"Where are we going to buy romance novels if the bookstore closes?" Daphne yelled, suddenly rising to her feet.

"Yeah!" A group of women behind her agreed.

"THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE!" The amplified voice boomed. "GET OUT OF THE STREET OR THERE WILL BE SEVERE CONSEQUENCES!"

"Oh the bloody hell with your consequences!" Daphne yelled. "In fact, you and your consequences can just sod off!"

The crowd yelled even louder, refusing to budge.

"All right, come on."

Before Daphne could reply, she was grabbed by two police officers who dragged her to a waiting police car.

"Oh, a ride home, how nice!" Daphne said. "I suppose I can always come get me car a bit later."

The officer smirked. "You're not going home, lady."

Before she could reply, he grabbed her arms and handcuffed her wrists tightly behind her back. The metal pressed against her skin when she tried to move her hands, causing her to wince in pain.

And the fact that the officer pushed her into a waiting police car in the mist of a media frenzy was the most humiliating thing she'd ever experienced in her life.

Beside her in the backseat of the police car was Frasier who looked at her with disgust.

"Some mess you've gotten us into!" He yelled when the door closed.

"Me? This was your bloody idea! I was just tryin' to go along with the crowd!"

"Well now we're being hauled off to jail! Do you have any idea what this will do to my reputation? I'm a Seattle celebrity!"

"Shut up, both of you!" The police officer yelled.

"This is outrageous!" Frasier said. "I don't deserve such shoddy treatment! I was merely-."

"Yeah, yeah... we know!" the officer said.

Daphne looked out the window as the police car pulled away from Pike Street en route to the police station. When the sirens began to blare, she jumped in surprise.

"Bloody hell! We're not criminals! We've done nothing wrong! I thought America was the land of free speech!"

The officer turned to Daphne and smiled. "You're right."

She nodded politely. "Well, thank you for understanding. You know, I've said a lot of terrible things about the Seattle Police Department but perhaps I was a bit harsh."

The officer smiled. "It's okay Miss, but if you don't mind... Shut up!"

She flinched and swallowed hard at his harshness. And for the first time in as long as she could remember, she was afraid.