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Victoria took a step towards her, until she was so close Lara could see the lines of her face, tiny cracks buried under a pale film of foundation, like fine veins in marble.
‘Do you know what sort of work we do at ImpactAid?’ asked Victoria, her voice more controlled now. ‘We provide clean water, food and education for some of the most deprived people on earth, people who have been to hell and back, people who look to us to make their lives just a little bit better.’
‘I don’t doubt the good intentions of your charity, Mrs. Sachs,’ said Lara. ‘But your organisation has abused its position.’
Victoria let out an incredulous laugh.
‘Abused? How exactly?’
‘You knew that your staff had taken advantage of those very people you were there to help. And you tried to cover it up.’
‘There was no cover-up, Miss Stone,’ she said firmly.
‘Helen Groves disagreed with you.’
‘There were a couple of bad apples and they were dealt with. It is all properly documented by the charity’s human resources department and I would be happy to give your editor their contact details. Now if that is all…’
She tried to step around Lara, but Lara stood her ground.
‘You can walk away, Mrs. Sachs, but the story will still run. We already have witnesses and documents, I am simply giving you the chance to tell me what happened.’
Victoria jabbed a finger at Lara.
‘If you print this story, you have another very expensive libel suit on your hands,’ she growled. ‘I’ve spent 20 years building this charity, we’ve raised millions of pounds, helped thousands of people. I’m not going to throw all that away because some hysterical gap year student makes accusations.’
Lara raised her eyebrows.
‘So you do know Helen Groves.’
‘Oh, this is ridiculous!’ she cried, pushing past Lara, reaching for the door handle. Lara slammed a hand onto the door, making Sachs look at her in alarm.
‘No Victoria, it’s not ridiculous,’ she said. ‘A girl is dead.’
‘If that is so, then it is tragic and I feel for her friends and relatives.’
Lara saw something in her face. Shame? Victoria knew something.
‘And Sandrine Legard? A journalist for Le Figaro, have you heard of her, Mrs. Sachs?’
‘No, why would I?’
‘Perhaps she contacted you. Sandrine had also been talking to Helen Groves and was about to file her story on this when…’ – Lara banged the door again, making Victoria flinch – ‘She hit the ground. Fatally.’
‘Why are you telling me this?’ said Victoria quietly.
‘I believe that someone murdered Helen Groves and Sandrine Legard, Victoria. I don’t believe that person was you. But I think you can help me find the person who did.’
‘You are actually delusional,’ she snorted.
‘Am I?’ said Lara, looking at her closely. ‘Do you really believe that? And what about Jonathon Meyer? Do you still think his death was a tragic accident too? Because there’s an awful lot of accidents going on around your husband.’
‘What’s my husband got to do with this.’
‘He asked Jonathon Meyer to help him clean up the problem in Haiti, Victoria. He asked him to get rid of Helen.’
‘And do you really believe all this, this… bullshit?’ hissed Victoria. ‘Do you really think my husband – a respected businessman – has actually been murdering people?’
Lara shook her head.
