“It wasn’t on fire when I left.” Penitents paced in front of them. Rock ground against rock as their heads moved, scanning the crowd. “We need to go.”

“We need to learn what happened here.”

“I know what happened.” She pressed close so she could whisper in Kai’s ear. “They killed him. Then they set the fire to cover it up.”

“If the Watch killed him, why set the fire? They don’t need to find any evidence they’re not looking for.”

“Let’s go.”

A watchman kneeling behind the body stood and wiped smoke from his eyes: Claude. He turned a slow circle from old woman to fire to body to the crowd—and saw her. His eyes widened, and he jogged toward them both.

Izza tugged Kai back into the surging crowd, but Kai resisted. “Come on.”

“No. That’s the guy I asked to arrest Margot.”

“He’s in on it.”

“Can’t be. He did time inside the Penitents. He’s reformed. Straight as light.”

“I told you, the Penitents killed him.”

“Claude’s seen us. Leave now and he’ll think this is my fault.”

“Isn’t it?” The knife dug into her skin.

“Go on,” Kai said, and hoped she sounded less afraid than she felt. “Kill me, and you’ll never get to the bottom of this. Or trust me, and we might.”

Telepathy, she knew, was impossible. Minds could be read, but only once extracted, and extraction broke them. She could guess Izza’s thoughts, though, from the twitch that moved through the girl like a ripple over a horse’s hide. If Izza slipped away, escaped into the crowd, she would leave Kai in the shelter of coconspirators. If she stayed, Kai might turn her over to the Watch.

Nothing Izza had said or done so convinced Kai of the girl’s innocence as that moment of fear.

“I won’t turn you in,” Kai said. “Trust me.”

Izza did not move. Nor did she answer.

Claude pushed between the Penitents in front of them. “Kai.” Soot streaked his face. The crowd shouted questions, and he ignored them. “Kai, what are you doing here?”

“I was in the area. That’s Margot’s house.”

“I brought two Penitents to arrest him. Found the place burning. The old woman, the landlady, almost choked to death.” Claude turned to Izza. “Who’s this?”

The blade bit her back. Trust me. “I was drinking in the Godsdistrikt. Saw the smoke. I ran here. Lost my cane in the crowd. Almost fell. The girl helped.”

“Out of the goodness of her heart I’m sure,” Claude said.

She pointed to the shroud. “Is that who I think?”

“It’s Margot. Landlady identified the body, even all burned up like that.”

“Dead in the fire?”

“If so, fire’s developed a bad habit of snapping necks. Maybe doctors will know more.”

“Shit.”

“Come with me, Kai. We need to talk.”