“It wasn’t theft,” Madison said quickly. “The transfer didn’t even go through.”
“Why were you transferring Claire’s money in the first place?”
Madison looked at her father, waiting for him to answer for her. He did.
“The company needed temporary liquidity,” Richard said.
Graham, Richard’s younger brother and business partner, came jogging out from the kitchen area with his phone already in his hand. “Our operating account’s been restricted,” he said, breathless. “Payroll goes out Tuesday.”
Richard grabbed the phone and called the bank directly, identified himself, demanded to speak with a manager, and threatened loudly to move the company’s accounts elsewhere entirely.
The bank representative on the other end didn’t bother arguing with him. She simply informed him that Cole Family Catering had violated the conditions of its commercial credit agreement. My personal guarantee had been formally withdrawn. The attempted transfer was now under active investigation. And the company would need replacement collateral before any further funds could be released at all.
