The Date

Emma walked back to her hotel beside the river. She had hoped Fiona would explain everything. Instead, she had given her a way to ask better questions.

At the hotel, Emma read Calum's email again. The trust had said the payment was being processed. That did not mean the college had received it. She had to find out what happened after the instruction was made.

Emma asked Calum to give the college written permission to search its old financial records. She checked the college's rules and learned that some records might no longer exist. Even if the college found nothing, she would need to understand whether that was unusual.

She also wrote to the trust. She asked for the scholarship conditions and an explanation of how payments were approved, sent and confirmed. She did not tell them she had spoken to Fiona.

Malcolm Vale was still chairman, according to the website. His photograph appeared next to a message about honesty. Emma closed the page. A job title and a photograph did not tell her who had approved a particular payment.

Sarah called that evening.

“Did you find the answer?”

“No. I found a date I can check.”

“Sometimes that's better.”

“And the letter?” Emma said. “I still don't know who sent it.”

After the call, Emma opened her article from 2011. She found a paragraph suggesting that Claire had chosen to leave her family behind. Emma could not find any evidence for that claim in her old notes. She saved the article with her new research so she would not forget what she needed to correct.

She divided a page into two columns. In the first she listed facts: dates on documents, the people she had contacted, and the trust's published information. In the second she listed questions: where the money had gone, who had changed any records, and who had sent the letter.

Calum then emailed to say the college had received his permission form. It had not yet searched the records.

A second message arrived from Fiona.

Check the original ledger entry dated 19 November 2010. If it is different from the later summary, ask who changed it. I can't discuss this tonight.

Emma read the message twice. Fiona had not accused Malcolm of stealing money. She had not mentioned Claire. But she had pointed towards something that could be checked.

Emma wrote one final line in her notebook: 19 November 2010. Original entry. Who changed it, and when?