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“Okay. Thank you,” I whisper.
“Now, have you said anything?”
“No.” I shake my head. “Bhodi told me not to.”
“Good. Well done. Let’s keep it that way as much as possible. I can answer on your behalf if you’re happy for me to?”
“Yes, please.”
“Okay. Take a seat. Are you alright?” I nod. “Are you really?”
I shake my head.
I wish I could tell him, without admitting out loud, how scared I am.
“Don’t be scared. We will not let anything happen to you. I promise.”
“Okay.”
As if on cue, the door opens and a scowling Payne and Moyes return. They take their seats and hastily begin the interview once more, skipping the pretence of any niceties.
“Where were you the evening of…” Moyes begins, but my head is full of white noise and panic.
I trust the professor,I do, but this is my life at stake. Surely I should be speaking up for myself?
They fire questions at me for what seems like hours and I keep my face carefully blank while the professor rebuffs each and every single one. Their main argument seems to be that I have little recollection of the dates in question, and seemingly no alibi. Oh, and because I’m a bit of a loner, that makes me a suspect too, apparently.
Payne becomes more and more agitated – to the point that it becomes noticeable to all in the room – and Moyes orders him to take five to cool off.
They pause the recording once more. Just as they’re leaving, I speak up.
“May I get a water please?”
“There’s one on the table,” Payne snaps.
“Don’t eat or drink anything they give you,” the prof warns in my head.
I reach for it andaccidentallyknock it over. “Sorry! Could I have a fresh one?”
The professor opens his briefcase with a snap and hands me a bottle of water. I hesitate to take it. Ihatethat water.
“You can’t give her that!” Payne complains.
“I can and I have,” the professor retorts with azero fucks givenattitude. I like it.
“Well, she can’t drink it.”
Payne looks ready to dive over the table to wrestle the bottle from my hands. If it comes down to it, I’ll take my chances with the professor’s water over whatever Payne was trying to give me. His rage is disproportionate to a little spilled water, and I can sense his desperation to make me drink from his cup.
“My client has this specific water for medical reasons. If you don’t believe me, check her file.”
“Her file’s huge! It’ll take days to go through everything in there.”
“Exactly. Have fun explaining to the courts that she died of dehydration in the meantime.”
“But—”
“Payne!” Moyes snaps, finally losing her shit with her insane colleague. “Let’s go.”
