Then she saw the red light blinking on her phone.
Three messages. All from an unknown number. The first: Thea, don’t move. Stay exactly where you are. The second: We’re coming to you. Live. In five. The third: It’s about your father. thea bbc surprise
The newsroom fell silent. The surprise wasn’t the tip, or the broadcast, or even the sudden spotlight. The surprise was that she didn’t cry. She didn’t freeze. She leaned into the microphone, her voice steady as a held breath, and said: Then she saw the red light blinking on her phone
The red light on the camera bloomed.
Her legs carried her, numb. The studio was a cold white box. The floor manager fitted her with an earpiece that hissed with the sound of the world waiting. The countdown began. Ten, nine, eight… The first: Thea, don’t move
For now, the red light stayed on. And Thea Marsh, for the first time in twelve years, began to listen.