Page 81 of Unfaithful

“I’m trying, June. I’m just not sure how. The only way for him to be prosecuted is if he does something like this again. And then we’d still have to prove it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Say he and I were in a compromising position”—I make air quotes as I say this—“and he was taking a photo unbeknown to me. How could I prove I wasn’t aware of it? Or even that I wasn’t doing it willingly? I just don’t know the finer points of the law. I suppose we could find out.”

“You said Ryan used Geoff’s phone, right?”

I nod.

“So he must have the passcode.”

“True.”

“Ask him what it is. Then you can get rid of the photo.”

“He’ll have copies saved on the cloud, probably on a computer as well.” We’re both silent for a moment. “We should get to work,” I say. “But thank you for listening. It means a lot.”

She leans forward and blurts out, “He set you up.”

It’s like I haven’t spoken just now. “I know! I just—”

“You can’t let it go, Anna.”

“I know that! But what do you want me to do?”

“I don’t know! But you can’t let him get away with this! I mean, what happens when he becomes the dean? What if he does this to other women?”

I tilt my head at her. “What do you mean, becomes the dean?”

“He’s got his panel interview this afternoon. He must be in the running, especially with you and the prize. It might have been your work but you’re in his department. He’ll take credit for it, Anna. You watch.”

“He’s applying for Dean of School?”

“You didn’t know?”

“No.”

She shrugs. “They’ll give it to him, Anna.”

“They can’t.”

“They will.” After a moment she says, “I could get his cellphone. We could take it to the panel, tell them what he did.”

“What time is the interview?”

“Two o’clock.”

I think about this. I know what these interviews are like. They take place in the executive office of the administration building, in a large room, with state-of-the-art audio visual equipment.

I check my watch. “Let me make a phone call.”

Twenty minutes later, I call June back into my office.

“Is Geoff going out for lunch today?” I ask.

“He always does. Twelve thirty on the dot, returns between one and one thirty.”

“Okay, that’s good. In case he doesn’t for some reason, you think you can get him out of the office anyway?”