Right on cue, the little bell over the door chimed, and a handful of people walked in. There they were. The exact scientists from Ryley's company.
Madam Beckett's eyes locked onto them like a hawk. She didn't blink once, tracking them across the floor until they slid into a booth just a few tables away.
"Your Highness," Alan murmured, leaning in so close his voice barely carried over the music. "Should I go over now?"
"No, wait," the old woman whispered back, cutting him off with a sharp flick of her hand. Her eyes narrowed, trying to count heads in the dark. "Is that all of them? Are you sure?"
Alan discreetly tapped his phone screen under the table, glancing from the glowing digital profiles up to the booth.
He took a second, doing a quick headcount, before giving a tight nod. "Looks like it, Madam. Every last one of them is here."
The waiter dropped off a round of drinks at the scientists' booth, but Madam Beckett's focus stayed locked on them.
