“I was annoyed he was working while we were on vacation. He’d promised me he wouldn’t work. And then Pierre called him and they were arguing. John didn’t want to make the investment. He didn’t think it was a good one. Pierre was insistent.”

“But we’ve looked through all the records. Do you remember the month?” Audrey wished she’d brought a pad or something to write notes. She looked around and saw the firm pads on the credenza by the wall, along with pens. She scooted her chair back slightly and reached for it.

“Yes, it was March of that year. We were in Bermuda. I remember because I went out to sit on the balcony to wait for John to finish and to calm down by looking at the water because I was so annoyed. Is this useful?”

“Extremely.” Audrey sat at the edge of her chair. This could be the break they needed. “John said he’d never done oral trades before. But why doesn’t John remember this? I don’t understand.”

“He doesn’t remember. He said there’d be records that the law firm would have found if it had happened. I don’t know why this trade isn’t in the records. But I told Genevieve, and she suggested we tell you, even though John doesn’t remember.”

“What happened? Did he make the trade?” Audrey asked.

“Yes, after a lot of discussion, John made the trade on his laptop. I’d come back into the room, and I was sitting there tapping my foot loudly. And I remember John making the trade and saying ‘I hope he sends me the written authorization.’ You know, as we discuss this, I think I told him to send him an email confirming the trade,” Mrs. Rothman said.

“Did he?”

“I think he did.”

“We can ask him to check for that.” Audrey wrote a note. “And did Pierre send the written authorization after?”

“I don’t know that for certain, but I presume he must have because I didn’t hear more about it.”

“But why didn’t John tell us that you remembered this?”

“John doesn’t want me involved. But I am. I’m the reason he wasn’t at the office that day, because he was taking me to chemotherapy.” Her voice rose in frustration. “I couldn’t believe it when Pierre denied that he had requested this trade. I mean, I know the stock tanked, but I just don’t understand. He’s the one who wanted to buy that stock! And John’s not some random financial advisor—we were family friends for years, before they entered into a business relationship. To ruin John’s reputation for money.”

“Well, quite a lot of money,” Audrey said. As Colette had pointed out.