‘Because I didn’t give him any choice,’ Adam said. ‘Five months ago, we were audited by the Charity Commission. It’s something we’re obliged to do and I’ve never worried about it. I had complete faith in Robbie. But this year, the audit questioned some payments made. There was an invoice that had been paid twice and some gift aid claims that we couldn’t immediately reconcile. When I asked Robbie about it, he reassured me there was nothing to worry about and he would sort it out. And he did. He rectified all the queries and the Charity Commission was satisfied. But I wasn’t. I went back over the accounts since we’d started. I discovered Robbie had been stealing from the foundation for years.’

Several questions crowded around Clodagh’s mind. She picked the most obvious one and asked that first.

‘Why?’

All the survivors, including Clodagh and Robbie, had received substantial compensation payouts from the airline company after the crash.

‘It took three years for all the money to come through,’ Adam said. ‘When I confronted him, he said he’d planned to pay it back as soon as he could. But by the time he got the money, he was already in over his head. He’d stolen more than he could ever pay back. It’s my fault. I wasn’t vigilant enough. I assumed Robbie cared about our work as much as I do. Turns out, all he cared about was lining his own pockets.’

Adam explained how, when he’d discovered what Robbie had been doing, he’d told him that he wasn’t to have any further contact with Adam, the charity or any of the other survivors.

‘He agreed to all of it. I said we’d tell people he’d stepped down for personal reasons. And I warned him if he ever tried to contact any member of the group, I would tell the police what he’d done. I think he knew he was lucky I’d decided not to take it any further.’

‘But he committed a serious crime,’ Clodagh said. ‘How could you not tell the police about it? Think of all those people who’ve donated money over the years. And what about the victims’ families? That money was for them, not Robbie.’

‘I couldn’t risk it,’ Adam said. ‘If we went public, it would destroy our reputation.’

‘The foundation’s reputation or your own?’

Clodagh’s chest ached with disappointment and regret. This person talking to her was so different from the Adam she’d fallen in love with. The decision he’d made, to protect his reputation instead of doing the right thing, was unforgivable.