Rebecca arranged a meeting with the company’s independent auditors. Their preliminary review revealed unusual payments to a consulting company that had no clear record of providing services. Several employees had questioned these transactions, but their complaints had disappeared from the internal reporting system. Richard had repeatedly assured senior management that everything was legitimate. Now the records suggested otherwise.

I asked Rebecca to continue the investigation without making accusations before the evidence was complete. I also instructed her to protect employees who had previously reported concerns. Then she mentioned something that made my stomach tighten. One of the consulting company’s registered directors was Richard’s brother-in-law. The dinner insult suddenly seemed insignificant compared with what might have been happening inside my company.