AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Suddenly Taylor couldn’t take it anymore.
“I don’t think you should publish a story, Arthur,” she announced. “I need to find another way. I can’t live with you being charged under the hate speech laws too and ending up in jail.”
Her voice broke, making the Merriam men sit up straighter in their chairs. Arthur only sipped his coffee.
She blew out a tortured breath. “I’m very sorry for that outburst. I know it’s not helpful. I just think we’d do better to find out who Malcolm screwed over, and how, and leak it anonymously online.”
“To what end?” Arthur asked gruffly. “And have them say it’s fake news too? Malcolm and his goons will do it. You know that as well as I do. No, Taylor, we stick with the plan.”
She glanced over as Clara and Eoghan walked into the library. “Eoghan just heard the news from his son,” she said, her blue eyes shining with tears. “I can’t imagine what you must be feeling.”
“Taylor, I’m so very sorry.” Eoghan crossed and took her hands, the lines of his face severe with sorrow. “Everyone in Caisleán shares your outrage. I told Clara this makes our work that much more important.”
“But Malcolm could hurt Arthur—and any of you.” She was losing her battle to remain emotionless. “We can’t risk that. I brought you in, hoping to expose Malcolm. Right now, I don’t see a way to do that publicly. He’s holding all the cards. We have to leak it and hope someone in the government might wake—”
“My dear,” Arthur interrupted, “this isn’t the first time in my life where I’ve faced great odds with a story. Sit down for a moment. You’re strung out, and no one here can blame you.”
J.T. pulled out her chair again, and she sank into it.
Arthur extended his hand to Clara, who came over and took it. “We’ve faced plenty of challenges together, even in these last few happy years. But we persevere and stick together and keep plugging away at our goal. We know what that is: to take Malcolm Coveney and the rest of his rotten crew down. With a story, by a man like me. Because I have street cred, as the youngsters say.”
The other Merriam men were all nodding, but she couldn’t agree. Veritas had street cred and that hadn’t mattered. “I don’t think I can live with another person I care about being in jail because of this.”
Because of me.
He took his glasses off and began polishing then. “Taylor, I’m a journalist, first and foremost. To betray that would be to betray my very self.”
On that they could agree. She was nodding when she caught his smile.
“I have a feeling you understand,” he added softly. “Being Veritas and all.”
Her head went light, her heart rate jumping, and God help her, another faint was coming on. “I—”
“Please, give me some credit.” He pinned the men around her with a pointed look. “I know when something’s up. And last night when you thought I was sleeping, I watched you all pile into Cian’s old van after putting supplies in the trunk and removing the license plate—nice touch, by the way.”
They’d been found out? She sank back in her chair, grateful that J.T.’s hand patting her back was making the black spots at the edges of her vision go away. “But how did you see us from your cottage? We were at the far shed—”
“The cottage is stocked with binoculars, my dear,” Arthur said, putting his glasses back on and staring down his nose at them. “I almost joined you.”
“Why didn’t you wake me?” Clara protested, socking him on the arm. “I most certainly would have gone.”
A few of the Merriams groaned. Arthur only laughed.This was funny?She had the urge to run out of the room. How was she supposed to keep Veritas anonymous when a flock of people knew it was her? Maybe she should come forward…
“Is it really true?” Eoghan asked, practically dancing forward and grabbing her hands to shake them with uncharacteristic enthusiasm. “Taylor, you had me good and fooled this whole time. Now I understand why you seem to keep your own company and didn’t want me to come on this trip. You thought I might pull you down. Or find out the truth.”
Truth. That was her name. Veritas. And yet she’d spent so many years lying about it. The irony was beyond her right now. She had never felt more exposed.
“Only three people know about me—or did—my hacker, my lawyer in New York, and Liam. Now I have a whole plethora of people who know, which seriously freaks me out. Not only because my fame and anonymity are based on secrecy but also because your association with me could get you thrown in jail should they discover I’m Veritas. Which might be the only way I can get Liam out of jail.”
“Don’t even think of coming forward,” Arthur declared, pointing his finger her way. “Malcolm has proven that hard legal and journalistic facts are irrelevant in his use of power. You don’t know what might happen if you reveal yourself. But I can assure you of this. Malcolm has shown he will contort the truth and hurt good people. Unmasking yourself will only cause more harm. They’d probably refute your story and find some slim pretense to throw you in the clink too. I expect Liam was the one who helped you with the mural at the arts center, correct?”
She nodded. “I wouldn’t name him. I’d—”
“You’re tired now, Taylor, so listen to an older man. Malcolm has it out for you after you faced him down on the road. How happy would it make him to have you as the person he can throw the book at?”
“Plus, Liam wouldn’t want you in jail,” Eoghan cried out, the harsh wrinkles around his face lightening as he smiled. “He loves you.”
“And I love him, dammit,” she said, “which is why I can’t let him stay in jail for me. I hear what you’re saying, but it’s not right.”
