It was a Tuesday evening when Landon discovered that the money was gone. He had been working all day on a marketing pitch for the company, and all he wanted was to go home. The company had been making losses recently, and this pitch for the Netherlands was the last hope. The pitch however, meant more than that to Landon. The company had been founded by one of his closest friends, James Wallman, and they had put their blood, sweat and tears into building it. If the pitch failed, their hopes and dreams were gone!
As Landon headed towards the lobby of the building, he passed the file room. Tired as he was, Landon used to check the file room on the 15th of every month. It was a routine, and he was not going to break it for a few forty winks. So, reluctantly, he stepped into the file room. What he saw absolutely shocked him!
Right there, on the floor, was a single file, labeled ‘ML and Fraud’. Beneath it, written in a black marker pen, were the words ‘thank me later’. Cautiously, he approached the file, as if it would suddenly spring at him like a jack-in-the-box. A fraud? Who did it? Who left the file? Was it someone’s idea of a practical joke? Warily, Landon reached out to the file and opened it. Inside, he found one single piece of paper, and the more he read it, the more betrayed, hurt, and broken he felt. It was a chart, showing the company’s sales. The column showed the sales regularly increasing monthly, but the profits declining with speed. How? Beneath it, someone had written in the same black marker ink, ‘Where did the money go?’
The sentence, the paper, the entire file seemed to mock Landon. It was his company, yet he had been fooled. It was obviously an inside job. He did not check the sales and profits chart regularly, he should have. It was Antonio’s job. Why hadn’t Antonio said anything? They were, or at least he thought that they were, friends. The company had helped Antonio so much, James had even paid for Antonio’s children’s university fees. Or was Antonio slacking on his job? Did he carelessly look past these tiny errors that ate into the company’s previously vast fortune? One thing Landon knew for sure was that he was not going home tonight.
Rushing past the entrance to the building, Landon ran to the parking lot. He was on a mission, he needed answers, and he needed them now! A part of his mind whispered thoughts of how maybe it wasn’t true. Maybe the only reason he believed it was because the only other option was knowing the company failed. It was easier to think that someone had rigged the game, trapped them with no way to go. However, Landon knew that even if the file was fake, he would constantly be haunted by the ‘what-ifs?’ if he did not investigate.
Standing in front of Antonio’s door in the apartment complex, Landon banged on it. A startled and sleepy looking Antonio opened the door. On seeing Landon, his face of confusion turned into one of a smile. Then looking down, he saw the file in Landon’s hand. Having read the title, he seemed to not understand or believe it. He read it once again.
“ML and fraud……Landon what is this?”
“Exactly what it reads. Proof that there has been foul play.”
“You think it was me? Landon I-”
“Calm down. I don’t think it is you, but it has happened in your department. Why was it not brought to our attention? Why- What are you doing? Who are you calling?”
“James. He should know.”
“NO DON’T! James is very dear to me. He worked so hard on this company, it was always his joy and pride. It will hurt him greatly to learn that someone he trusts might have betrayed him in such a horrible manner.”
“Someone he trusted? So it was an inside job? Landon if I knew anything, you know I would have told either of you, right?”
Landon sighed.
“Look, Antonio, I believed that before I read through the file. I trusted every single one of our employees and look how that turned out. One of them betrayed us. Right now, to me, everyone is a suspect. Even you. Even me! If that might help you understand I am not accusing you specifically.”
“I understand, Landon. I am trying to cope with this. But how do you know it is not fake? The company has been doing badly these past few months.”
“Read it for yourself, Antonio.”
There was a moment of silence before Antonio reached for the file. He scanned through it, his eyes widening with fear and shock. Landon poured himself a glass of water. Suddenly, there was a ringing sound. It was Antonio’s phone.
“James.” Antonio gulped. He picked up the phone.
“What happened? You called?”
Landon shook his head at Antonio, signaling him to keep quiet about the documents. He gestured to Antonio, to put the phone on speaker.
“Umm nothing James! I just called to say that… um… It’s a… um… beautiful night!”
“A beautiful night?! Antonio! This is not the time for it! I’m at the airport, going through the pitch! My flight boards in five minutes!”
“Where are you going?”
“Is that even a question? The pitch is for Ireland, obviously I’m going there!”
“Oh alright. Goodnight.”
He hung up. Landon gave him a grateful smile.
“Listen, James is going for the pitch. I’m really tired, can we discuss this paper in the morning?”
Landon was feeling tired too. Yes, this could wait. His mind was feeling foggy. Something seemed off, but his mind did not care. He blanked out.
The next morning, Landon woke up on Antonio’s couch.
“You’re up!”
“Why, did I pass out? What happened last night? I can’t seem to remember much…”
Antonio laughed nervously.
“Well, all my water is mixed with sleeping pills, and you drank some and then promptly fell asleep. Anyway, I went through the file, and it really seems crazy and made up. Our sales were never high anyway. Come on, let’s get ready for work.” Saying this, Antonio headed to the bathroom.
Landon found Antonio’s behavior highly suspicious. The files had to be right. How could they not? But who? His mind went in circles. And then, it hit him like a truck. The pitch meeting was in the Netherlands. Why was James going to Ireland? Landon was working on the pitch, not James. What was happening?
The sound of a notification on Antonio’s phone brought Landon out of his thoughts. There were only two notifications on Antonio’s phone, and both destroyed Landon completely.
The first one was from James. “It’s done. Your kids aren’t indebted to me anymore. Good work.”
And the second was from a news site. ‘Police reports that the founder of his own company, James Wallman, launders money from it, commits fraud and leaves the country.’
