Love on the Scale

Chapter Twenty-Seven

"We'll have more privacy in here," said the detective, showing me into the small conference room. Could there be a moment of privacy in this crisis? I felt like I was already guilty of a crime I hadn't committed; who could think it even possible for me to do something so disrespectful to the Modeling company who had become my family. On top of that, I hadn't even seen this tiara, I didn't even know it was in our Wardrobe safe.

I could already feel my future slipping into a deep, dark hole. Outside the ad-hoc interrogation room, a small riot was brewing. Lilian was threatening to hand out a dozen dismissals if someone didn't fess up.

The detective seemed oblivious to the chaos. He read me my rights and said, "Christelle Cyrus, do you understand everything I have just said to you?"

"I do." I said, defeated at a game I hadn't even signed up for.

James piped up. "Look, my sister is innocent. There is no way she had anything to do with this."

"Mr. Cyrus, I work under the justice system and am a firm believer in the 'innocent until proven guilty' theory, but your sister and Maggie Martins are the only ones who had keys to the room where the tiara was being kept."

"I understand that, but... "

"Look, Mr. Cyrus, the more you interrupt, the longer this questioning will take. Perhaps it would be better if you stepped outside."

"Look detective, no offense, but even if you were the God of Health and Healing, there is no freaking way I would leave my little sister alone with you."

An hour later, James and I were released to join the mayhem of models, make-up artists, hairdressers and photographers. Neil was waiting for us.

"What the heck is going on here? I came out the elevator into a tornado. Someone said a two million dollar tiara had been stolen and Chris had done it." He was furious, almost steaming at the ears. "Why would they think you did it? You're the sweetest person in this room! Maggie had to do it, right?"

I was in no mood for more questioning.

"Look, it's better if you don't ask Chris anything more about the stupid tiara. It's a freaking hunk of carbon-fiber, and not worth ruining our day over."

It was too late for that. The detective had taken my name, number and address, and said he'd be in touch for more questioning.

Neil shook his head, fury still bright in his eyes. "Well, we're stuck in here until everyone's been questioned, so lets go get some food."

A rather frightening theory was starting to cloud my head. That day Neil and I had given Macyn a lift home... my purse had been lying open on the backseat next to her. She had had ample opportunity to dig in it and copy my work key. It wasn't a huge leap of imagination to presume she could have had some key-copying device on her, the witch, and had later had a spare key cut. But that involved some pretty specialized skills. I was trying to think if I could have been separated from my keys. If Mace had taken them, I would never have noticed until the next afternoon when I was in charge of locking up the Wardrobe. That following day, Neil and I had had our usual lunch in the cafeteria. Mace had hung around us longer than on other days, but I had presumed she was courting Neil, making empty apologies for dads behavior the night before. Neil and I had just ignored her. Mace could have simply replaced my keys then, having made a copy for herself earlier in the day.

But why would she have done it? She didn't want me to go to JAIL, she just wanted to switch places with me? Right?

"You okay, Chris?" said Neil, putting his arm around my shoulder. "We're going to sort this thing out, don't worry. You think I'd let something happen to you?"

I knew he wouldn't. But when it came to Mace, she didn't ask permission before she did anything. I think she was coming for me whether Neil would let her or not.