The call ended.
Richard remained standing.
For a long time, he did not move.
Then he looked at the photograph on his desk.
Margaret was smiling.
He whispered something that nobody else could hear.
"I'm going to find out what happened."
That evening, Emily and Lily checked into a modest hotel near Boston's medical district.
Their room was small but clean.
There was a double bed, a narrow desk, and a window overlooking a busy street.
Lily placed her backpack beside the bed and immediately took out her drawing book.
Emily sat down and removed her shoes.
Her feet hurt.
She had spent the entire day trying to remain calm, even though her mind was filled with questions.
She had not expected to meet Richard Whitmore.
She had certainly not expected him to recognize her mother.
And she had no idea what to think about his promise to investigate the past.
Her phone rang.
It was an unknown number.
She answered cautiously.
"Hello?"
"Emily, it's Daniel Mercer. I'm the chief legal officer at Whitmore Industries."
Emily sat straighter.
"How did you get my number?"
"Mr. Whitmore provided it."
"What do you want?"
"I'd like to arrange a meeting with you."
"Why?"
"Because we've discovered some irregularities in the original investigation into your mother's dismissal."
Emily felt her stomach tighten.
"What kind of irregularities?"
"Some of the financial records don't match the final report."
She was silent.
Daniel continued.
"Mr. Whitmore wants to make sure your mother's side of the story is properly heard."
Emily looked toward Lily.
Her daughter was coloring a picture.
"Does he know about the two million dollars?"
"Yes."
"Does he know my mother was innocent?"
Daniel paused.
"We're still investigating."
Emily laughed bitterly.
"That's what everyone said nine years ago."
"I understand why you don't trust us."
"No, I don't think you do."
Daniel remained quiet.
Emily continued.
"My mother lost her job, her home, her savings, and eventually her health. She spent the last years of her life believing that the person she had trusted most had decided she wasn't worth listening to."
Her voice began to shake.
"Now, after all these years, you call me and tell me that there may have been irregularities?"
"I'm sorry."
"Your apologies don't give me my mother back."
"I know."
Emily ended the call.
She placed the phone on the table and covered her face with both hands.
Lily noticed immediately.
"Mommy?"
Emily quickly wiped her eyes.
"I'm okay, sweetheart."
"Was that the man from the airplane?"
Emily nodded.
"Someone from his company."
"Did he say something bad?"
"No."
"Then why are you crying?"
Emily pulled her daughter into a hug.
"Because sometimes grown-ups need time to understand things they should have understood a long time ago."
Lily rested her head against her mother's shoulder.
"Maybe he understands now."
Emily closed her eyes.
"Maybe."
The following morning, Richard arrived at Susan Parker's office.
It was located in a modest brick building on a quiet street.
Unlike the grand corporate headquarters he was accustomed to, the office contained simple furniture, crowded bookshelves, and framed photographs of local community organizations.
Susan greeted him at the door.
She was in her late fifties, with short brown hair and a serious expression.
"Mr. Whitmore."
"Ms. Parker."
They shook hands.
"I appreciate you coming."
"I should have come years ago."
Susan did not respond.
She led him into a small meeting room.
A folder was waiting on the table.
"I kept copies of the documents Margaret gave me," she explained. "She believed they might become important one day."
Richard opened the folder.
Inside were printed emails, bank statements, handwritten notes, and several pages of accounting records.
The first document was dated February 2017.
It contained a handwritten note from Margaret.
The numbers are being moved through accounts that do not appear in the approved budget. I have raised the issue twice. Both times, I was told not to investigate further.
Richard read the note carefully.
"Did she tell you who was responsible?"
Susan shook her head.
"Not initially."
She handed him another document.
"This is the important one."
It was an internal email.
The sender was Margaret Ellis.
The recipient was Robert Collins.
The subject line read:
URGENT — UNAUTHORIZED FINANCIAL TRANSFERS
Richard began reading.
Margaret had identified three suspicious transfers, each routed through a different consulting company.