Chapter 54 Proof Of Innocence

Bess looked up and smiled sadly as Anna entered her office an hour later. She hugged her friend and motioned her over to a seat beside her desk chair.
“How are you holding up?” Bess asked in a concerned voice. She patted the seat next to her and Anna sank into it.
“I’m okay, John and I just made a statement to the press after the investor meeting.”
“And how did that go?”
“Not great, I almost ended up punching some gross old reporter in the throat.”
Bess whistled “that well huh?”
Anna laughed and leaned back in the chair, “Yep,” she said letting the p sound pop. “did you see it.”
“It actually was the hot story of the minute on Town Talk about fifteen minutes ago.”
“Wow, the vultures circle quick don’t they?”
“You have no idea,” Bess said as she pulled her computer screen toward them and turned it so Anna could see.
The press conference had ended a little over an hour ago and it was already all over the Town Talk website. Anna cringed as the doctored photo’s swirled around the screen. She felt sick again but pushed it down as she felt anger take its place.
“We have got to analyze these pictures and release the results to the press.”
“Aye, Aye captain,” Bess said as she took the jump drive from Anna and inserted it into her machine. It gave a low whirl as the pictures jumped onto the screen.
Anna cringed, disgusted. “I can’t believe this is out there in public, everyone thinks they know what I look like naked.”
“I know and I’m sorry, I’m going to do everything I can to analyze these and prove that they were edited.”
“Do you think you can?”
“My dear girl you are looking at an Adobe Certified Expert in Photoshop and four other digital picture platforms. If anyone can, it’s me.”
Anna smiled at Bess and covered her hand with hers. “Thank you, you don’t know what this means to me, to us.”
“Actually I do and I’m glad to do it, just do me a favor and don’t send me a fruit cake to thank me.”
Anna laughed and let her get to work. She watched as Bess loaded up the foto forensic program and got to work. She marveled at Bess’s speed and accuracy with the program as she highlighted area after area. Anna knew the pictures were fake, but there was always a chance that someone might be that good at photoshop and had made something untrackable. Anna knew nothing about photoshop and the pictures did look pretty convincing. If John hadn’t known her, he might have believed the lie the pictures told too. After thirty minutes Bess sat back and sighed handing Anna a printout.
“There is your proof, there are thirteen different areas where digital editing is evident. There is pixilation along the neck, the light source in the picture is coming from the wrong direction, there is a distortion of the background, and foto forensic found that the face and neck in the pictures was lifted from a society picture last year.”
“I missed all of that o wise one, how did you get all this?”
“ I ran a reverse image search using the image on the jump drive.”
“I’m glad you understand all this,” Anna said as she looked down at the printout “all I see when I look at this picture is what appears to be my naked butt.”
“So definitely not your butt,” Bess said as she squeezed Anna’s arm. She disconnected the drive and handed it back to her with the new files uploaded showing the edits. “It’ll be okay, you know that right.”
“I know and this will help, thank you so much.”
“Remember, Bess, said as she hugged Anna, No fruitcake.”
“I think I can manage that,” Anna said as she hurried out to the car and picked up the phone to call John.
***
John picked up on the first ring and smiled when he heard Anna’s voice. The meeting had not been going well with the lawyer and he was frustrated. The happy note in her voice was enough to make him smile and he thanked God again for her.
“Hello Honey,” John said with a smile in his voice despite the crappy circumstances. “Any luck?”
“Actually yes, Bess was able to find thirteen edits to this photo. She gave me a printout and a file with the proof that the photos were doctored.”
“That is amazing,” John said in relief.
“Why what’s wrong?”
“The lawyer says unless we can prove who leaked the photos that we are basically stuck in our word against theirs situation.”
“Why is that? Can’t we just get the police to get the information from Town Talk?”
“Nope, there’s a law protecting them in the great state of North Carolina stating that they do not have to give up the source of their material.”
“Why?” Anna said in despair as she laid her head on the wheel. “What can we do?”
John sighed and Anna could practically see him raking his big hands through his hair. “We can bring a slander lawsuit against Town talk, but that would be long and messy.”
“Or?”
“Or we can get Seline to admit she leaked the photos and then bring a lawsuit against her.”
“But that won’t stop the photos.”
“I know and I’m sorry. We are putting a cease and desist motion in play but it could take a while to go through.”
“So getting that viper to admit she leaked the photos is the only way to really stop this?” Anna asked as she stared out the windshield of the car.
“Unfortunately it is.”
“I think I may know a way we can get her to admit it.” Anna said as she started the car and headed for home, “but we are going to need some help.”