The Missing Name

Emma searched her old files and found Fiona Kerr's name in three places: an invoice, an annual report and a draft interview request from October 2011. She had never sent the request. For years she had believed nobody would speak to her, yet she had failed to contact a potentially useful witness.

She reread her old article about Claire. Its headline suggested that a family disagreement might explain the disappearance. The claim came from an anonymous email, and her notes contained no independent confirmation. Emma marked the headline unsupported. She could not change the past, but she could investigate more carefully now.

Sarah called. Someone had phoned the newspaper that afternoon to ask whether Emma was investigating the Morrison story again. The caller had refused to give a name and had ended the call. Sarah also mentioned that the old article had received more online visits than usual. She warned Emma that website statistics could not identify the readers or connect them to the caller.

After the call, Emma found an old professional listing for Fiona Kerr. She saved the address but decided not to contact her in the middle of the night. Then she discovered a scanned notebook page with a question: Who gave me the story about family pressure? Underneath, in darker ink, were the words: Ask Vale directly.

The note did not prove that Malcolm Vale had sent the email. Emma could not even remember whether she had questioned him about it. She closed her laptop. Tomorrow she would begin with the students who had been promised scholarships. For the first time in fifteen years, she had a better question.