Most would not; most would find a way, by morning, to tell themselves a version of events in which they had not laughed.

But for one moment, standing on that floor with their eyes down, four hundred people who had spent their lives performing importance were confronted with the genuine article, and they knew it, and they could not meet its eyes.

Seraphina shook her head.

“That has nothing to do with my foundation.” The district attorney stepped forward.

“Actually, it does.

One of the contractors who laundered money for that network was Folarin Ravenel.” Folarin sagged between the two detectives holding him.