Who Am I

Lies

Cora scowled at the box. She lifted a plastic bag out of the box, holding it away from her.

"Bullets," she said. She frowned. "Blaire, can I see the receipt?" Blaire silently placed the receipt on her lap. Cora frowned, placing the items beside the box. She dumped the contents out, papers scattering. A boxy item clunked onto the wooden floor.

"What...."

"A burner phone." Ivan sat down, examining the black phone. He flipped open the electronic, scrolling through it. "Sonya and Danteś are the only contacts in here." Cora sorted through the papers, scanning them. Blaire stared at the phone. Cora gulped.

"Blaire, Ivan." Ivan turned.

"What?" Tears wound down Cora's face as her hands shook. Ivan approached on nis knees. "Cora, what happened."

Cora handed Blaire a letter. "Amara," she said. Ivan hugged her as silent tears came down. Blaire nervously glanced at Cora before opening the letter.

Jason,

I'm pregnant. I can't believe I just said that. I am f****** pregnant.

Don't argue for custody. He's mine. I'm calling him Andre.

Blaire put the letter down.

"Did you know?" She asked, quietly. Cora nodded. Her eyes widened. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I'm-"

"We're sorry," Ivan said. "We thought Jason would tell-"

"Oh, Jason! You think he would tell me anything after all this? You knew more about him than I did! Why would you not tell me what happened?"

"You were happy," Cora said. Her eyes flashed. "Blaire, you were always happy. When Jason came, he brightened your world. Perhaps you thought you could hidd it, but we saw how much Marie affected you." Blaire flinched. "By the time I found out who the father was, you were already engaged and you were so happy that we didn't want to do anything."

"But the truth-"

"Did you want to hear the truth? Blaire, you forgave that man when he said he did illegal work during his time in Dnipro-1."

"It's still the truth...," Blaire protested weakly.

"Yes. But you would have probably accepted it and moved on." Cora swallowed. Blaire stared at the ground.

"Was there anything else?" Blaire asked.

"What?"

"Did you keep any other secrets from me?" Cora shook her head. Ivan studied her face before taking a deep breath.

"His father was a murderer." Blaire blinked.

"No. You're lying. Jason's father is a successful businessman. Why would he kill someone?"

"That man is not Jason's father. He was adopted after his father disappeared."

"Mother?"

"She died from gas leaking in her house. Jason survived."

"How do you know this?"

"I.... I looked around his adopted neighborhood."

"Why didn't you-"

"Jason has control over the NYPD."

"Can't we ask others?"

"The NYPD would still be able to get away with it. We're of the 1%. And Americans hate us for that."

"Couldn't you alert the Government?"

"Jason had my apartment tapped."

"You couldn't tell me?"

"I was scared he was going to hurt you. Blaire, I'm sorry for not telling you. But we both thought everything we did do was for the better." Cora stared at Blaire as she looked between her best friends. She exhaled.

"We should continue."

None moved. Blaire pulled several papers towards her. She started reading the first one. Cora and Ivan glanced at each other. Ivan turned on the phone. They scrolled through the texts. Papers rustled as Blaire shuffled them into stacks. Cora gasped.

"What?" Blaire asked. Ivan solemnly handed her the phone. He got up, turning on his own phone. Cora stared at the phone with wide eyes.

"We have found the murderer."

5:04 AM

Sonya: Jason. Meet me in NY tonight. It's about your wife.

Jason: Blaire? Why are you talking about her?

Sonya: Get over here, Jason. I'm serious.

5:09
Jason: Sonya, you scared me. Blaire is fine.

Sonya: Meet me in your apartment.

"I don't see anything wrong-"

"Dantés. Check his texts."

5:30
Jason: I need to borrow your jet.

Dantés: How much.

Jason: 6 Mil

Dantés: Get rid of this phone.

*****