What else is he capable of?
I don't know how much time passes. I debate with myself over and over again about what I should and shouldn't do. Minutes continue to tick away.
When I finally force myself to look, the girl is crying. Her head is hanging low and her shoulders are moving up and down with each sob. Franklin pulls away from her and I realize that he had made her go down on him.
I shake my head in disbelief. Tears stream down my face.
I didn't stop this. I was here and I was too afraid.
I hate myself and I hate my cowardice.
Franklin says something but I can't make out what it is. The girl continues to cry, this time turning toward the camera. That's when I realize who she is. She's the one who I ran into in the elevator.
She came back!
“Why did you come back? Don’t you know that he's a monster?” I whisper at the screen.
More tears come and my body starts to shake as much as hers. When she doesn't respond to whatever Franklin is saying, he spins her back around and points a finger in her face. He looks angry. Pissed off. Just like he did when he hurt me.
That's when I realize that she came back for the same reason that I didn't help her. We're paralyzed with fear and when the paralysis is strong enough, you will do anything just to survive.
Suddenly, the door opens and someone else comes into the room. He's tall, wide-shouldered, and older than Franklin. He's dressed in a suit and has an expensive haircut. He looks familiar but I can't place him. Then, I remember. He is the governor of New Jersey.
I’ve only seen him on the news. He is middle-aged, balding, and rather round. He laughs and says something to Franklin, completely ignoring the girl in front of them. I shake my head as more tears start to well up. I know what he’s about to do. I can’t let it happen, no matter the consequences.
I rush over to the door and grab the handle but when I turn it, it doesn’t open. I try again and again.
“What the fuck?” I stare at the door.
It’s locked.
My mouth drops open. Franklin actually locked me in here. He knew this was going to happen and he didn’t want me walking in on them.
I try the door again and again but it refuses to give.
I even try to break it down but the mahogany is too strong.
I pace around the room trying to figure out my next move. I’m still holding the phone in my palm but I don’t dare look at it. I know that it is recording and there’s nothing that I can do to stop whatever is happening. The only thing that I can do is not watch it.
A few minutes pass and then a few more. I crack my knuckles. I sit down on the bed and get back up. I walk from one side of the room to the other like a caged tiger. I don’t know how to make any of this stop. Eventually, the curiosity gets the better of me and I look down at the screen.
There are now two other girls in the room. Franklin and the governor surround them. They touch all of them. I look at the girls’ faces but I don’t recognize them. They don’t look much older than the first one.
The familiar nauseous feeling starts to build in the pit of my stomach.
Franklin laughs and then takes a step back from everyone else. I see the smile on his face as he turns to face the wall and looks almost straight at the camera.
My heart sinks and I hold my breath.
“No, no, no,” I say over and over again. “Please don’t see me.”
I look closer trying to figure out if he is just looking at the picture behind which I hid the tiny lens or if he’s looking directly at me, knowing full well that I am locked in here and watching him.
His gaze goes up along with his arm and I see him mess with something that looks a lot like my camera in the corner of the room. The only problem is that it is not my camera.
When he returns to the girls, I stare at my phone trying to figure out a way to rewind. I don’t know if it will stop recording if I start clicking around so I let it go.
Did I just see him do that? I ask myself. Is he recording this?
I don’t know why he would want to have a recording of himself doing any of this but I can think of a few reasons for why he would want to have a recording of the most powerful man in New Jersey frolicking around with some underage girls.
That’s the kind of thing that can give you a lot of leeway when you need a favor or two.
When I pace around the room this time, my thoughts are more focused. If he’s recording himself with them, who else does he have recordings of?
I now know exactly why everyone is so afraid and accommodating with my husband.
Now, the only thing to do is to find the videos.
18
Aurora
When I discover that Franklin is recording not only himself but other men with those underage girls, I search my room for any cameras and recording equipment.
Luckily, Jackie has shown me what the really small and really good ones look like and where to hide them so I know what to look for.
First, I check the lamps. Then the headboard. I go through every nook and cranny of the room and then check it all again just to make sure that I didn’t miss a thing.
I go to bed with a heavy heart and I sleep restlessly. My sleep is so light that I hear him come to my room in the middle of the night and unlock the door. The lock moves very quietly and it would be easy to miss if I wasn’t already on high alert.
I let out a sigh of relief. So far, he doesn’t know that I know. I’m only safe for as long as that continues.
The following morning, when Franklin is gone and the housekeeping staff isn't around, I begin the search for the videos. I look through all of the cabinets in his office. I rifle through the desk and the bookcases. There are papers, bills, pens and pencils, and manila folders, but there are no memory sticks.
I search for close to two hours, looking through everything and then carefully put everything back. If a folder or an envelope was sticking out halfway, then that’s how it goes back.
Later that afternoon, I meet up with Henry and Jackie.
This time, I don't dare go to a hotel room. We meet in public, at a coffee shop around the corner from Henry and Franklin’s building. If someone is following me, then our meeting will look like an accident.
After I order something to drink, I slip my phone into Henry's hand and he disappears into the bathroom. A few minutes later, after transferring the files, he walks out with a blank expression on his face.
I watch him get in line and order some food while occasionally glancing over at Jackie who watches the video on Henry's phone.
We sit for a few minutes without saying a word. I guess I'm supposed to start but I don't know what to say.
“So, that was Governor Barbour?” Jackie asks, taking a sip of his coffee.
I nod, staring into space.
“Holy fuck,” Jackie says.
“Did you have any idea he was doing that?” Henry asks.
I snap my head and glare at him. “Of course not. I had no idea he was recording anyone or that anyone else was even involved.”
I nod and add, “There's something else.”
They look up at me. I break off a piece of a blueberry muffin and shove it in my mouth. The flavor is explosive and it makes me feel better but only for a moment.