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“I’ll draft the speech for you,” I volunteered, grasping at the chance to be useful.

She nodded. “We need to inform and calm the crowd before the panic spreads. The last thing we need is people living in fear. Or even worse, them taking justice in their own hands. I don’t want mobs of armed women combing the streets and attacking all bearded men.”

“It’s probably best not to mention that detail of his description publicly,” Madam Trela suggested. “A beard is easy enough to shave off, anyway.”

“I know someone who matches that description,” Gem announced, and the blood in my veins ran cold. “Someone who, for a fact, did not spend the evening before the first murder where he was supposed to be.”

“Who?” Mother’s face brightened with hope.

Madam Trela perked up. “Can you give me his name, my lady? We’ll investigate.”

Gem swept the room with her gaze. When it stopped at me, I gave a barely perceptible shake of my head in a silent plea to keep quiet.

“Give me a few hours to complete my inquiry, just to be sure,” Gem spoke to Madam Trela, not releasing my stare from the snare of hers. “I don’t want to cause any trouble to an innocent man by mistake.”

“Of course.” Madam Trela nodded. “We’ll follow our leads meanwhile. And, Your Majesty, I will officially petition you to let us issue a public advisory. We need to keep our people safe. A curfew, too, if you deem so necessary.”

“I don’t think a curfew is desirable at this point,” Mother replied. “I’m afraid it may bring more harm than good. We will go with the advisory for now, and I will bring the matter in front of the council today.”

I had to do something. But what?

Clearly, it was Salas and me that the guards reported seeing that night. It was exactly a week ago that he’d visited the orphanage, and I tagged along as his stalker. The slaves weren’t leaving Egami until tomorrow. After what happened, they would be scrutinized, questioned, and inspected before they’re allowed to leave the city.

I had to warn Salas somehow.

“If you’ll excuse me. I’ll get started on that speech draft.” I moved toward the door.

“I’ll see you at noon, dear.” Mother released me with a wave of her hand. “I’d like for you to come to the city with me today.”

“I will,” I promised.

As I was slipping out of the room, Gem excused herself too.

“I’ll get on with my inquiry right now,” she told Mother, then followed me out into the hallway.

“I’ll see you later,” I quipped and increased my pace, hoping to leave Gem behind.

No such luck. Catching up with me, she seized my arm.

“This way, Your Highness.” She slammed her other hand against the door to her study down the hallway.

The door swung open, and Gem dragged me into the relatively small, sparsely furnished room. The atmosphere here was cold and impersonal. However, most people whom Lady Chamberlain interrogated in here had other things to worry about than the décor.

“Funny how there is a connection to a fun house with these murders.” Gem locked the door, then rounded the room, checking under the heavy oak desk, behind the chair, and outside of the window. Satisfied that no one was hiding to eavesdrop on us, she faced me with her hands on her hips. “Just when I discovered that a certain slave used to work in one too.”

Dread spread through me, turning my insides to ice. I’d asked her to investigate the possible reasons for Salas signing another slave contract. Lady Chamberlain would be terrible at her job if she didn’t eventually discover his past too.

“It was long ago,” I exhaled.

“So, you knew?” She looked at me with deep disappointment. “Yet I didn’t learn about that fromyou.”

“He’s not doing it anymore.”

Gem scoffed.

“Once a whore is always a whore.” She hurled the word with force, like a stone.

“Gem,” I said in a low voice. “You don’t know him.”