Disappointed, I exhaled and stepped away from the crowd before returning to the same bench. It was strange that none of the girls had actually come outside to greet the Queen. Most of them stayed near the windows instead. Maybe they were angry. Maybe they blamed the guards. Maybe they blamed the Queen herself for failing to keep them safe.
A minute later, Ken pushed his way free from the crowd and dropped onto the bench beside me.
"Gods," he said with a breathless laugh. "What a mess."
"Yeah. I had to talk to her, though. ASAP."
He leaned back against the bench. "Huh, why?"
"I suspect Mr. Marble might have something to do with Jelda's death."
Ken nearly choked. "What!?"
"Ssh," I hissed immediately. "Lower your voice."
He stared at me like I had completely lost my mind.
"No way," he whispered. "No fucking way, Ace."
"I know how it sounds," I replied. "But I need answers. I need to ask the Queen some questions about him."
