It was the right procedure.
It was also likely to attract attention.
At 7:05 p.m., her phone rang.
The caller was Ethan Blackwood.
"Ms. Bennett."
"Good evening, Mr. Blackwood."
"I understand you've been conducting an independent search of historical records."
"I'm working under authorization from the finance department."
"Of course. I simply wanted to make sure you're not spending valuable time on matters outside your responsibilities."
Sophia glanced at the computer screen.
"I'm investigating a missing audit referenced in the company's own records."
"A twelve-year-old audit?"
"Yes."
"May I ask why?"
"Because the index identifies it as a supporting document, but the attachment is missing."
Ethan laughed softly.
"That sounds like an administrative issue."
"It might be."
"Then leave it with legal."
"I have already submitted a request."
"Excellent. In that case, there's no reason for you to continue investigating."
Sophia recognized the warning beneath the polite language.
"My task is to document the discrepancy."
"Your task is to support the finance department."
"I am supporting the finance department."
Ethan's voice became colder.
"Be careful, Sophia. Curiosity can be mistaken for disloyalty."
She took a breath.
"And suppressing an audit can be mistaken for misconduct."
The silence that followed was absolute.
When Ethan spoke again, his voice was almost friendly.
"I hope you understand the seriousness of what you're suggesting."
"I'm not suggesting anything. I'm documenting what the system shows."
"Good night, Ms. Bennett."
He ended the call.
Sophia remained seated.
Her hands were shaking slightly.
She saved the audit log reference and closed the archive system.
Then she sent Adrian a brief message through the company's authorized communication channel.
I found evidence that the supplementary audit was removed from the historical file. The archive record identifies a user associated with V. Hayes. I have submitted a formal retrieval request. We should discuss this tomorrow.
She waited for his response.
It arrived three minutes later.
Thank you. Do not investigate outside your authorization. Preserve the audit trail and let legal retrieve the backup. If anyone pressures you, document the contact and report it.
Sophia read the message twice.
He had not asked her to take risks for him.
He had not asked her to obtain evidence through questionable means.
He had told her to protect herself and preserve the process.
That made her more determined to continue.
At 8:20 p.m., Adrian was reviewing the Northstar financial model when Sophia's message arrived.
He read it carefully.
Then he called Daniel.
"We may have found the missing audit."
Daniel sat up.
"How?"
"The archive index shows that the supplementary report was removed after the bankruptcy. The record associates the change with Victoria Hayes."
"Can the audit be recovered?"
"Possibly. Sophia has submitted a formal request."
Daniel was quiet for a moment.
"If the report establishes that the allegations against your father were false, it could change everything."
"Not everything."
"What do you mean?"
"Even if we prove the report was removed, we still need to establish who ordered the original allegations, who altered the valuation, and who benefited."
"You're right."
Adrian closed the financial model.
"There's another possibility."
"Which is?"
"The audit may not have been removed because it cleared my father. It may have been removed because it implicated someone else."
Daniel considered that.
"Either way, we need the original document."
"Exactly."
Adrian looked at the time.
Tomorrow, he would meet Margaret Ellis, the former legal assistant who had remembered the letter.
He hoped she could explain what happened before the supplementary audit was prepared.
But he also knew that memories faded, people misremembered details, and frightened witnesses sometimes changed their stories.
He needed documents.
He needed a clear timeline.
Most importantly, he needed to understand why a transaction that had supposedly ended twelve years ago was now connected to a new acquisition worth billions.
The answer might lie in Northstar Logistics.
Or it might lie in the relationship between Ethan Blackwood and Victoria Hayes.
Adrian shut down his laptop.
For the first time that week, he considered calling his father's old attorney.
The man had retired years earlier and refused every previous request to discuss the bankruptcy.
But if the supplementary audit had existed, the attorney might have received a copy.
Adrian found the old contact information in his notebook.
He dialed.
The phone rang six times.
Finally, a man's voice answered.
"Hello?"
"Mr. Harris? My name is Adrian Cole. I'm Thomas Cole's son."
There was a long silence.
Then the attorney spoke.
"I wondered when you would call."
Adrian stood very still.
"You knew I was investigating?"
"No. But I always knew someone would eventually ask the right questions."
"Do you have the supplementary audit?"
"I don't know."
"Then what do you know?"
The old attorney exhaled.
"I know your father didn't destroy his company."
Adrian closed his eyes.
For twelve years, he had waited to hear those words from someone who had been present when the accusations began.
"Can we meet?" he asked.
"Tomorrow morning."
"Where?"