Fool Me Once(45)
She handed the drinks off, gave Maya a big smile, and then strode away.
“You’re not trying to tell me Claire was the one who leaked that combat tape—”
“No.”
“—because there is no way she’d even have access—”
“No, Maya, that’s not what I’m saying. She contacted me after I released your tape.”
That made more sense yet answered nothing. “What did she say?”
“That’s why I’m trying to explain our philosophy. About whistle-blowing. About accountability and freedom.”
“I’m not following.”
“Claire contacted me because she was afraid I was going to reveal the rest of your tape.”
Silence.
“You know what I mean, don’t you, Maya?”
“Yes.”
“You told Claire about it?”
“I told her everything. We told each other everything. At least that’s what I thought.”
Corey smiled at her. “She wanted to protect you. She asked me not to release the audio.”
“And you didn’t.”
“That’s correct.”
“Just because Claire asked.”
He took a sip of his drink. “I know a man. A group really. They think they’re like mine. But they’re not. They reveal secrets too, but on an individual scale. Cheating spouses, steroid users, revenge porn, stuff like that. Personal deceptions. If you want to do something unethical anonymously online, this group will out you. Like those hackers of that adultery website did last year.”
“And you don’t agree with that?”
“I don’t.”
“Why not? Aren’t they ridding the world of secrets?”
“Funny,” he said.
“What?”
“Your sister raised that point too. I won’t say we are hypocritical, but we do pick and choose our spots, don’t we? No way around it. I didn’t reveal the audio on your tape for, yes, my own selfish reasons. I had planned to do it later. To maximize the impact of the revelation. More hits on my website. More exposure for my cause.”
“So why didn’t you?”
“Your sister. She asked me not to.”
“Just like that.”
“She was convincing. You, Maya, are just a pawn, she explained. You are forced to be what you are by a corrupt system. Part of me wants to reveal that because, again, the truth will indeed set you free. But you’d be irreparably harmed. Claire convinced me that if I did that, I’d be no better than my colleagues who nail small-time cheaters.”
Maya was getting tired of the circling. “You were more interested in hurting the war cause than hurting me.”
“Yes.”
“So you provided the people with your own narrative. Let them hate the government. If they heard the audio, they might blame me instead.”
“I guess that’s true.”
Replacing the truth with his own narrative, Maya thought. Scratch the surface and we are all the same. There was no time or reason to ruminate on that right now.
“So my sister contacted you,” Maya said, “to protect me.”
“Yes.”
Maya nodded. That made sense. Sad, terrible sense. The guilt came rushing back. “So then what happened?”
“She convinced me of the righteousness of her argument.” A small smile toyed with his lips. “And I convinced her of the righteousness of mine.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Claire worked for a big corrupt corporation. She had access to the inner sanctum.”
It was starting to click. “You convinced her to leak information to you?”
“She saw the righteousness of the cause.”
Maya had a thought.
“What?”
“Was it quid pro quo?” Maya asked. “Did Claire agree to help take down Burkett Enterprises in exchange for you not releasing the audio?”
“Nothing so crude.”
Or was it just that crude?
“So,” Maya said, feeling the answer start to well up, “you got Claire to do your dirty work. And it got her killed.”
A shadow crossed his face. “Not just Claire,” Corey said.
“What do you mean?”
“She worked with Joe.”
Maya let that sink in a moment before she shook her head. “There’s no way Joe would turn in his own family.”
“Your sister apparently thought otherwise.”
Maya closed her eyes.
“Think about it. Claire looks into it. She ends up dead. Then Joe looks into it . . .”
The connection, Maya thought. Everyone was looking for the connection.
Corey thought that he knew what it was.
But he was wrong.
“Joe reached out to me after your sister died.”
“What did he say?”
“He wanted to meet.”
“And?”
“I couldn’t. I had to stay off the grid. I’m sure you read about it. The Danish government was trying to nail me on trumped-up charges. I told him that I could find secure ways to communicate, but he wanted to meet in person. I think he wanted to help. And I think he found a secret that got him killed.”