Chapter 38 - Janice Bell
Janice Bell was not related to the former director, Jonathan Bell. She was a retired environmental attorney who had worked as an outside consultant to several Michigan businesses. Her name appeared on a payment request from Victor’s office dated three days before the board meeting.
The invoice described her work as review of draft exposure summary.
Grace called Janice through her listed business number. Janice agreed to meet with the audit committee’s counsel, but she said she needed to know whether the request was confidential.
“We can’t promise secrecy if the records must be disclosed,” Grace told her. “We can protect your personal information where the law allows.”
Janice agreed to meet the following week.
In the meantime, Daniel found a second invoice from Harbor Point Analytics. It matched the amount of the first payment to Lang but had been booked under an unrelated consulting account.
“Someone split the fees,” Charles said.
“Or the work was divided between companies,” Daniel replied. “We need to compare the invoices to the contracts.”
The business records showed that Harbor Point had been formed shortly before the automation project began. Its registered agent was a small law firm in Detroit. That firm had also represented Victor in a private business matter.
Grace asked the committee’s attorney to check whether Victor had any financial connection to Harbor Point. They found no direct ownership in the public records.
At the warehouse, the crew was preparing for a scheduled safety drill. The drill included a power interruption, a manual door release, and a simulated refrigeration alarm. We had planned to test the procedures before Thanksgiving, but the automated system had taken priority.
The crew handled the exercise well. When the alarm sounded, Maria checked the temperature panel, Marcus redirected the incoming trailer, and Earl assigned someone to the manual release.
The operation stopped for twelve minutes, then resumed.
“Shorter than the Thanksgiving shutdown,” Earl said.
“Because we practiced,” I replied.
“And because people listened.”
The drill reminded me why experience mattered. The workers had not needed a flawless computer system. They needed clear procedures, functioning equipment, and leaders who respected what they knew.
The new employee council met after the drill. It included workers from each shift, a safety representative, and a member of management who did not report to me. The first agenda item was making sure no one lost holiday pay for taking approved leave.
They also discussed how workers could report safety problems without going through a supervisor they feared.
The council agreed to a written process. Reports could be submitted on paper, by phone, or through the employee portal. Each report would receive a tracking number and a response deadline.
Charles attended the last ten minutes. He listened without speaking until Earl invited him to answer a question about the company’s financial commitments.
“The board has reserved funds for the independent testing and consultation program,” Charles said. “That money cannot be redirected without board approval.”
The answer helped, but Earl asked for it in writing. Charles agreed.
Janice Bell arrived for her interview the next Tuesday. She brought a file of her own notes and a copy of a draft summary she had received from Victor.
The title read Operational Compliance—Board Version.
The summary stated that no employee exposure concerns had been identified. Janice had crossed out the sentence and written: Not supported by available testing.
“What did you tell Victor?” Grace asked.
“I told him the sentence had to be removed. The data were incomplete.”
“Did he remove it?”
“I don’t know. He said he would revise the packet.”
“Did you submit a final report?”
“I sent a two-page note with my corrections.”
“Do you have a copy?”
“I do.”
She placed it on the table.
The note was dated October seventeenth, the day before the board meeting. It recommended that the company complete follow-up testing and avoid making a definitive statement about worker exposure.
At the bottom, Janice had written: Client declined final opinion pending additional data.
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The client listed on the note was not Whitmore Logistics.
It was Hale Strategic Services, a private company registered to Victor.
