When someone dies mysteriously during a Psych experiment, Rhiannon becomes enmeshed in a conspiracy that includes both the survivors and the killer.
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Short on cash, Rhiannon...
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CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
GROUP POLARIZATION
( — the tendency for groups to make decisions that are more extreme than the decisions that would be made by the members acting alone. )
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RHIANNON'S NAME IS WRITTEN IN BLACK.
It's not the only one, being joined by Matteo's, Jude's, Zelda's and Roman's, but it contrasts heavily with the reds—Taylor, Brooklyn, Laura, Hailey, Dimitri—and isn't that different from the blues—Gabriella and Sutton. Even though she thinks she knows Frances' criteria for color choice, the man was a box full of surprises and she should know better than assuming things.
Taylor's name, written in red ink, has an ellipse drawn around it. It's followed by Brooklyn and Dimitri, with Zelda breaking the read chain. Gabriella's blue looks awfully out of place when followed by Laura and Hailey's reds, but it softens quickly after, with Sutton, Matteo, Jude, Rhiannon (whose stomach is turning like a tornado), and, finally, Roman.
It feels like staring at a ghost. It also serves as a reminder that two people involved in the building of this diagram are no longer alive, and Beatrice seems to have had no hand in taking care of it. Perhaps she didn't care. Perhaps Frances didn't want to explain his reasoning.
Perhaps.
Rowan takes her phone from her hand, slowly enough to not startle her, but it still happens. Somehow, she managed to forget he's standing right next to her, she managed to forget they're standing right in the middle of his living room and she managed to forget they're definitely not alone. Isla's eyes meet hers and she knows her best friend instantly realized something isn't quite right.
"You should sit down," Rowan advises, with a hand set on her arm, right above her elbow. The floor wobbles beneath her feet and she places an unsteady hand on the table in front of her, nearly knocking the framed picture aside. "Come on."
"I'm sober," she stupidly mumbles. "Tell Isla to sit down and stay where she is."
"Uh . . ." Rowan briefly turns to glance at Isla, who has already stood up from the couch, but hasn't moved an inch. Rhiannon fears she might be growing roots, but perhaps that's for the best. "I'm sure you know Isla a lot better than I do, but I think we both know Isla does what Isla wants to do."
"I think I'm going to throw up."
"Not on my floor. Please."
It takes Rhiannon's brain an embarrassingly long time to properly process Rowan is just joking. When that happens, she thinks she tries to laugh, at least ever so slightly just so the joke doesn't hang around awkwardly and makes it all even worse, but all that comes out is a laugh that sounds awfully sarcastic. It's a simple ha and it sounds pathetic, even for her.
