[Chapter 59: The Mole]
The explosive footage rolled in the camera lens. Hawke suddenly felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He managed to hold the camera with one hand, leaned back against the lamppost, and slid down carefully.
He unfastened the strap, quickly checked to ensure he hadn't missed anything, then crossed the street and ducked into the parking lot.
A little while later, a patrol car with flashing red and blue lights drove south along the road.
Hawke didn't rush to leave; instead, he called Edward and sank into his car to review the footage.
At night, the distance made the images less than crystal clear. But the camera Eric gifted him had impressive features, and through various zoom-ins, he could distinguish who the three performers were.
At this moment, Hawke completely understood why Matthew Broderick forgave Sarah Jessica Parker and why they still acted lovey-dovey post-scandal. They were truly a pair of weirdos. The couple just got off on this stuff.
Edward returned, knocked on the passenger side window, climbed in, and quickly asked, "Boss, what did you capture?"
Hawke turned the camera's display screen toward him. "Look."
Edward's eyes widened instantly. "You bet! They really knew how to have fun!"
He rambled on, "These jerks went all out while we just had to stand outside and watch. It's outrageous, totally unfair!"
"What, you wanna get in on it?" Hawke opened his laptop and connected the data cable to export the video.
Edward shook his head repeatedly. "No, I'm good. A guy and two girls? I can accept. But this, I can't accept."
This guy, completely clueless, probed, "Boss, what about you? Interested in joining?"
Hawke casually replied, "If it was a young Brooke Shields and Jennifer Connelly, I'd be all in. But nowadays, with Nicole Kidman and Charlize Theron inviting me, I wouldn't refuse either."
Edward couldn't stand the pretentiousness. "I can safely say, Boss, you've got some delusions going on."
Hawke exported the video and made two copies.
Edward asked, "So, what's our plan? Selling the footage next?"
Hawke began schooling his underling, slowly explaining, "We've got three options. First, like before, we could sell it to a network -- Megan Taylor would likely offer a good price. Second, find a way to approach the folks at Valley Studios; they might want to buy the footage of the Sex and the City star. Last, we could sell it to the parties involved for a potentially higher price, but it carries a lot of risks."
Edward couldn't grasp all that complexity and simply responded, "Aren't we just in it to make money?"
It was true on the surface, but while Hawke was in it for money, he also wanted leverage over people.
Matthew was a high-ranking executive at a production company and a more powerful producer; there were no signs he was an alcoholic or a drug addict. Getting to him would prove much tougher than dealing with Robert Downey Jr. whose head was filled with toxins.
Currently, what Hawke held was the dirt on Matthew and Sarah's unconventional relationship.
This video might serve as a probing stone, potentially stirring up something different.
After all, Matthew Broderick's status was not ordinary; he was a studio executive and producer, a stature far beyond what an ordinary star could reach.
Hawke pulled out his phone and checked the time; tonight's "Midnight Entertainment" was already underway.
...
He started the car and headed straight to Beverly, arriving at the Fox Television Center, asking Edward to keep an eye on the copy while he took his laptop upstairs.
With the Channel 11 special correspondent badge in hand, Hawke made his way upstairs just as "Midnight Entertainment" wrapped up.
Hearing Claire mention that Hawke had arrived, and Megan Taylor, still in her makeup, came to greet him in the reception room.
Quickly scanning her look -- Megan sported a short skirt, stockings, high heels, and a fitted blazer with a plunging neckline, emphasizing her legs, chest, and face -- Hawke casually complimented, "You look prettier than on TV."
"Thanks." Megan walked up to the desk and got right into business, "What heavyweight story did you get? Is it front-page material?"
Hawke sat on the edge of the desk while powering on his laptop, replying, "Just a moment."
Megan simply shifted over to stand beside him.
Hawke warned, "You'd better get some funding lined up; I'm worried your budget for this month might be tight."
Megan shot back, "Explosive?"
Hawke wasn't joking, "Very explosive."
Megan pulled out her phone and dialed to request funding in advance.
At this hour, the Fox Television Center still had a full staff and hustle in place.
