THE DOOR OPENED. Mischa had drifted off. Actually, what that meant is that her mind wandered. Some might call it sleep. She didn't know what to call anything anymore. She'd barely slept the night of the partying and the yacht and Benito----and since then she hadn't had more than a few winds. She thought she'd drifted off when they put her on the a few hours last night----or was it noon? The morning?----but otherwise she'd fallen into a semiconscious haze.726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpxFGN6Npep
Don't say anything to them, she tried to tell herself. Your brain's out to lunch.
They showed her papers. She stared at them for a time, my head wobbly. Proces-verbal d'audition de la personne gardee a vue, they said. Some kind of a witness statement.
"Your last---chance," said LaForge. "You can see that the others have complied. Your friend Rihanna has confessed.
She closed her eyes, or maybe they were already closed.
Rihanna----no.
"The others have confirmed---yes?"
"Corroborated," said Picard.
No----impossible---a bad dream---someone else's nightmare....
LaForge pushed her chin up from her chest, so she was facing him. "Rihanna says you gave her the gun. You assisted her."
No----not the gun----not my gun.
"No," Mischa managed. "Never---touched a----gun." Her tongue was heavy; her words were coming with great effort.726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlYVyPRvhEv
LaForge shook the papers, the witness statements, in her face for emphasis. "You see here. All of them say it. It was le chantage. Blackmail, Mischa."726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjUweedZuYY
"Black---blackmail----who----?"726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNNxq2FJ6bF
"Still? Still you insist that you know nothing?"726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGSf0zm2xxC
"Why would we black----blackmail Diego?"726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPlJuhqn4jv
"Diego," LaForge scoffed. "From now on, you are forbidden to call him that."726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt985kByD6T
"What do----do I call him?"726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkpliQPpHb7
Picard approached Mischa, holding up an official photo of a balding man in a suit, his posture proud and dignified, giving a speech with the flag of France behind him.726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhUrnolSrXr
It took her only a moment, her mental inebriation notwithstanding. Put a beard and a toupee on the man in the photo....726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgaMgnnrLX6
"Oh, no," she whispered.726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKxu2mX9YVV
Diego the Tycoon was Cesar Diderot.726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf4SG9xZTBn
Mischa Barton was being accused of assassinating the president of France!726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ66rWRHbjzs
