recording stands on its own. Yes, she said. It does.
She looked at him with the evaluative expression she'd had since Wednesday. You held that recording for two weeks. I needed to understand the full picture, he said. Most people would have used it immediately, she said. Or never used it at all.
You didn't have a response to that. She didn't seem to need one. Diane came out 4 minutes later. She closed the anti- room door behind her. The noise from the conference room, Patricia's voice.
Someone's chair scraping went muffled. She looked like someone who had just spent 3 hours in a room where she'd been the primary target and had come out the other side still standing, which was exactly what had happened. The audit will identify the leak, she said. Probably Craig's assistant, Marcus said. Or someone Craig asked to pull the files for him.