Page 19

Flip grinned. “I do. Yeah.”

“How about for St. Paddy’s?” Tosh challenged.

In an alarmingly broad Irish accent, Flip said solemnly, “Over me nose, and down it goes.”

Lenny choked on her wine. The others laughed.

Tosh said to Ellery, “Fair warning, we’re probably going to drink you out of house and home.”

“You can try. I prepared for the onslaught.”

“That’s our boy.” Lenny patted his shoulder. Her gaze moved past him; her eyes widened. “Uhhhhh... Is that Chelsea’s scarf?”

Ellery glanced over in time to see Watson tugging at the end of Chelsea’s scarf, which hung enticingly over the edge of the counter. He gasped and lunged for the scarf.

“Watson, NO.”

Watson’s ears flattened and he looked at the others like,do you hear how he speaks to me?

“Oops, that was my fault.” Tosh topped up Ellery’s wine glass. “I moved the scarf.”

“Aww. You hurt his feelings,” Flip patted his thighs. “Come here, little pal.”

Watson leaped onto Flip’s lap and gave Ellery a pointed look. Ellery made an amused sound, shook his head, “Don’t encourage him.”

“You talking to him or me?”

“Oh my gosh, we didn’t wait for Chelsea!” Tosh’s guilt gave way to sudden unease. “Hey, whereisshe, anyway?”

There was a startled moment of silence.

“Did someone take my name in vain?” Chelsea called from the hallway.

Everyone relaxed, breathed, what seemed to Ellery, a small collective sigh of relief.

“What are you doing lurking in the hallway?” Lenny called.

“I wasn’tlurking.” Chelsea sounded ever so slightly irritated as she joined them.

Was it his imagination or, now that it was dark outside, was everyone maybe a wee bit on edge?

“Then your shadow was,” Lenny retorted.

Chelsea made a face at Lenny, but didn’t bite.

Ellery and Tosh exchanged glances.

In fairness, they’d been traveling most of the day. Everyone was tired and maybe his friends really did find the house spooky. Nor were they kids anymore. It had been a longtime since they’d been together like this, and they weren’t the same people now. Things that had been fall-down-laughing funny in college—like taking a nap and waking up plastic-wrapped to a sofa—would probably not go over quite as well now.

As adults, they simply might not have as much in common. It was a sad thought, but that was the truth.

Or perhaps their experience in Point Judith had genuinely rattled them. The idea that a murderous maniac could possibly be skulking around the island was alittleunsettling, though from a commonsense perspective—from Jack’s perspective—it was pretty improbable.

Chelsea took a sip from her wine glass and her micro-bladed eyebrows shot up. “Nice!”

Ellery sighed. “Yes, I finally outgrew Blue Nun.”

“Oh my God, you and your Blue Nun.” Chelsea shook her head.