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nothing more than a British widow, traveling to escape the sadness of her husband’s death. In fact in
her letters she complains that the woman is tedious and ordinary. She would be surprised to learn
that Mrs. Kirby is…what did you call her, Detective?”
“A crack shot with a pistol,” Trevor said.
“A crack shot,” the Queen repeated slowly. “We have learned so many marvelous new phrases
during our consultations with Detective Welles. At times one almost feels like an American.”
“Is there any chance that the fact Gregor and Yulian were brothers is coincidental?” Tom
asked. “It’s possible that the ballet dancer wanted nothing to do with the revolutionary’s sordid past
as evidenced by the fact he assumed a quite different line or work.”
The Queen’s eyes flickered. “The Crown does not believe in coincidence.”
“Nor does Scotland Yard,” Trevor hastened to assure her. “Especially now that the boy has
been found dead. I wonder that the guard, even if they are as inept as Your Majesty suggests, was so
quick to deem the deaths as suicide.”
“The fact they were playing Romeo and Juliet does suggest it,” Tom said, seemingly
unembarrassed even after being refuted so thoroughly in his last theory. “I’d be very curious to hear
how the bodies were found, what sort of knife was used, which of them appeared to have died first.”
“You shall have the chance,” said the Queen. “For this is why we have asked you all to travel
with us.” She looked steadily at each person in turn as she spoke. “When we arrive in St. Petersburg
you must appear to be our personal guards, our doctor and messenger, and Alix’s governess. We must
observe perfect protocol and do nothing to contradict the theories and beliefs of our hosts.” She
grimaced. “When the time comes for it, I shall even curtsy to the tsar and his wife. But our true
mission is to learn how a violent revolutionary group managed to get one of their members within the
gates of the Winter Palace and living in the midst of the imperial family. We must uncover what
Yulian Krupin’s hidden purpose was inside the palace, why he was killed, how, and by whom.”
A stunned silence fell on the group. Trevor and Rayley looked at each other and Rayley shook
his head. They had spent the last three days speculating on Her Majesty’s true reason for insisting the
entire forensics team accompany her to St. Petersburg. The crown had dozens of trained bodyguards
she might have more logically brought along if her only aim was self-protection, so obviously
Victoria anticipated a different role for the men from Scotland Yard. They had imagined it to be
something along the lines of digging up dirt on the Romanovs, giving the Queen more ammunition to
shoot down Alix’s desire to marry Nicky. But to now hear that they were expected to solve a double