Page 8 of Concerted Chaos

three

Ihaven’tseenany of Tanner’s work before, so I was taking it on faith that he was a decent photographer. Faith and the massive lens I saw this morning. Pricey equipment can create usable images no matter who is clicking the shutter, right?

As it turns out, Tanner has a great eye for lighting and detail. He takes a gorgeous and evocative photograph of Powell, slouched over on the couch, blankly staring at a news report about the helicopter crash on his tablet. Within minutes, Tanner sets his laptop up and gets the image sent off to his agent. It doesn’t take long before he lets out a rather loud yelp.

“Everything okay?” I ask, going into the kitchen where he is working. I’m glad to have an excuse to leave the living room, actually. My mom and Hank are really overdoing it with the emotions. They are clustered around Powell, making it clear how relieved they are that he is alive. They can’t stop touching him and leaning on him. I had to shoo them away so Tanner could get his picture, and they got right back to it the second the photography session ended. Mom keeps running her hands through his hair—and he keeps trying to smooth it back down. Hank has his arm draped over Powell’s shoulders and won’t stop squeezing his son tightly. Ordinarily my brother would protest such a display of parental affection, but this is not an ordinary day.

“I’m getting out of debt with this offer.” Tanner stares at the screen, mouth agape. He shakes his head and scrutinizes his computer again, blinking as though that might change what he’s seeing. “Wow. I’ve never ...” He shakes his head again. Is he going into shock? If he is, it’s unwarranted. The figure his agent sent him is far too low.

“Good, your agent sold it to Eduardo. Let me make a call.” I’ve already had ten missed calls from him, so I know Eduardo will pick up right away. He does.

“Cassidy! Is it true?” He’s breathless with excitement. Fantastic. That means he’ll be greedy.

“My sources tell me you just got a picture of Powell alive when the rest of the media is reporting his death. That’s going to bring you a lot of attention. Your site will go viral.”

“And?” Eduardo knows I have more news for him.

“You only have half the story. I bet you’re wondering who was really on that helicopter.” I swallow against the sudden lump in my throat. Stay strong, I remind myself, for Jace’s sake.

“Who?” He’s practically salivating, which means it’s time for the bargaining.

“First you owe your man Tanner an additional 20k for the photo. I’ll take double his payment for the info.”

“I’m not paying you. It’ll be out soon enough.”

That’s the wrong tactic to take with me, especially now, now when I’m struggling to control my emotions. Devon begged me to release it immediately and all I can focus on is getting through this phone call without breaking down myself.

“Sure will. I’m calling Celebutante next. You might have Powell’s picture, but they’ll have the real story.”

“You catty witch!”

“You sure know how to sweet talk. My price is going up 10k every fifteen seconds. But in one minute, I’m offering it elsewhere.”

“Fine, deal. Who was it?” He is putty in my hands now. I knew the mention of his competitor would break him. I pull out my other phone and open my banking app.

“I want to see the money appear in my account first.”

“How do I know it’s accurate?” Fair question. While in the past some of the tips I’ve provided may have been more Powell-serving than truthful, when it comes to a topic as serious as this, he should trust me. But how can I be absolutely certain Jace was on the helicopter and isn’t hanging out somewhere without cell service? Well, for one thing, there was the selfie he texted Powell saying ‘you’re missing out,’ sent from the doomed flight. That one is too tragic and personal for my brother to share with the world.

“If I’m wrong, I’ll refund you my and Tanner’s money. But I’m not wrong.” There is a ding and a payment received notification flashes on my phone. “Good boy. It was Jace Monroe. He went in Powell’s place, but they didn’t change the name on the passenger manifest.”

“Jace Monroe?” Both Eduardo and Tanner repeat at the same time.

“Yes. Jace is dead. The official announcement goes out in an hour. His team is putting it together. But you’ve got the scoop.”

“I love you Cassidy!” Eduardo hangs up abruptly, no doubt about to start madly typing and uploading and whatever else he does to keep the gossip flowing.

I set my phone down and sink weakly into a kitchen chair. That call used up all my strength. Here I am, profiting from the death of one of my dear friends, though not by choice. Devon ordered me to break that story, and I couldn’t say no. Tanner watches me, eyes wide in what I hope is awe and not horror.

“That was pretty freaking mercenary.”

“Eduardo is a blood-sucking ghoul seeking to mine my pain for profit. He doesn’t care about me; he only cares about the hits on his website. So yeah, I’m going to charge him for it.” Not to mention making him pay was revenge on him for the December ass grabbing incident. I might have given him the story for free if he wasn’t such a sleazebag.

“Are you okay?” Tanner asks. I don’t know if it is meant to be a rhetorical question, or if he’s referring to my mental health. I may have come across as an insensitive monster in my conversation with Eduardo, but it was the only way I could calm the storm of emotions inside me.

“Of course not. Someone I care about just died horrifically, and if my brother hadn’t been so hungover this morning it would have been him. And I’m the one who ...” I trail off as the guilt slams into me again. …my fault. I called Jace and asked him to go in Powell’s place. I handed him his death sentence. I’m never going to forgive myself. I should have had them reschedule for a different day, with a different company. A company that makes non-exploding helicopters.

The instant Eduardo’s story goes live all the phones in the house start beeping, vibrating, and ringing. Even Tanner’s, though his is likely his agent congratulating him on the increased money. And then the doorbell rings too.

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