‘The college has an impeccable record,’ he sat up straight, ‘but it is not without funding issues from time to time.’ He still seemed uncomfortable, as if he was giving away some sworn secret.
Adam began writing in his notebook, content to let Kate lead the questions.
‘It’s okay, Jacques,’ she said reassuringly. ‘Go on.’
‘Like many institutions, we have an exchange programme for students, but in certain years, like 2005, we opened up a number of paid placements for foreign applicants at the college.’
‘A paid placement?’
‘Yes.’ He swallowed hard. ‘It was one of our most lucrative years.’
Adam kept silent.
‘And Sandra was one of those paying students?’ Kate continued.
‘Like the other successful applicants, she made a non-refundable payment of ten thousand euros at the start of the year.’
‘You had a screening process, I imagine?’ she asked, keeping her tone measured.
‘Yes, of course, although it wasn’t as meticulous as it would normally be. We assessed the student applications based on written submissions without an interview, along with scanned images of their portfolio, character references and details of education. Nothing out of the ordinary. We didn’t want to make it too problematic for applicants, a simple means of entry.’
‘When you say we,’ Adam asked, ‘who do you mean?’
‘At the time, the director of the college was Victor Girard. He and I decided on the selection process.’
‘If Sandra was an applicant, why is her name not in the register?’ Kate probed.
‘It was. At least, it was at one point.’ He took the register back from Adam, pointing out a line marked through with a pen. It was impossible to make out the words underneath. To the side were two sets of initials, JG and VG, with the word erreur. ‘It was all somewhat embarrassing.’
‘Why did you strike it out?’ Adam was somewhat stunned by the admission.
‘It turns out Mademoiselle Ryan gave us false documentation.’
Again Kate noticed the nervous twitch in the teacher’s face. ‘When did you discover this?’ She maintained eye contact, ignoring the muscles pulsating in his cheeks.
‘It was before Pierre’s death, a month before to be exact. We wrote to the Irish college in question, seeking further applications for the following year. They were interested in the programme, but said we must have made an error regarding Mademoiselle Ryan. They had no record of a Sandra Ryan with that date of birth.’
‘What did you do then?’ Kate asked.
‘Naturally, I spoke to Mademoiselle Ryan. She was very upset. It was extremely distressing. The girl had potential. Otherwise we would never have considered her application. She spoke at length about her admiration for the college, her desire to study art, how difficult it had been for her. That she had recently received a small inheritance and had jumped in without thinking. It felt like such a wonderful opportunity. She said she had never done anything like that before.’
‘So you kept her money and let her away with it?’ Adam’s accusation was tinged with sarcasm.
‘The payment was clearly stipulated as non-refundable.’
He was on the defensive, thought Kate.
Jacques continued, in a more authoritative manner. ‘I spoke to Victor. We were both unhappy with the situation, but we couldn’t turn back the clock. Mademoiselle Ryan was asked to leave, which she did, and most gracefully too. We put in safeguards to ensure it wouldn’t happen again. It had all been a terrible error.’
‘What you’re saying is, you covered up your mistake and kept quiet about it.’ Adam was clearly astounded.
‘Yes, we removed her details. In essence, she had not been a valid student here.’
‘And when Pierre died, Sandra had already left the college?’ Kate hoped her less adversarial approach would keep him onside.
‘That’s correct. She had left the college, but not Paris. I can’t be sure, but I believe she had some time left at her accommodation. Some friends had come to join her for a brief stay. I understand she went home with them.’ He looked at Kate. ‘I liked Mademoiselle Ryan. She was very gentle and unassuming. It was her love of art that led to her error of judgement. It seemed best to let the matter rest.’
‘And slip under the radar?’ Again Adam’s tone was hostile.
‘Did you meet any of her friends?’ Kate asked.
‘No, I don’t think so.’
Kate turned to Adam. ‘Sandra could be an innocent party.’
‘Or she could be the missing link in the chain,’ he replied, before addressing Jacques: ‘You do have contact details? They didn’t disappear too?’
‘Of course. Now that this interest has been shown in the ex-students, we have passed all the information to Inspector Girardot. I have a copy here.’ He sounded delighted to be of assistance. He pulled a brown envelope from the bureau where the register had been, and handed it to Adam. ‘You will find all seven addresses and contact telephone numbers in there.’
‘Can you give us a physical description of Sandra?’ Kate pressed.