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.623Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMy2bcqRetq
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.623Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5utAlAop8F
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."623Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxp6pUABHh2
"Black---blackmail----who----?"623Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcSxrRS3enU
"Still? Still you insist that you know nothing?"623Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ZOWjozBU3
"Why would we black----blackmail Diego?"623Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj4KVguxU18
"Diego," LaForge scoffed. "From now on, you are forbidden to call him that."623Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRhp5RqdKtU
"What do----do I call him?"623Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhD60dC83Jb
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.623Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3XX6Eyg2Nt
It took her only a moment, her mental inebriation notwithstanding. Put a beard and a toupee on the man in the photo....623Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEYjUH8lAbW
"Oh, no," she whispered.623Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡge0EkeBOpP
Diego the Tycoon was Cesar Diderot.623Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmDYIlo3gTD
Mischa Barton was being accused of assassinating the president of France!623Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnAbwbxGdJL
