Seventeen Crimes

Seven

The thumb drive burned a hole in Brie's pocket in the press pool, all during the day.

Even further souring her mood was that the press secretary didn't call on her to ask a question during the presidential briefing at the White House.

"What is with your mood, girlfriend?" Brent asked, as he, she and a couple of reporters from the pool – Dianna and Marcia - gathered together for lunch and a couple of drinks.

"There's nothing wrong with me," Brie said, flipping through the pages of the lunch menu.

Brent lowered his chin, his eyes locked squarely on her. "We have been friends for a long time."

"With a couple of years of friends with benefits," another muttered. "Thank the goddess you found your husband, Brent. We all know you batted for the other side."

Brent gave a mocking sort of grin to the one who spoke.

"Something is bothering you ,and if you won't come clean with me, I will have to ask Dylan," he said. "Are you two talking kids?"

"Not recently," Brie said. When the waiter returned, she ordered the cashew chicken. "Okay. Scenario."

"I will play. Deets." Brent leaned on his elbow, eyes focused solely on Brie."

She struggled to choose her words carefully.

"What if... you were me, and suddenly out of nowhere you met your much younger half-brother? What if, further, he gave you a thumb drive containing information about your mutual father that has the potential to change the history of your life as you know it?"

"You have a brother?" Brent asked.

Brie rocked, unsure of how, exactly, to respond.

"My biological father is Stephan Hodges, one of the first colonists on Mars," Brie said.

"That Stephan Hodges," Brent said. "What about him has changed? He's no different than any other deadbeat father who walked out on his kid. So what he's several million miles away."

"I claim to be a journalist," Brie said. "What if there is more to the story?"

"Its human nature to want to know our whole story," Marcia said, shifting her drink on the table. "Likely no different than the kid that approached you." She shrugged. "If I have learned anything after working in the presidential press pool for as long as I have, there is the STORY, then there are the other variations of the story. All valid. All true."

"Do you want to know the truth?" Dianna asked, chewing on the olive from her martini.

"I thought I knew the truth," Brie said. She shrugged.

"There is an old proverb that my mother quoted me growing up, when I got into fights with my sister. I am pretty sure I know where she got it from, but since its an old, dead book, I never really give it a read," Dianna said. She threw the toothpick down. "But, the advice has driven my career very well."

"Well, don't leave us in suspense, darling," Brent said.

"The first to speak always seems right. Until they are cross examined," Dianna said. She shrugged, gripping the arms of her chair. "Asking questions is always the right thing to do, in my opinion. But to be fair, don't be so beholden to one answer. If you cling too tightly, the answers that come, whether truth or not, will break you."