ter shocked

then surface

now heavy and cling

ispers rippled through

, orchestrated by Mar

oked

orting Marcus,

idn't

he edge, arms crossed

ket," one of

the chlorine s

ol was tiled, reflec

ed. And

that probably

elt like a

urned. My

ched the heat

time, the c

Marcus wer

inally got b

. Shivering

othing. O

out of the pool,

was wind

d me a towel.

the disgrac

guest house where my

hill, not just

the main house, I

range in a dow

ok

smell

rn

od ran

t cold.

line

fi

s campaig

ned fire" the ne

ne had be

tor

smoke inhalati

had sha

a hero for "discovering" i

office. This was the

he ti

needed to make

it. Or somet

verifia

cold, my h

t my phone,

sidence, Hamptons," I

towards the

r now, billowing

Senator Hayes

pen the ne

asted m

icked th

es!" I yelle

ans

was acrid,

jacket over my

to fin

as my

. But to make my

Ellie's s

gh the smoke-f

intense. My s

my arm as I brushed aga

nore

nat

d the

or was

ked i

were ev

the floor, was

nsci

beam lay

s side, checke

but

arms, starte

The smoke wa

gs scr

ion bl

her

f the ceili

ebris rai

the Senator, shieldi

loded in

dark

in a hos

hts. Antis

nd back

s checking

s?" I croaked

fine, Mr. Cole. Thanks

li

confu

e

oor o

walk

by Lydi

Ma

ing pale but

lchair, a bandage on his fo

you. Marcus told us how he found you both, how he p

nd re

rc

aken c

ai

eline One, with

ng the narrative. Pai

at Marcus w

as so bra

amed at

w it

after the real

y actions

d expo

hem th

uld it he

ero, wouldn't that make him more i

ie... served

Ellie's s

yed s

ns thr

art a

s was f

lurry of gratitude for Ma

alone

tors fo

white walls of

Ellie

o tha

ask how

re you doing at the Hamp

was cold,

artment thinks it might have been arson.

bably whisperi

her su

here," I said, t

there' and causing disast

she h

ual n

e in h

arged a few

s were

ve was h

Senator Hayes's o

looked surpr

ait to be

into hi

ed up,

't say

st k

et, before his la

aid, my voice

cus. They love each other. Ple