“YOU DID THIS. You and Janet.” I’m accusing Benton and at the same time I’m strangely relieved.

I’ve been lied to for the best of reasons. Benton’s first loyalty is his family.

“The two of you are trying to save our family and in doing so may get all of us destroyed.” I hope this is the truth.

“I’m not going to get us destroyed, Kay,” he says. “Neither is Janet. And you need to leave it at that.”

“And what about Lucy’s involvement? How much is she in on all of this, Benton?”

“You need to leave it, Kay,” he says but I can’t.

“You’ve created a record that you hope will clear Lucy’s name while showing that Erin Loria is a compromised agent who is trying to entrap her.” I glance over at him and my misgivings grow. “The recordings from 1997 are real and they aren’t.”

“They’re edited.”

“You turned them into fiction to manipulate.”

“I turned them into what they needed to be. We’re in the next election cycle. The Bhutto story would be very unfortunate timing,” he says. “And it’s all the more believable because Janet is on film saying things that are unhelpful and damaging for Lucy. That’s what makes it authentic. Janet is saying things that could incriminate Lucy. But it won’t matter by the time the Bureau has to deal with the rest of it. The timing is terrible, and Carrie knew it would be when she tampered with records relating to the Bhutto case.”

“For the FBI, for the current administration, yes, the timing is bad,” I reply. “But not for Carrie. She wouldn’t give a damn about what you just said beyond her ecstasy that she’s managed to orchestrate a disaster. So who put Janet up to filming what happened in their basement?”

I think back to when I was inside Chanel Gilbert’s bedroom and realized Benton was standing in the doorway. I now have no doubt he was watching the same live-streaming video I was. He and Janet are partners. Lucy may be their partner too. The three of them are in on this and I’m the odd person out. Benton admits nothing but it’s making sense.

“What about the other videos,” I then say, “the ones Carrie is supposedly responsible for? I just need you to say that you’re the reason for them—that you’re the one who made sure they were sent to me.”

“We have spousal privilege.” Benton looks at me. “We don’t ever mention this conversation. But yes. And Janet has been helping.”