Harold Bennett had noticed the discrepancies.
Marcus had dealt with him.
Now another employee had requested copies of supplier contracts from the previous fiscal year.
Marcus was beginning to feel surrounded by problems.
At 8:40 that morning, his assistant told him that Daniel had postponed their meeting until noon.
Marcus welcomed the delay.
It gave him time to review the latest financial reports.
Then, shortly after nine, he entered the lobby and noticed Samuel sitting in the black-and-gold chair.
To Marcus, the stranger represented everything he disliked.
Unpolished appearance.
Casual posture.
No visible sign of importance.
He was irritated before he spoke his first word.
By the time Daniel emerged from the elevator, Marcus had already decided the man was a nuisance.
He had not considered that his assumptions might be wrong.
He had certainly not considered that the stranger could be a cofounder of the company.
Now, standing beneath the bright lobby lights, Marcus watched Daniel Whitmore embrace the man he had threatened to remove.
A cold sensation traveled through his stomach.
Daniel turned toward him.
"Marcus, I asked you a question. What happened here?"
Marcus forced himself to speak.
"Sir, I was simply enforcing our visitor policy."
Samuel looked at him.
"By shouting at me?"
Marcus swallowed.
"There was a misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding?"
Daniel's voice remained quiet.
"Yes, sir. I wasn't aware of his identity."
Daniel studied him.
"So you would have treated him differently if you knew he was important?"
Marcus hesitated.
"Of course I would have shown him the appropriate courtesy."
Daniel's expression darkened.
"That wasn't the question."
Marcus glanced toward the receptionist.
Angela lowered her eyes.
Daniel continued.
"Are you telling me that people deserve courtesy only when they have money, titles, or powerful connections?"
"No, sir. That's not what I meant."
"Then explain what you meant."
Marcus straightened his shoulders.
"The gentleman entered without an appointment and refused to follow my instructions."
Samuel spoke.
"I told the receptionist I was waiting for someone. I sat down. That's all."
Angela nodded.
"That's correct, Mr. Whitmore."
Marcus turned sharply.
"Angela, you don't need to involve yourself."
Daniel raised a hand.
"Don't speak to her that way."
Marcus stopped.
For the first time in years, he felt the uncomfortable reality of being corrected in public.
Daniel looked toward the employees gathered near reception.
"Everyone, please return to your work."
The two visitors moved toward the elevators.
Several employees reluctantly followed.
But Daniel did not ask Angela to leave.
He turned back toward Samuel.
"I'm sorry."
Samuel looked at his old friend.
"For what?"
"For allowing something like this to happen in a company we built."
Samuel's smile disappeared.
"That depends on whether this is the first time."
Daniel understood the implication immediately.
He glanced at Marcus.
"Come upstairs."
Marcus nodded quickly.
"Of course, sir."
Daniel looked at Angela.
"Would you join us?"
She seemed startled.
"Me?"
"Yes. I'd appreciate your perspective."
Then he turned toward Samuel.
"And you, old friend, have a lot to tell me."
Samuel picked up a small canvas bag resting beside the chair.
"I certainly do."
As they approached the executive elevator, Marcus noticed the bag.
It was inexpensive, worn along the seams, and secured with a broken zipper pull.
He wondered what Samuel had inside.
He would soon discover that the most dangerous things in the building were not hidden behind reinforced doors or encrypted passwords.
They were inside that ordinary canvas bag.
Daniel's office occupied the top floor.
Its enormous windows overlooked downtown Atlanta, with the city stretching toward the horizon beneath a pale blue sky.
The room was furnished with dark wood, comfortable leather seating, and shelves displaying awards from business organizations.
A framed photograph stood on a cabinet behind Daniel's desk.
It showed two younger men in dusty work clothes standing outside a renovated brick warehouse.
One was Daniel.
The other was Samuel.
Angela noticed the photograph immediately.
So did Marcus.
He had worked at Whitmore Holdings for years without knowing the second man's identity.
Samuel walked toward the cabinet.
"Look at us," he said, smiling faintly.
Daniel joined him.
"You remember that roof?"
"How could I forget? I nearly broke my neck fixing it."
Daniel laughed.
"You were furious because I bought the wrong flashing."
"You bought the cheapest flashing."
"We didn't have much money."
"We had enough to do it right once."
The two friends exchanged a knowing smile.
For a few seconds, the tension softened.
Then Samuel turned.
"Let's talk about why I'm here."
Daniel gestured toward the conference table.
"Sit down."
Marcus chose a chair beside the door.