“It would send me an e-mail that the recorder had been activated. Sort of the same principle as a nanny cam. Only in those cases the cameras are motion sensitive. With a dive mask that wouldn’t make sense. If you have the mask on and have activated the camera, well obviously you want to start recording and will continue to do so until you’re out of the water with your mask off. In other words,” Lucy says to me, “your mask wasn’t motion sensitive. It was on-off sensitive, so to speak. It was either recording or it wasn’t.”

“When she turned the camera on at the beginning of the dive exactly two months ago,” Donoghue says, “did you get an e-mail prompting you to watch what was being recorded in real time?”

“I didn’t,” Lucy says.

“You didn’t?”

Lucy shakes her head no.

“Why not?” Donoghue asks.

“Because the message got diverted.” Lucy is cryptic again, and then she falls silent for a long uncomfortable pause.

“If you don’t have the recording legally,” I finally say to her quietly, somberly, “then let me suggest that we be exceedingly cautious about what we discuss.” I look at Janet.

“I think I should step out now.” She abruptly gets up from the couch.

“A picture’s worth a thousand words.” Lucy slides the phone closer to me as Janet leaves the boathouse. “Unedited, uncut. I did try to sharpen the images as best I could.”

“How could you do that if you don’t have the actual recording?” Donoghue asks.

“Not in my physical possession, I don’t,” Lucy replies as I keep thinking of her recent trip and her story about Customs agents crawling all over her plane. “What you see is as good as it’s going to get.”

“You don’t say that in a way that instills confidence.” I pick up the phone and press PLAY.

Chapter 24

CHAPTER 24

THE RECORDING STARTS SEVERAL FEET BENEATH THE surface of the Atlantic Ocean.

I remember my giant stride off the stern of the boat. I relive the sensation of water splashing, and the cold salty chop against my chin as I floated, easing my way to the mooring line, breathing through my snorkel with the sun glaring in my eyes. It seemed like a routine dive. Underwater missions like this aren’t new to me. I distinctly remember feeling there was nothing to worry about.

I had a false sense of safety, and I hit pause. I have to think about this long and hard.

“What is it?” Donoghue’s breath touches my hair as she looks on.

“I felt safe and I shouldn’t have. I’m trying to figure out why.”