The other showed the bank’s actual debits, transaction references, and recipient information.

As she moved down the rows, the story I had been told began to separate from the one documented in the records.

PART 11

“Your instincts matter,” Brenda said, “but they aren’t a substitute for proof.

When you ask for repayment, you’ll need to know precisely which money was yours, what authority existed, and which funds went where.”

I asked whether we could calculate every cent that had ever been taken.

She said the review would be more reliable if we started with the eighteen months for which bank statements and invoices were complete.