The room went quiet.
Not silent, exactly. The birds outside were still chirping, and a few students were still moving around the lower halls, but the space between us suddenly felt heavier than before. Mr. Marble stopped mid-thought and looked at me with a slightly sharper expression than he had used before.
Then he stood up and walked to the window, folding his hands behind his back as he looked outside.
Eselin and I exchanged a glance and moved a little farther into the room.
Mr. Marble had slipped. That was the problem. He had said "suspects" without thinking, which meant either he knew something he should not, or he had already heard enough from someone else to assume there were at least two people involved.
"I spoke with Captain Sora as soon as I heard the news. She told me." he said after a moment. Then he turned his head slightly toward me. "Tell me, Mr. Walker. Are you suspecting me?"
"May I speak plainly, sir?"
"You may."
