Black Tie Event

Chapter Twenty Three

"Okay, which outstanding question would you like to answer first?"

I rolled my eyes, putting my bag down on the counter. "Good morning, Allison. It's a pleasure to see you. How was your stakeout?"

"Hi, thanks, fruitless. Now talk."

"Talk about what, again, Detective?"

"Kim," she warned.

"I really don't remember what your questions even were."

"Where were you last night?"

"I want my lawyer."

"Kim."

"Okay, okay," I relented, laughing at my own joke. Really, Allison had interrogated so many suspects in her life, she should have found it funnier. "I was, um, working."

"Don't lie to me."

"I was called out on business."

"Lie."

"My mother fell ill."

"Lie."

"I was getting laid."

"Kim!"

"Okay, why is that the one you actually believe?"

"Is it the truth?"

I bit my lip, feeling guilty, but also finding the entire situation rather amusing, and so eventually I just descended into a new fit of quiet laughter. "Yeah."

"Kim!"

"Say my name one more time, Allison."

"Do you not realize we have an investigation to be doing? We don't have the time for you to waste whoring around!"

"I know, I know," I agreed, because that actually had been what I was feeling guilty about the entire time. "I know. That's why I'm leaving for Bayridge as soon as I've changed. Alright?"

"I'm riding with you."

"No, you're not," I instructed. "I'm taking Clapp. You have to stay with Ana and get her statement. She won't talk to me, but you still have a chance."

"Yeah, speaking of which, why won't she talk to you?"

I pressed my eyes shut for a good moment, really just wishing I were somewhere else. "Because I hooked up with her while we were undercover."

"You what?"

"And now," I continued, "She's upset because she thinks my feelings for her weren't real. That I just pretended to like her, so she would open up and tell me about the abuse. Which isn't true, it was just a win-win. Until it all went south and turned into a lose-lose."

"Kim, she's married!"

"Really, Allison? I was unaware, thank you for that useful knowledge."

She just scoffed. "How are you going to clean this up?"

"I'm not," I said, simply. "You are."

I took off for our room then, but she inevitably followed. "You really want me to clean up your mess."

"Look, if I could I would, but unfortunately, I can't. So, just do what you do best, and scare her into giving up information."

She cocked her head, standing in the doorway as I went through my stuff, rushing to find clothes. "You really think that's all I do?"

"No," I said, desperately searching for my other shoe. If I'd kept my shit half as organized as Carrie Everett kept hers, this would have been a different ballgame. "Of course not," I coddled. "You are a fine, upstanding detective, and I one day hope to rise to your caliber of interrogative expertise."