Chapter 7 - The Site Walkthrough
The site walkthrough occurred six days before the birthday.
Event staff.
Security.
Florists.
Catering.
Family office.
Gavin wore a legitimate temporary contractor badge under a different name.
Gregory Price.
The video showed Dominic talking to him for four minutes.
Not passing money.
Not whispering in shadows.
A normal conversation.
But Dominic later told police he did not remember ever seeing him before the party.
Another lie.
When confronted, Dominic changed his story.
“I meet hundreds of contractors.”
“You spoke four minutes.”
“Probably logistics.”
“You told him where the cold room was.”
“If Nathan says so.”
“Do you remember?”
“Now that you’ve shown me footage, vaguely.”
Detective Ellison asked:
“Why did you access Ethan’s allergy file two days before the party?”
“Security planning.”
“Why first time in eighteen months?”
“Because Dr. Harris was attending.”
“That makes no sense.”
Dominic’s lawyer ended interview.
Then Moretti audit delivered more.
Hudson Freight Optimization had paid North Meridian.
Hudson itself received inflated contracts approved through Dominic’s division.
Some payments looped to:
A consulting firm owned by Paul Renner’s wife.
Nathan’s shell.
And DMC Advisory LLC.
DMC.
Dominic Michael Moretti.
His lawyer claimed coincidence.
Corporate records showed registered agent was Dominic’s long-time personal attorney.
The audit now had a clear related-party problem.
About $2.9 million appeared to have flowed to entities connected directly or indirectly to Dominic and associates.
Not all necessarily theft.
Enough for board emergency meeting.
I recused from final disciplinary recommendation because criminal investigation involved my son and brother.
The independent directors suspended Dominic as COO.
He sent me one message.
You finally got what you wanted.
I replied:
What I wanted was for my son to eat birthday cake.
Then blocked him.
Bad legal instinct perhaps.
Satisfying.
Maya? No Maya in this story. Our general counsel, Rebecca Sloan, told me not to text again.
I listened.
Gavin’s cooperation improved after prosecutors discussed attempted murder exposure.
He still insisted he did not know the substance could kill Ethan.
He admitted:
Someone paid him $40,000.
$18,000 upfront.
Remaining after “job.”
He was instructed to place material inside Ethan’s first cake slice.
Not whole cake.
That meant target was specifically Ethan.
He received instructions through burner phone.
He met one intermediary twice.
Nathan.
But Nathan claimed he only sold access.
Gavin said Nathan delivered a small sealed pouch.
Nathan denied.
Who was telling truth?
Forensics found Nathan’s fingerprint on exterior of a plastic evidence bag recovered from Gavin’s apartment.
Not conclusive because Nathan admitted meeting him.
Then Gavin said:
“The boss was Dominic.”
“How do you know?”
“Nathan called him D.”
“That could be anyone.”
“He said Mr. Moretti.”
I had relatives.
But only one Dominic.
“Did you speak to Dominic?”
“One time.”
“When?”
“Site walkthrough.”
“What did he say?”
Gavin looked at the table.
“He said, ‘Make sure the boy gets his own piece first.’”
That was damning.
Dominic would say it referred to birthday presentation.
Context mattered.
Then Gavin added:
“He also said if anything went wrong, blame the housekeeper.”
My entire body went cold.
“Sophia?”
“He didn’t say name.”
“Why housekeeper?”
“People believe rich families before staff.”
That sentence made me sick.
May you like
They had not only targeted Ethan.
They had chosen a person to carry blame afterward.
