Confrontation

Al didn't show after twenty minutes of waiting by the wall so I gave up on that idea and tried looking for the staff entrance. There had to be someone there who would recognize me and let me in.

The risk with this idea was that I might run into one of Sigmund's informants. I didn't want him knowing I had left the castle. That could only result in trouble.

Thankfully, luck was on my side today. I ran into Marcy as she was heading out to personally pick the best strawberries in the market to use in strawberry shortcake.

"Katie! What are you doing over here?" she asked, bewildered.

"I got locked out," I said sheepishly. "Think you can sneak me back in real quick?"

"But what were you doing out in the first place?"

I couldn't tell her the truth. She worked for Franz and he couldn't know we were trying to escape. Not right now, anyway.