Page 54 of East

“We met at the Jade Sanctum that evening. My date didn’t show, and Wick talked me up. I had a few drinks, and I guess my judgment was impaired, because I went home with him.”

“With Wick Blackwood?”

“That’s correct.”

Officer King jots some notes down. “And you spent the entire night with him?”

“Well, not with him. We didn’t… We didn’t do anything except make out a little bit.”

“I mean, you spent the entire night in his home?”

“Yes.”

“You didn’t leave the house the entire night?”

“Correct.”

“Even though you didn’t pursue a sexual relationship with him?”

I rub at my forehead. “I hardly think that’s important.”

“Why did you stay the night?”

I sigh. “Honestly, I was drunk off my ass. I didn’t think I had that much to drink, but I clearly overdid it. I wasn’t thinking straight. My phone was dead, so I couldn’t order an Uber until I charged it. I passed out on the bed before I could wander off. I did eventually take an Uber, but it wasn’t until this morning. I had to get to work.”

She eyes me. “And you work as a meteorologist for the news.”

“Yes. You can check with them or watch the live broadcast. It’s pretty clear I was there.”

“Of course, ma’am. We’ve already cleared that. A lot of our station watches your channel.”

“Tell them thank you.”

She nods without smiling. “Mr. Blackwood says you slept in a different room than he did. Is that true?”

“Yes. I slept in his bedroom, and he crashed on his couch. He didn’t want me to feel uncomfortable, so he offered me a room with a lock.”

“And you locked the door?”

“Correct.”

“Did you wake up during the night at all? Go into the living room? Leave the house, even for just a minute?”

“Why does that matter?”

Officer King flips her notebook back a few pages. “Our coroner estimates the murder took place around three in the morning last night. But the thing is, if you slept in a separate room from Mr. Blackwood and were asleep before two or so, you can’t really corroborate that he was with you at the time of the death.”

I blink. “I mean, I honestly don’t know the guy. He seems decent. Like, when I told him I was no longer interested in sleeping with him, he backed down. He’s kind of a creep, but I didn’t get killer vibes from him.”

Officer King and the two other cops look at me with stony faces. They don’t seem to be buying my story.

I shouldn’t keep talking. Aus was right, I shouldn’t speak without a lawyer present.

But I can’t help myself. The words just come out.

“Maybe you could see if he had a doorbell camera or something?” I ask. “He had one of those smart locks on his door, the kind that uses a code instead of key. Maybe there’s a camera or something? You certainly won’t see me coming and going, and that might clear Wick’s name as well.”

Officer King leans in. “Why are you so interested in clearing the name of a man you barely know?”