Page 66 of Sacrifice
“You are being detained in connection with the murder of James Mallory,” Michaels said calmly. He leaned in towards the microphone. They had already explained that the interview would be recorded as evidence, but of what they had yet to say.
Eve felt the color drain from her face, and an icy knot formed in her stomach. She felt like she was going to be sick.
“That’s ridiculous,” she whispered. “I don’t even know who he is.”
“Where were you on the night of Decemberthe third?”
Eve blinked back at him, trying to think. The third of December had been the night of her Christmas drinks. The night Lucien had rescued her. She glared back at Michaels, wondering what he already knew.
She rubbed at her forehead. “It was my work’s Christmas party, in a pub in Earls Court.”
“What time did that start?”
Eve wished to delve into Michael's mind to discover what he truly wanted to know, but she couldn’t find a way through the veil. She assumed that meant he could not see into hers either “Around five.”
“Why don’t you walk me through the day’s events,” Michaels said. He clasped his hands together, interlocked his fingers, and leaned on the table, apparently all ears.
Eve squinted at him. “Okay. I got up around seven as usual, got ready for work, and left about eight to walk to the tube. I start work in the British Museum gift shop at nine and I’m usually there until five, but we knocked off early that day.”
“And what did you do when you knocked off?” Michaels nodded to her to continue.
“We went to a pub in Earls Court, the Bird in Hand, for dinner and drinks. Early Christmas thing.”
“What time did you leave?”
“I’m pretty sure we’ve done this already,” Eve said. After all, it was Michaels who visited her the next day. Actually, and this other guy. The guy who may or may not have horns.
“Humor me.”
Eve sighed. “Ten-ish. I had one of my heads.” She looked up at Michaels, who looked back quizzically. “I get migraines.”
“I see.”
It occurred to Eve then that since meeting Lucien, she hadn’t had a single one. “Anyway, I decided to walk for a bit to clear my head and my way home was over Hammersmith Bridge. I’m not sure exactly how it happened. I’d had a few drinks, and well, I ended up in the river.”
The constable scribbled something on a pad and showed it to Michaels.
Eve felt the prickle of sweat on her upper lip.
“Fancied a swim, did you?” Michaels asked.
“Hardly.”
“What then?”
Eve squirmed in her seat. “I don’t know. I can’t remember.”
“A bit unlikely, isn’t it?”
Eve shrugged.
“Take a bottle home from the party?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“Meet anyone as you were walking along?”
“No.”
