Inspector Rames

Chapter 63

She nodded.

"Then you'd be lying under oath. I don't suppose I need to explain to a paralegal like yourself that you'd be charged with perjury."

"I wouldn't be lying." She drew herself up straighter. "Ethan was here."

"He was at an organised street fight, and we have video footage proving it. You know that he was out, Danielle. Did you know where he'd gone?"

Her face crumpled, and tears welled in her eyes. "Yes. I tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen. He said that he'd been challenged." She sighed. "And he never backs down from a challenge."

"What time did he come home?"

"I don't know. I was asleep when he got in. But Benji had a nightmare at about one." She looked lovingly at her son. "He shouted for me, and I went into him. I saw that Ethan was back -- the light was on in his room."

"Did you actually see him?"

"Well...no." She sat up straighter and met my eyes. "But, Inspector, you can't think --"

"These are routine questions I have to ask for the sake of the investigation." I leaned forward. "Were you here between midnight and two last night?"

"I was asleep in my bed -- and then in Benjamin's."

"Right, okay. Tell me: you helped Jade with some maid of honour duties in the build-up to the wedding, didn't you? And you attended meetings with Lavender Jones alongside Jade and Iberia."

"Yes." Danielle looked between us uncertainly. "Iberia wanted my insight because I've married before. But Jade was a good maid of honour in her own right. She would have given anything to get a fairytale wedding for Iberia." She shrugged, the sleeves of her jumper riding up. "They were best friends, and I do know that she was the one who got Ethan and Iberia back --"

"Wait." I looked at the sleeves that had ridden up. Very slowly, I stood. "Danielle..."

Little red burns climbed up the inside of her wrist.

She yanked her jumper back down and jumped up with me, her eyes filling with wild fear. "It's not -- it's not what you think."

"Did your brother do that?"

"H-he -- he..." She shook her head, covering her face.

Alex took my arm and pulled me back onto the sofa. Then he said, softly, "We can help, Danielle. Whoever did this, we can protect you from them."

Her eyes flicked to the door between her fingers, calculating the distance to her escape route. But then she looked down at Benjamin.

"Yes. It was Ethan." She sank back onto the sofa, her hands shaking as she lowered them. "But you can't take him away from me. Don't take him away from me, please."

"We're going to have to tell someone," I said, "and we can't promise --"

"No!" Her voice rose into a screech. "He and Benji are all I have left! Oh, please..."

Out in the hallway, the front door clicked open. Heavy footsteps clomped towards us.

The thick stink of smoke entered the room just before Ethan did. He stopped on the threshold and surveyed us, a cigarette glowing at his side. His eyes darkened and simmered. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

Alex stood up and approached him slowly. I followed. "Ethan Sharpe, I am arresting you on suspicion of affray. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention, when questioned, something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence."