She turned and looked out the windows, tears wet on her face.

Part of Natalie wanted to stop the interview, let the First Lady have some relief. She glanced at Matt, who was making a “go on” gesture with his hands.

Right.

She wasn’t here to be a friend. She was here to get the truth.

“What happened?” Natalie asked quietly.

“A deal was cut. Eva’s silence for our parents’ freedom. They were released weeks later.”

“And your parents were fine?”

“We stayed quiet. My father passed away seven years ago. My mother is in a home with dementia. None of us has spoken of this.”

“What about your sister? I’ve never read about her. Where is Eva?”

The First Lady cleared her throat. “Eva killed herself a year after my parent’s release. I found her hanging in the bathroom.”

Now Natalie felt like a voyeur.

“It wasn’t the assault that killed her,” Anita Crusoe continued quietly. “It was the silence. I took away her voice. I wouldn’t let her speak.”

“How is it that we’ve never heard this story before?” Natalie asked,softly.

The First Lady sat up straight and wiped away the wetness under her eyes. “Patrick buried it well, didn’t he? Wouldn’t do for the future First Lady to have such a sordid past. Rape. Prison. Suicide. Addiction.” She exhaled. “I loved my husband. I did. But I’ve made endless compromises for him. We’ve hidden so many things. I buried my family. Renounced my history, made myself over in an image of what he wanted me to be. Of what he believes the American people want me to be.”

“What will you do now?” Natalie asked.

“My marriage is over. I’m done with politics. I need to go back to what I’m good at, where I can really help people. Maybe I’ll return to my career. I was an engineer when I came to the US. I had a scholarship. Believe it or not, I was a good at the work I was doing.”

The First Lady sighed and Natalie knew she had to wrap up the interview. Bring it around to current events. “Do you believe Sonia Barbaro’s story? That Rigo Lystra raped her?”

“I don’t know the truth. I only know we can’t silence people, not any longer. The way you all have condemned Sonia Barbaro, judged me—it’s wrong. Have you noticed how Western culture still celebrates silent women? The quiet matriarch, the supporting actresses of steely resolve who keep persevering and putting up with it?

“We’ve all been too compliant. Me. Eva. Sonia. Playing along doesn’t change anything. That’s why I’m giving you this interview. Our silences were never going to protect us. It’s time to speak.”

Natalie felt a sudden jolt, thinking of her mother’s line. “Be noisy,” she said.

“That’s right. Smart girl. We need to be noisy.”

32

The Myth of Power

As Dasha drove them down the winding mountain road back toward the airport, it was quiet in the car, Natalie stared out at the trees dotting the mountain, in shock from the weight of everything they’d just heard.