Newspaper article on the fraud committed by James Wallman
It was a Tuesday evening when Landon discovered that the money was gone. He had been working all day on a marketing pitch for the company, and all he wanted was to go home. The company had been making losses recently, and this pitch for the Netherlands was the last hope. The pitch however, meant more than that to Landon. The company had been founded by one of his closest friends, James Wallman, and they had put their blood, sweat and tears into building it. If the pitch failed, their hopes and dreams were gone!
As Landon headed towards the lobby of the building, he passed the file room. Tired as he was, Landon used to check the file room on the 15th of every month. It was a routine, and he was not going to break it for a few forty winks. So, reluctantly, he stepped into the file room. What he saw absolutely shocked him!
Right there, on the floor, was a single file, labeled ‘ML and Fraud’. Beneath it, written in a black marker pen, were the words ‘thank me later’. Cautiously, he approached the file, as if it would suddenly spring at him like a jack-in-the-box. A fraud? Who did it? Who left the file? Was it someone’s idea of a practical joke? Warily, Landon reached out to the file and opened it. Inside, he found one single piece of paper, and the more he read it, the more betrayed, hurt, and broken he felt. It was a chart, showing the company’s sales. The column showed the sales regularly increasing monthly, but the profits declining with speed. How? Beneath it, someone had written in the same black marker ink, ‘Where did the money go?’
The sentence, the paper, the entire file seemed to mock Landon. It was his company, yet he had been fooled. It was obviously an inside job. He did not check the sales and profits chart regularly, he should have. It was Antonio’s job. Why hadn’t Antonio said anything? They were, or at least he thought that they were, friends. The company had helped Antonio so much, James had even paid for Antonio’s children’s university fees. Or was Antonio slacking on his job? Did he carelessly look past these tiny errors that ate into the company’s previously vast fortune? One thing Landon knew for sure was that he was not going home tonight.
Rushing past the entrance to the building, Landon ran to the parking lot. He was on a mission, he needed answers, and he needed them now! A part of his mind whispered thoughts of how maybe it wasn’t true. Maybe the only reason he believed it was because the only other option was knowing the company failed. It was easier to think that someone had rigged the game, trapped them with no way to go. However, Landon knew that even if the file was fake, he would constantly be haunted by the ‘what-ifs?’ if he did not investigate.
Standing in front of Antonio’s door in the apartment complex, Landon banged on it. A startled and sleepy looking Antonio opened the door. On seeing Landon, his face of confusion turned into one of a smile. Then looking down, he saw the file in Landon’s hand. Having read the title, he seemed to not understand or believe it. He read it once again.
“ML and fraud……Landon what is this?”
“Exactly what it reads. Proof that there has been foul play.”
“You think it was me? Landon I-”
“Calm down. I don’t think it is you, but it has happened in your department. Why was it not brought to our attention? Why- What are you doing? Who are you calling?”
“James. He should know.”
“NO DON’T! James is very dear to me. He worked so hard on this company, it was always his joy and pride. It will hurt him greatly to learn that someone he trusts might have betrayed him in such a horrible manner.”
“Someone he trusted? So it was an inside job? Landon if I knew anything, you know I would have told either of you, right?”
Landon sighed.
“Look, Antonio, I believed that before I read through the file. I trusted every single one of our employees and look how that turned out. One of them betrayed us. Right now, to me, everyone is a suspect. Even you. Even me! If that might help you understand I am not accusing you specifically.”
“I understand, Landon. I am trying to cope with this. But how do you know it is not fake? The company has been doing badly these past few months.”
“Read it for yourself, Antonio.”
There was a moment of silence before Antonio reached for the file. He scanned through it, his eyes widening with fear and shock. Landon poured himself a glass of water. Suddenly, there was a ringing sound. It was Antonio’s phone.
“James.” Antonio gulped. He picked up the phone.
“What happened? You called?”
Landon shook his head at Antonio, signaling him to keep quiet about the documents. He gestured to Antonio, to put the phone on speaker.
“Umm nothing James! I just called to say that… um… It’s a… um… beautiful night!”
“A beautiful night?! Antonio! This is not the time for it! I’m at the airport, going through the pitch! My flight boards in five minutes!”
“Where are you going?”
“Is that even a question? The pitch is for Ireland, obviously I’m going there!”
“Oh alright. Goodnight.”
He hung up. Landon gave him a grateful smile.
“Listen, James is going for the pitch. I’m really tired, can we discuss this paper in the morning?”
Landon was feeling tired too. Yes, this could wait. His mind was feeling foggy. Something seemed off, but his mind did not care. He blanked out.
The next morning, Landon woke up on Antonio’s couch.
“You’re up!”
“Why, did I pass out? What happened last night? I can’t seem to remember much…”
Antonio laughed nervously.
“Well, all my water is mixed with sleeping pills, and you drank some and then promptly fell asleep. Anyway, I went through the file, and it really seems crazy and made up. Our sales were never high anyway. Come on, let’s get ready for work.” Saying this, Antonio headed to the bathroom.
Landon found Antonio’s behavior highly suspicious. The files had to be right. How could they not? But who? His mind went in circles. And then, it hit him like a truck. The pitch meeting was in the Netherlands. Why was James going to Ireland? Landon was working on the pitch, not James. What was happening?
The sound of a notification on Antonio’s phone brought Landon out of his thoughts. There were only two notifications on Antonio’s phone, and both destroyed Landon completely.
The first one was from James. “It’s done. Your kids aren’t indebted to me anymore. Good work.”
And the second was from a news site. ‘Police reports that the founder of his own company, James Wallman, launders money from it, commits fraud and leaves the country.’
Newspaper article on the fraud committed by James Wallman
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