CHAPTER 30 - The Keeper of Secrets

Harold Finch lived in a peaceful little village just outside of London. He lived in a red brick building with an immaculate hedge.

Isabella arrived just before noon.

She had told Margaret she would be arriving and gave the details to the legal advisor for the newspaper. She had said she would return as soon as possible and did not want to bring any recording devices.

She would be taking notes.

An elderly man opened the door.

He was tall, slightly stooped with silvery hair and tired blue eyes. He was wearing a grey cardigan and white shirt.

"Miss Reed?"

"Yes. Thank you for seeing me."

"Please come in."

The house smelled slightly like books from years gone by. Harold led Isabella into the study. The majority of the walls were lined with bookshelves.

"Would you like some tea?"

"Yes please."

They chatted for a few minutes about small talk such as the weather, how she had travelled and how hard it was to find true information about the old company records.

Harold put his cup down.

"You said that you were investigating Westbridge?"

"Yes."

"And Daniel Mercer?"

"Yes."

He sighed.

"I was wondering when someone would come asking questions."

Isabella opened her notebook.

"Do you still have the package you were sent seven years ago?"

Harold looked at her.

"I might."

"It had the letters relating to the financial review and Daniel's contract ending in."

"Yes."

"Can I have a look?"

"Before I give them to you I need to know what you plan to do with them?"

"Just to confirm what they are, to make sure they are real and that they help with any public interest investigation. I wouldn't print anything unless I could prove it."

"If they point to someone high-profile?"

"I will just tell you what the evidence shows."

Harold looked around the room. He had been a solicitor for over thirty years and always believed that keeping documents properly would prevent people lying. But he had now learnt that they can be used to hide things.

He stood up and walked over to a cabinet behind his desk.

Inside the bottom draw was a small metal box.

He placed it on the desk and opened it.

Inside there were a few folders tied together with old elastic bands.

Isabella gasped.

The top folder had the Westbridge FC crest on.

Harold gently removed the folder.

"I was told to keep these documents until the internal investigation was completed. I was told that it was to do with an issue with payments to the academy and that they may be needed for any legal action."

"Who told you to keep them?"

"We got contacted by Richard Vale. Thomas Bennett delivered the package. Michael Grant contacted us a few times."

"Did anyone ask you to destroy them?"

Harold's face turned serious.

"No, but I did receive a phone call saying that everything had been resolved and the files were no longer active."

"Who was it from?"

"Mr Vale."

"Why didn't you return them?"

"I hadn't received any proper written confirmation from the person who originally told me to keep the documents. I just felt uncomfortable with the whole situation."

He opened the folder.

The first few pages were just regular letters. Then there were some financial summaries, meeting notes and copies of internal emails.

Isabella flipped through.

There was a highlighted line.

"Original approvals should not be released until the academy review has officially completed."

Signed by Thomas Bennett.

The next page had a note.

"This is for internal use only. No originals to be given to external auditors without my approval."

Isabella looked up.

"So they tried to stop the independent review."

"Not exactly. They were told to keep the documents internally. But you need to be specific."

"Yes."

She continued to flip through.

She found a document titled Daniel Mercer - Contract Termination & Confidentiality.

Her hands went cold.

It stated that Daniel had requested to leave the academy. There was also a statement that he had taken confidential financial information.

There were a few signatures at the bottom.

Michael Grant.

Thomas Bennett.

But Daniel's line was different.

"Did Daniel sign this?"

Harold leaned forward.

"I wouldn't know. It was part of the package and I never saw him sign it."

"Did he make a statement?"

"No."

"Were there any letters from him confirming he left?"

"Not that I can remember."

Isabella looked at the document.

The signing under Daniel's name looked quick and like they were trying to copy it as they had only seen it a few times.

She carefully took a photo of the page with Harold's permission.

"What happened to the originals of the financial documents?"

Harold pointed to the last folder.

"These were the original instructions I was asked to keep. But the financial ledgers weren't included."

"So we don't have any proof of where the money went?"

"Maybe."

He removed the last page.

It was an internal message from the Westbridge correspondence system.

"Originals have been provided as agreed. Any further queries please contact the executive office."

No signature.

Just an archive reference.

Isabella recognised the code.

It was the same reference number in her father's notebook.

"Do you know who received the originals of the ledgers?"

Harold shook his head.

"I asked seven years ago and received no answer."

She made a note of the reference.

Looking back at the termination document.

"Mr Finch, would you be okay with providing a formal statement that you received these documents and kept them? He was quiet for a moment.

Eventually he nodded.

"Yes. I should have done this years ago. Thank you." Isabella shut her notebook. Harold spoke again.

"Miss Reed, a lot of people think that in conspiracies everyone knows everything but that's not true. Isabella looked up.

"Someone signs a document. Someone moves the file. Someone makes up a story because they believe it. Everyone tells themselves that they're doing a little harmless thing for a short amount of time."

He looked at the metal box.

"When someone asks what happened no-one really wants to take the blame for everything." Isabella thought about Alexander, Michael and her father.

They had all convinced themselves that it was better to stay quiet. She smiled.

"Thank you." She called Margaret outside and arranged for the documents to be viewed by the legal team at the newspaper. She then called Alexander.

"I found the file."

His voice immediately became more sharp.

"What's in it?"

"Evidence that the independent review was obstructed. A dodgy contract termination for Daniel and a reference to the missing originals of the ledgers." "Can we prove who is responsible?"

"Not completely but we can prove who signed the instructions and who had control over the documents." He was quiet.

"This could change everything Isabella."

"Yes." She whispered. For the first time the truth wasn't just a collection of suspicious events but actual documents with names, dates and signatures. But there was one thing she needed to know.

Where were the originals of the financial ledgers?

And who had them?