“I’m happy to help, but I attended a lot of parties back then.”
“Did you take a date that evening? Perhaps she would remember something.”
“I went alone.”
“Your friend Anson—you didn’t go to the party with him?”
Cameron shook his head. “One of us had something earlier that evening. I can’t even recall which one of us or what it was, but I know there was something, so we went separately.”
Disappointment blanketed her face.
“I hope you find who did it. I wish I could help, but like I said, by the time I arrived on the scene, the police and rescue squad were already there.”
“Do you recall seeing my sister with anyone while you were at the party?”
The woman was like a dog with a bone. Still, he meant what he’d said. If there was a way he could help her, he would.
“I don’t know what your sister looked like.” He offered a slight smile. “She couldn’t have looked like you, because I’d have remembered her.”
Brushing aside the compliment, Juin slipped a hand into her bag and pulled out her phone. After a few swipes, she handed it to him. “This is—was—Aubrey.”
Cameron carefully studied the picture. Other than the same nose and wide mouth, the two sisters couldn’t have looked more different. While Juin had straight dark hair, Aubrey’s had been blond and curly.
Her sister had been pretty, but there had always been dozens of attractive girls at Sly’s parties. Based on the pic, there was nothing about Aubrey’s features to make her stand out. Other than she looked more wholesome than the girls he’d been used to seeing at such parties.
“She looks nice. I don’t recall her being there.” He handed the phone back to her. “I don’t doubt that she was, if that’s where the police placed her, but I didn’t see her.”
Juin dropped the phone back in her bag. “Was there anything else you told the police when you spoke with them? Anything off the record?”
Cameron couldn’t hide his surprise. “I never spoke with the police about that night. There was no reason.”
“They looked into who attended the party. Your name was on the guest list.” Juin’s gaze remained steady. “I assumed an officer spoke with you.”
Cameron shook his head. If they had wanted to ask him a few questions, his father would have made sure all requests and questions had gone through their attorney. And if that request had been made, Cameron would have heard about it.
Neither of his parents had approved of high school students attending parties where alcohol was consumed.
“During the course of my investigation, I’ve discovered that you and Anson Hawkins were detained a couple times by the police prior to that night. Once for being underage at a party where alcohol was served. Another time for fighting.”
“Have you been checking up on me, Juin?” His expression gave nothing away.
“Is it true?”
“The party when we were detained…” Cameron made a dismissive sound. “If they’d wanted to charge us, they’d have had to also charge the other hundred-plus minors who were there. As far as the fight, some asshole was getting on a girl who was too drunk to consent. When Anson and I pulled him off her, the guy took a swing at us. You should have found during your investigation that once it was all sorted out, we were determined to be the good guys.”
“I’m sorry.” Juin expelled a breath and raked a hand through her hair. “I wasn’t able to get specifics.”
Cameron narrowed his gaze. “Do you consider me a suspect? Is that why you’ve been getting to know me? To see if I’m the type of guy who would hit a woman with my car and drive off?”
“Anyone at that party could have been the person who killed my sister.” Two bright spots of red colored Juin’s cheeks, but she didn’t look away. “Don’t you understand? I have to follow all leads.”
A thought struck him. “Did you deliberately set out to meet me in Paris?”
Even as he voiced the question, he found himself thinking how ridiculous it was, then reminded himself not to assume anything.
“I was there for my job. If you recall, you approached me.” She spoke unapologetically. “But yes, if we hadn’t met that night, I would have looked you up.”
Unbelievable, Cameron thought, shaking his head. “All this over something that happened a decade ago.”