She felt her throat tighten. She was unable to defend herself.
‘Because your husband was, and still is, a notorious paedophile, isn’t he? And you have been complicit in his crimes by using your wealth and influence to cover up the fact he has molested dozens of children over the last four decades.’
Sofia shook her head furiously. ‘You don’t know what—’
‘I have his victims’ names, dates and how much you paid for their families’ silence. I even have photographs he took and sent to magazines and websites.’
Sofia’s arms were rigid as she steadied herself against the seat. Her mind raced with the speed of a whirlwind, desperately trying to think of a way she could escape the accusations with her reputation intact. But before she could defend herself, Sofia realised that no one would get the chance to hear her rebuttal. Her sound feed had been cut off. The show was over, along with her career.
Chapter 37
Libby let out a long breath she wasn’t aware she was holding, then turned to face a similarly stunned Matthew.
She looked towards Jude’s screen to gauge his reaction. He appeared as bewildered as everyone else.
‘Well, I don’t think Sofia will be on the NSPCC’s Christmas card list for very much longer,’ said Cadman.
‘You’re making a joke about child abuse?’ asked Libby.
Cadman’s gaze shot to Matthew before immediately backing down. ‘My apologies.’
After witnessing the exposure of Claire and Sofia’s secrets, it was rapidly becoming apparent the Passengers had been carefully selected based on what they were hiding.
There was nothing more in the world that Libby hated than secrets. Alarm bells were beginning to sound in her head. Her brother Nicky had kept his suicidal feelings from his family the day he was released from hospital. And William had kept his fling with the office intern from her. What secrets might Jude be concealing from her?
‘Is it possible the Hacker’s accusations aren’t true?’ she directed towards Jack. ‘Or at least only part of the story?’ He didn’t reciprocate her eye contact and stared at the screens instead. Libby continued regardless. ‘He’s using each of us to set the Passengers up. Once they’ve presented to us the best version of themselves, he goesin for the kill with an accusation. But how do we know what the whole truth is if he won’t allow them a rebuttal?’
‘A rebuttal?’ Jack let out a short, sharp snort. ‘You have failed to grasp the situation, Miss Dixon. We are long past playing by Queensberry Rules or anything that one might consider honourable. The Hacker doesn’t recognise anything but his own agenda.’
‘I’m not stupid, I can see that,’ she replied. ‘What he’s doing is mirroring what goes on in your inquests. You never give us the full picture either, do you? We’re only told as much as you want us to know before we’re forced to decide who’s at fault: the victim or the car. And because so much of the evidence is “classified”, it’s almost always the victim who’s damned. So what he’s doing isn’t really any different to what you do.’
‘You’re misinformed and ignorant, Miss Dixon. All we can do is let the Passengers tell us why they should live and hope for their sakes that they’re being honest. If they’re not, then God help them.’
Libby looked Jack directly in the eyes. The piercing glare she had once been afraid of no longer existed. He had lost his fight. ‘Why have you given up so easily?’ she asked.
‘Because there is nothing I can do that will make any difference for Miss Arden.’
‘No, I don’t just mean Claire, I mean what’s happening in here. You don’t get to where you are in your career without fighting tooth and nail to get your own way. Why isn’t your phone glued to your ear any more like it was when this began? Why aren’t you losing your temper with your office or demanding to speak to GCHQ again?’
‘One of the many problems with you millennials is that you spend too much time thinking and reading too much into situations that don’t require your input. If Iwere you, I’d concentrate on what your friend Jude is hiding behind that vacant look of his.’
Libby didn’t rise to the bait. ‘The Hacker has something on you, doesn’t he?’
‘Don’t be so ridiculous.’ Jack eyes briefly darted towards his own image on screen. But his denial was not nearly as venomous as Libby would have expected. She turned her whole body towards him. Jack remained firm, as if he was concerned that, by moving, he might give something away. ‘I’m right, aren’t I?’ she continued. ‘He’s alluded to knowing something about you or the inquest process numerous times. And you don’t know what he knows so you’re playing it safe by keeping a low profile. If he knows so much about the Passengers then he knows a lot about you too.’
‘You have a very furtive imagination, Miss Dixon.’
‘You’re just biding your time and hoping to leave this room with as few battle scars as possible.’
Finally, Jack looked her, his silence speaking volumes. She turned her attention back towards the wall of screens. Sofia’s face was expressionless, as if the picture had frozen. Her arms were folded and her eyes stared beyond the camera and out through the car’s windscreen.
‘Do I need to ask how social media is reacting to the exposé of our “national treasure”?’ asked the Hacker.
‘Opinions are along the lines of what you might expect,’ Cadman replied. ‘I think it’s safe to say that right now, she is the most hated woman on the planet.’
‘With forty-five minutes left until the collision, shall we move along?’ the Hacker suggested. ‘Let’s continue with one half of the only married couple in our process.’
Chapter 38
