Carol Ericson - Deception

What was it about this place? It drove people to madness.

She took more notes on the third floor, and then sank into a chair, facing a set of double doors that opened on to a balcony facing the sea.

Crossing her arms behind her head, she stretched her legs in front of her. The only thing that made sense right now was Dylan Reese. If he wanted to play knight in shining armor, who was she to stop him?

But she didn’t want them to fall into their old, familiar pattern. She wanted him to see her in a new light, for the woman she’d become. Because now maybe she could meet him on equal footing.

She cocked her head. She could hear a rumbling of voices raised above the rush of the ocean beneath her.

Unless the Vincents were having one heck of a big party, there couldn’t be that many people gathered on this block.

She peeled herself from the chair and scuffed to the balcony. Here the voices came cascading along the sea breeze. Shouts. Yells. Jeers.

Mia jogged down the spiral stairs that led from the balcony to the rocks and then made her way to the front of the house.

She stumbled to a halt, her jaw dropping. Hordes of people were gathered around Columbella House, carrying signs and yelling at each other.

Then a few of them spotted her and started yelling at her. She set her jaw and marched to the front of the house.

She zeroed in on the closest person. “What is going on? What are you people doing here?”

“We just want to make sure you do the right thing.”

Before Mia had a chance to respond, another person pushed her way forward and wagged her finger. “Don’t try to force yourself in here and influence her.”

Sirens sliced through the air, but the noise didn’t faze the crowd. Two police cars pulled up to the curb, and Mia blew out a breath when she saw Dylan climb out of one of the cars. He cut a swath through the mob, and they parted for him.

“What’s going on here?”

Mia flung out her arms. “I was inside, and apparently, these people just spontaneously gathered here.”

He flicked a sign next to him. “Doesn’t look spontaneous to me.”

“This is a peaceful protest, Chief,” a voice yelled from the back of the crowd.

“It doesn’t look peaceful to me, and unless someone can produce a permit, you’re going to have to disperse.”

A low chant started slowly. “Restore, restore, restore, restore.”

Another thrumming began from the other side. “Rebuild, rebuild, rebuild, rebuild.”

The words merged in a hissing and bubbling cacophony. The faces swam before Mia so that they no longer resembled people but just working mouths and angry eyes.

Then out of nowhere, an object came hurtling from the belly of the crowd and Mia felt a sting on her chin.

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