Once his laptop booted, Hawke opened the video and hit play.
With a crackling sound of wind, three figures appeared on screen, one sitting on a couch observing while the others engaged in a furious clash.
At first, the footage wasn't sharp, but the camera adjusted, improving clarity to a notable degree, pulling in close-up shots.
Megan extended a finger to tap the spacebar, pausing the video.
She closely scrutinized the three individuals, and it didn't take long before she confirmed, "The woman is Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker; the man sitting on the couch must be her husband, Matthew Broderick, and the one going at it from behind looks... familiar."
Hawke had done his homework on the Brodericks, having even looked through the cast list of Sex and the City. He stated, "That's Jason Lewis. He used to be a model for high-end brands and later became an actor with average success."
Megan nodded slightly and pressed the spacebar to resume playback.
Matthew dove into the fray, switching from a rear assault to a two-front attack. The camera zoomed to the extreme, making the three appear exquisitely clear.
Megan breathed heavily, her exhalation falling next to Hawke, almost igniting the air with its heat.
This was a natural response for a media person witnessing explosive news.
As the video wrapped up, Megan placed a hand on Hawke's shoulder. "Play it again."
Hawke noticed her hand tremble slightly and pressed replay.
Megan's eyes widened, her eyelids seemingly frozen, ensuring the video was legitimate and that everyone in it was indeed who they were.
After all, such videos were notoriously sensitive.
In contrast to the Valley starlets, who could be hard to recognize with their clothes on, Hollywood had countless starlets who appeared stunning and charismatic in outfits, radiating a powerful presence.
But stripped of clothes and makeup, many of them appeared quite ordinary, eliciting doubts about their true identities.
Megan knew that many reporters lacked ethical boundaries. She said, "I need to have someone confirm their identities."
Hawke echoed his distrust, "Do that right here."
Megan placed a call, and soon three individuals entered the reception room, one carrying a laptop.
Among Sarah Jessica Parker's past works were several that pushed the envelope a bit.
One of the men pulled up the clearest footage segment and froze it on the screen.
Hawke paused the closest shot he had captured of Sarah.
One woman pointed at the screen, "Look here, here, and here. Sarah's mole aligns perfectly."
Another man interjected, "Not just the mole; their breasts' shapes match as well."
Men had more authority on such matters, and another chimed in, "No doubt about it."
Megan instructed them to leave for now, emphasizing, "Keep this under wraps for the moment."
Once the door shut, Hawke directly stated, "I want $100,000 for the video, and you take it with you."
Megan dragged a chair over, sitting opposite him, arms crossed with a firm expression, "Downey's out, but Sarah's not."
Hawke said, "But Sarah's involved with two men, one being her husband. This could be your opening to exploit a Hollywood three-way."
He gradually stood up, "I've also reached out to Christina from Channel 6."
Megan understood the scarcity of such news made it a seller's market: "You know the drill."
Hawke replied, "No problem."
Signing the agreement and collecting the check took longer due to the late hour.
Claire took the copy to the editing room for further analysis.
As Hawke left, he crossed paths with Megan as she was leaving for the night.
Once emerging from the elevator, Megan reminded him, "Your pants have a tear."
Hawke glanced down, realizing he might have caught the edge on his inner thigh during his slip. He quickly brushed it off, "Climbing up a wall can make that happen."
Next time, definitely should have prepped a cherry picker and pass as a maintenance person.
As they walked toward the parking lot, Megan quickly scrutinized him further, "You look pretty fit."
Hawke responded, "Not bad, just exercise regularly."
Megan nodded, choosing not to say more and headed towards her car.
Hawke got into his car and said to Edward, who was waiting, "Buddy, I'll send you your bonus tomorrow."
The next morning, Megan showed up at the station before 10 AM, calling for a meeting with the main staff of the program.
The conference room wasn't full yet when Claire rushed in, exclaiming, "Megan, the channel's director, Cynthia Rosenberg, wants you to put last night's footage on hold. Go to her office right now!"
Megan's eyes sharpened instantly as she caught the implication, scanning the faces in the conference room.
There might be a mole lurking within her team.
*****
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