Juniper stared at Violet, surprised. “A chat?” she said.
“Yes.” Violet propped one leg over the other, her arms folded. “I need to speak with you. With Judith Lawrence.”
Juniper’s face fell. “Wha…how do you…?”
“Why don’t you have a seat, honey?” Violet gestured to a side chair, which had seen vastly better days. Juniper—Judith—took a seat, quite shaken. “Relax. You ain’t in trouble. I’m no officer of the law or nothing. Far from it.”
“Then…then who are you…?”
Violet uncrossed her legs and leaned forward on her elbows. “How did you come here, Judith? Did you come to the Bird Cage by choice? Or by force?”
“By force…?” Judith blinked, the shock ebbing away from her expression. “No. No, not by force.”
“You weren’t kidnapped?”
“I…Who says I was kidnapped?”
“And you can leave this place
