“Scarlett can’t be blamed,” Mrs. Amberson lied. “She genuinely had no idea. Spencer told me privately, client to agent. It’s just a little show for the fans.”

“Ten-oh-two,” Scarlett said.

There was a murmur, and Spencer appeared out of nowhere, breaking through the crowd and running up the steps. The faithful were ready with the doughnuts, and they came in a steady volley. But Spencer was moving fast and missed them all. They fell against the courthouse steps and exploded into chunks and blotches of jam. A few people looked like they were going to run after him, but no one moved.

“People of New York!” he called, once he made it halfway up the steps. “Did you all come out to see me tonight?”

A chorus of hisses and boos and weird cheers.

“I know what you people want,” he went on. “I know you’re all upset about that cop. So, tonight, I’m going to…”

Eric must have been hiding behind one of the large Grecian pillars at the top of the steps. He came barreling from behind Spencer and jumped on his back. The crowd roared in approval. The fight began in earnest. The beat-down was spectacularly choreographed—they used everything they had. Body slams, punches, flips. But unlike normal, Spencer just took most of the blows, getting up again and again to suffer.

Scarlett’s mom was wincing and shielding her eyes partially with her hand.

“I know he knows what he’s doing,” she said to herself. “I know he does.”

The police moved closer and talked among themselves and into walkie-talkies, but they were smiling and seemed willing to let this go on a little bit longer, as long as everyone stayed where they were. One man started to step forward, wanting to join Eric, but he was cautioned back. Eric took Spencer by the collar, pinned him face-first up against one of the grand Grecian columns, and started repeatedly slamming his head. Spencer broke away, acting woozy. At the top of the steps, he wavered for a moment, looked out over the crowd…and tumbled, taking at least a half dozen of the big stone steps or more, in the exact move that Scarlett had seen him do in the basement. The one he said was so very idiotic and dangerous.

“Oh my God!” Lola yelped. “I hate it when he does that! He had better not be dead.”