Chapter 8 - THE REBATE ACCOUNT
Some Northstar enterprise contracts included discretionary client rebates.
If annual volume reached certain thresholds, Northstar could issue credits to preserve or expand accounts.
Most were legitimate.
A fifty-thousand-dollar service credit on a two-million-dollar contract was not unusual.
But credits had to be tied to active clients.
Andrew found seven credited entities with strange addresses.
Three shared the same commercial mailbox.
Two listed phone numbers that went nowhere.
One company had dissolved eighteen months before receiving its rebate.
Total questionable credits:
$426,000.
Rachel felt sick.
“Where did the money go?”
“We don’t know yet.”
“Bianca?”
“Her accounts.”
“All of them?”
“Most.”
“And Mark approved?”
“Every one.”
Rachel sat back.
Suddenly her altered revenue looked different.
If fake rebates were reducing account profitability, someone needed offsetting numbers elsewhere.
Move revenue.
Reclassify credit.
Change ownership.
Hide shrinking margins.
Rachel’s large portfolio provided perfect camouflage.
Millions of dollars moved through it annually.
Small adjustments looked harmless.
Especially when leadership had already been taught that Rachel’s reporting was unreliable.
“She made me look incompetent so nobody would trust my numbers.”
Andrew did not answer.
Rachel continued.
“If I ever noticed discrepancies, I was already the employee who couldn’t forecast accurately.”
“Yes.”
“That’s why she wanted me out.”
“Probably.”
Rachel stood.
“I’m going to HR.”
Andrew immediately said:
“No.”
She stared.
“Excuse me?”
“Not yet.”
“You just told me hundreds of thousands may be missing.”
“And if Bianca knows we’re auditing, records disappear.”
“She already thinks I’m collecting evidence.”
“That’s different.”
“No, it isn’t.”
Andrew looked at her.
“Can you keep acting normal for three days?”
Rachel almost laughed.
“I’ve been acting normal for eleven months while someone dismantled my career.”
“Then three more.”
She hated him a little for asking.
She agreed anyway.
Those three days were some of the longest of her career.
Bianca called her into a one-on-one Tuesday afternoon.
“Your attitude has improved.”
Rachel nearly smiled.
“Glad to hear it.”
“I think the performance plan is working.”
“That’s encouraging.”
Bianca leaned back.
“I know this has been difficult.”
Rachel looked at her.
There was the strange thing.
Bianca almost sounded sincere.
Perhaps people can harm you without feeling cruel every minute.
Perhaps that’s what makes them dangerous.
Then Bianca said:
“If you keep progressing, I might be able to protect your severance package.”
Rachel’s heart stopped.
“Severance?”
Bianca pretended surprise.
“Oh.”
Pause.
“I assumed Linda had spoken with you.”
Rachel understood immediately.
Bianca was trying to make her resign before the audit finished.
“What severance?”
Bianca leaned forward.
“Off the record?”
“Sure.”
“Leadership is losing patience.”
Rachel let her face fall.
“How long do I have?”
Bianca softened.
Maybe enjoying the victory.
“A week, maybe two.”
Rachel nodded.
Then whispered:
“If I resign, can we avoid termination?”
“I’ll personally make sure of it.”
Rachel left looking defeated.
Went to the bathroom.
Locked the stall.
May you like
And sent Andrew one message:
She just gave us our timeline.
