Chapter 9 - The Settlement of the Account
Six months later, the summer sun was warm over the city, the gardens of Beacon Hill in full, radiant bloom. The final criminal trial of Richard Hayes had concluded with a guilty plea on all counts of grand larceny, corporate fraud, and felony burglary. He was sentenced to twelve years at a federal facility in Pennsylvania. Susan had moved into a small, rented townhouse in Rhode Island, surviving on a minor, court-ordered stipend that allowed her nothing but the bare necessities.
I sat in the office of the Chief Executive Officer at Hayes Logistics. The company had stabilized, our stock price rebounding by forty percent after we restructured our shipping lines to focus on green energy transportation.
Arthur walked into the office, holding a final legal document. "The court has finalized the restructuring, Megan. Dorothy has officially transferred her remaining voting shares to you. You are now the majority owner and permanent CEO of the company."
I looked down at the paper, then out the window at the bustling harbor below. "Did she sign it willingly, Arthur?"
"She signed it with a big smile, sweetie," Arthur chuckled, sitting in the armchair across from my desk. "She said she’s too busy planning her trip to the south of France with her knitting club to worry about corporate logistics. She knows the company is in the right hands."
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"Thank you for everything, Arthur," I said, signing my acceptance on the baseline. "We couldn't have done this without you."
"Your grandfather would be proud of you, Megan," Arthur said softly, his eyes full of a deep, paternal warmth. "You didn't just save his company. You saved his wife."
