The Novelist: Conditional Forms

Emma sits in a small office in London. She is meeting with a private investigator and a forensic accountant. Three weeks ago, she discovered that her agent has stolen all the money from her book sales and the film rights. Now she needs to recover everything she has lost.

If we start the investigation today, we will need access to all your contracts, the investigator says. His name is David Chen. He has worked on financial fraud cases for fifteen years. If you give us the documents, we will begin tracing the money immediately.

Emma opens her bag and takes out a folder. If I had checked the accounts earlier, I would have noticed the problem sooner, she says. Her voice shakes a little. If I had been more careful, this would never have happened.

The forensic accountant is called Sarah Mitchell. She looks at the first contract carefully. If your agent transferred the money to offshore accounts, it will be difficult to trace, she explains. But if we find the transaction records, we will have strong evidence for the police.

Emma remembers the Hollywood meeting from three weeks ago. The studio had been ready to pay two million pounds for the film rights. If the deal had gone through normally, the money would have arrived in her account by now. Instead, her agent had diverted everything to her own accounts.

If we contact the film studio, will they help us, Emma asks. David nods. If they cooperate, we will get copies of all the payment records, he says. If the studio confirms the payments, we will know exactly how much money is missing.

Sarah spreads more documents across the table. If your agent has been stealing for months, there will be a pattern in the accounts, she says. If we analyze all the transactions, we will see where the money went.

Emma feels sick. If I had listened to my publisher, I would have changed agents last year, she says. They had warned me. If I had trusted my instincts, I would have investigated sooner.

David asks about the other payments. If the foreign publishers paid translation fees, where did that money go, he wants to know. Emma shakes her head. If I had received those payments, I would have enough money to live on, she says. But I have received nothing for six months.

Sarah makes notes on her laptop. If we get court orders for the bank records, we will see all the transfers, she explains. If the judge agrees, we will have the documents within two weeks.

What happens if we find the money, Emma asks. If we locate the funds, we will freeze the accounts immediately, David says. If your agent tries to move the money, the banks will stop her.

But Emma is worried about time. If my agent disappears, we will lose everything, she says. David reassures her. If she leaves the country, we will contact Interpol, he explains. If she has stolen this amount of money, they will track her down.

Sarah asks about the film contract. If the studio had paid directly to you, this would not have happened, she says. Emma agrees. If I had insisted on direct payments, my agent would not have had access to the money, she replies.

They discuss the next steps. If we file a police report today, the investigation will start immediately, David says. If we wait, your agent will have more time to hide the money.

Emma makes her decision. If we act now, we will have a better chance of success, she says. If we delay, I will lose everything I have worked for.

Sarah explains the costs. If we work on this case full-time, it will be expensive, she warns. But if we recover the money, you will get most of it back.

Emma thinks about her second novel. If this problem had not happened, I would be finishing my book now, she says sadly. If I had known my agent was dishonest, I would never have signed with her.

David stands up. If we start today, we will have preliminary results within a week, he promises. If the evidence is strong, we will go to the police immediately.

They shake hands. If you need anything, call me at any time, David says. If we work together, we will solve this problem.

Emma leaves the office feeling slightly better. If these professionals can help me, I will get my money back, she thinks. If I had given up, I would have lost everything. But if I fight, I will win.