Chapter 8: The Hearing

At dawn, the atrium was packed from the fountain to the glass dome.

Word had gone around in the night.

Nine hundred people stood in rows and on the staircases, in blankets and coats.

They had come to watch the woman who broke the pharmacy door get put on trial.

Damon waited by the fountain with Celia beside him.

He was in his black security jacket, and he looked sorry about the whole thing.

Veda came in with Tobias on her arm.

He had insisted on walking.

She had let him, and kept her hand under his elbow the whole way.

"Thank you for coming," Damon said gently, and the room went quiet. "I hate doing this in public."

"But the doctor tells me three doses of medicine are missing from the pharmacy, and I owe everyone an answer."

A murmur ran through the crowd.

"The only people with keys are Dr. Fenn and Veda Vassall," he went on.

"And Veda's partner has been sleeping in the owner's suite, a few decks above the pharmacy, for three nights."

Nobody had said Tobias's name.

Nobody had needed to.

Every head in the atrium turned toward him.

He stood very straight with his hand on her arm, grey-faced and calm.

He did not look at her.

He looked at Celia.

Celia stared at the marble floor.

"I'm not accusing anyone," Damon said. "I'm only asking the question."

"You're accusing a man who can barely stand of stealing medicine meant for himself," Veda said. "Is that the question?"

"The medicine was for the sick. The comfort list. He's not on the comfort list anymore, because you took him off it."

It was a good trap.

She would have walked into it last time.

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