Newsflash (black butler/kuroshitsuji fanfic)

3- Alan Makes Eric Question More Than The Suspect

Date: 7th June, 1987
Location: Police station, London
Time: 12:09 pm
Temperature: Is it really summer? Is it really?

William opens the door, Eric walking in behind him, and they both sit behind the desk, facing a woman in her mid-thirties, with short, bright red hair, which she'd managed to tease rather high, and a red power suit with a white shirt underneath. Alan sat next to her, presumably in some understated act of solidarity.

"Now, for the good of our guests and myself, could you please remind me of your name?" William asks, pulling out a tape recorder.

"Angelina Dallas." She announces, and Eric has to envy the note of pride she has in her voice.

"Alan Humphries," Alan copies, smiling and adjusting his glasses, "I'm a journalist."

Eric realises with a jolt what Alan's doing-

He's trying to establish that he's equal to Angelina and to show that someone's on her side.

That's quite sweet of him, really.

"Now, Miss Dallas," William pulls out two photographs and pushes them across the desk, "Do you remember making these? If so, please give us the details."

Angelina looks over them- one of the dress, another of the watch, "Yes, I made these." She confirms, "A man ordered them, though, not a woman."

Alan's eyebrows shoot up, and he begins scribbling at speed.

Eric loves how expressive he is, for someone who comes across so cold.

"Did he order in person or by phone?" Eric asks, snatching at conclusions.

"In person," Angelina replies, and Alan and Eric both wilt, "He was about this tall, he had dark brown hair and eyes, and he had lots of freckles. The order was put in name of Zacharias Welch, but I don't know if that was his real name."

Eric glances at Alan. He's still scribbling, his thick, black hair falling in front of his focused, dark eyes- he never noticed he had those faint little freckles under his eyes before. His full lips frown a little in their concentration-

"Slingby."

Eric clears his throat, "Did you get that, Alan?"

Alan nods wordlessly.

William rolls his eyes, "Where was the order sent?"

"Nowhere," Angelina says bluntly, "He came to collect it himself."

"When was this?" Eric asks.

Angelina shrugs, bewildered, "I don't know? Like, the third was when he came to collect it, I think?"

"Day before the body was found." Alan comments tonelessly.

"Did he state anything of importance?" William asks, "Relation? Occasion?"

"Nothing," Angelina insists, "Are you going to keep me here for long?"

"Tell me about it." Alan murmurs.

"Only if you don't cooperate," William says briskly, "Did anything seem suspicious about him at the time?"

"He was in a bit of a rush," Angelina replies, still overwhelmed, "But he was dressed in a suit and he had a briefcase, I thought maybe he was in a rush to get to work."

Alan and Eric look at each other, "-Hitman." "-Men in black."

William sighs demurely, "Ignore these pair, Miss Dallas," He insists, "I doubt this man has anything to do with the actual death, and much less aliens, Humphries."