“So, you think that by releasing this fabricated ad spot, you’re doing the people a favor? All because Hayden wanted me and not you?” Liz asked in shock.

“Don’t even bring him into this,” Calleigh growled.

“That’s what it is. Isn’t it? Hayden left you, he and I dated, and then even after we broke up he still doesn’t want you. So, you’re taking it out on me. You should be happy. I’m the one who got you that promotion!” Liz said, laying into her.

“Oh yeah, thanks for being a whore and letting me write about it,” Calleigh said cruelly. She walked across the room and got up into Liz’s face. “I love how you think everything just revolves around you! You think you’re so special. You’re not the only one Brady hid. And once I tell the rest of the world, I hope your perfect little world really does come crashing down. Then maybe you’ll remember who you’re messing with.”

Liz took a step back, astonished. “That’s who those girls are in the production room? Brady’s old . . . conquests?”

Calleigh looked hesitant for a moment. She opened her mouth to speak and then closed it, as if she had realized that Liz had baited her into telling her what the ad was about.

“You’re getting women to say that he slept with them like me. You’re going to make a joke out of our relationship, tarnish his entire reputation, have him lose the election all because of some stupid vendetta. You’re sick,” Liz whispered.

“He did sleep with these women. The world deserves to know what kind of family man he really is. Do you know how many he has been with since you’ve been together?” Calleigh asked.

“Yes,” Liz answered without a doubt.

“Well, soon the world will too.”

“The answer is zero.”

“Keep telling yourself that.”

“You’re going to put up an ad with a bunch of women who are going to lie about sleeping with Brady in the last nine months? Because you and I both know that none of those women were with Brady.”

Calleigh pushed past Liz to the door. She turned back once more to look at her. “Sometimes the truth doesn’t matter,” she said, and then exited.

As soon as she was out of the door, Liz palmed her voice recorder and switched it off. “Sometimes the truth will set you free.”

Chapter 31

CHANGE

Cease and desist.

Those had never been words that Liz thought she would be happy to hear. But after she had brought the voice recorder and pictures of the production studio back to Brady, Heather, and Elliott, coupled with the emails and Hayden’s testimony, they had a pretty solid case. Heather had been pissed to hear what Liz had done, but after listening to the voice recording even she had reluctantly agreed that she was glad that Liz had gone.

The paperwork went out to Calleigh and the Charlotte Times. They’d had plausible reason to believe that CT on the door had stood for the paper, and since Calleigh was an employee of the paper, a recognizable name, and she represented them, the campaign wanted to cover their bases. As an unbiased news source, who relied on advertisement money from both sides of the aisle, Liz was sure they weren’t going to be happy to hear what had happened.

“Well, I suppose you did the right thing,” Brady begrudgingly admitted.

“You seriously doubted me.”

“I never want to send you in the line of fire. So many things could have gone wrong.”

“Hey, I’m a good reporter. I might have given it up, but I still know the tricks.”

He drew her into his arms. “You did good.”

“What do you think will happen to her?” she asked after a moment.

“She’ll be demoted, but more likely fired.”

Calleigh was getting what she deserved. She had even admitted to trying to tear them down for no other reason than because Liz had once had something that she wanted. Even after getting her promotion she hadn’t been satisfied. Maybe she would never be satisfied.

Feeling Brady’s arms around her, Liz knew that she would never have that problem.

Liz had gotten one of the other teaching assistants to cover her classes and informed her instructors that she would be absent the week before the election. She spent her days walking through neighborhoods, knocking on doors, making phone calls with volunteers, and handing out Vote for Maxwell fliers wherever she could. The poll numbers coming in had everyone on edge. Some numbers showed him down by a percentage point and then up by a percentage point, but either way the win-lose ratio was negligible. It was a perfect toss-up.

Volunteers pushed forward with renewed energy in the last leg of the race, encouraging people to vote down ticket for Brady after they voted for their presidential choice. There was always a tailcoat effect when it came to presidential elections. In a toss-up race, it generally helped the candidate who was of the same political party as the president. But the presidential race seemed to be just as close as the congressional race, so Liz wasn’t sure how much impact it would have. She hoped they both came out on top.

Clay and Andrea showed up Thursday afternoon to go canvassing, and asked for clipboards. Liz stared at them. As far as she knew Andrea didn’t do anything that involved walking or getting hot, unless you counted hot yoga. And Clay had never supported his brother in anything.

“What’s the catch?” she asked as she passed them clipboards.

“No catch,” Clay said.

“Do you even know how to canvass?” she asked him.

“Babe, I’ve been canvassing longer than you’ve been alive.”

“So . . . why are you doing it again?”

He shrugged it off. “It’s just what you do.”

“Even though you don’t agree with your brother?” Liz pushed.

“Just drop it. It’s no big deal.” He handed Andrea another clipboard and then they left.

Liz was dumbfounded. There were so many sides to Clay Maxwell that she couldn’t tell up from down when he was around.

“You know Clay is out canvassing for you?” Liz said when Brady showed up later.

“Yeah.”

“I don’t get it with you two.”

“Campaigning is in our blood. We’ve been doing it all our lives. He wants to be attorney general one day,” Brady said, calm and unconcerned, as if Clay always came around to helping before elections. But maybe it wasn’t that he always did it, rather that it was expected of him. Another Maxwell trait.