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They both laughed.

They had been late leaving the house, so by the time they reached the harbor, the ferry had docked and passengers were disembarking. The air seemed significantly colder from the day before, and it had started to drizzle again. The drizzle was getting a bit slushy. Ellery couldn’t help thinking the dark clouds hanging heavily in the sky promised more and worse weather.

Oscar and Freddie were already on the quay. Unlike the day before, the crossing had been relatively smooth, and they seemed unfazed by their trip. Freddie was signing autographs for two women in brightly colored raincoats, while Oscar looked on with a sardonic smile.

Tall, athletic, and handsome, Freddie was forever getting cast as rogue cops or dashing criminals. In real life, he was easygoing, gregarious, and laidback to the point of indolence. He was also engagingly modest (or just honest) about his surprisingly successful career in Hollywood—and more than happy to help his friends whenever possible.

Oscar was tall and thin and intense-looking. He practically crackled with nervous energy. His hair was black, as were his eyes, and in college had tried out a variety of mustaches, from handlebar to pencil thin, none of which had suited him. He had since settled on a mustache-goatee combo, andthatlook, he rocked. Midway through Tisch, he had changed majors, moving from the Institute of Performing Arts to the Maurice Kanbar Institute of Film & Television, but their small circle of friendshad remained unbroken. He now worked as an archivist at the UCLA Film and Television Archive.

Ellery and Flip waved down to Oscar and Freddie. Oscar nudged Freddie, and Freddie hastily sketched a quick salute to them and finished up with his fans. They grabbed their suitcases and hauled them noisily up the cement ramp.

There were half-hugs and smacks on the back all around, and then Oscar pulled out a copy of theNarragansett Times. Blazoned across the top of the paper was the banner headline, Edwin Dolph Found Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity Escapes Psychiatric Hospital.

“Oh,that,” Ellery said.

Freddie laughed. Oscar echoed, “Oh, that???It says he’s somewhere on your island!”

“It’s not like I invited him,” Ellery objected.

“My God. You shouldseethat house,” Flip interrupted. “It’s like it was designed by the ancestor of whoever didPirates of the Caribbean.”

“Movie or theme park attraction?” Oscar was instantly distracted.

“Theme park attraction,” Flip answered promptly.

“We can’t leave you alone for a minute, Page!” Freddie put his arms around Flip and Oscar, urging them forward. “Let’s get out of the rain.”

The rainwascoming down harder now, bullets of wet bouncing off the cement and railings and choppy surface of the water.

They jog-walked the luggage to Ellery’s VW, stuffed the suitcases in the cramped backseat with Oscar and Freddie, and headed back to Captain’s Seat, everyone—as usual—talking at once.

Freddie, in typically generous fashion, had upgraded Oscar’s ticket to first class so they could travel together, and itwas soon apparent the two of them had had a pleasant and well-lubricated flight across the country.

After a lively travelogue, which heavily featured a cute air attendant who was also an aspiring actress, Oscar pulled out his newspaper again.

“Forty-year-old Edwin Dolph, who was found not guilty by reason of insanity for the 2019 axe murders of his father, Retired Judge Barclay Dolph; his mother, Judge Candace Whitman Dolph; and his sister, Clementine Dolph, escaped late Wednesday night from the Rhode Island State Psychiatric Hospital (RISPH), located in the Roosevelt Benton facility on the Cranston campus.As Ellery would say,yikes!”

Flip asked, “Ellery, do you still sayyikes?”

“Yikes,” Ellery said on cue. “Did I used to say that a lot?”

The other three laughed, and then Oscar continued to read. “Authorities have not ruled out the possibility that Dolph might have received inside help in formulating his escape. Not good.Although originally considered high risk, in recent years Dolph...hmm...yada yada yada...”

“What’s the yada yada yada part?” Ellery asked.

“I guess the last time anything like this happened was 1907.”

“Frank Weeden,” Ellery agreed.

“Uh, right. It says the Dolph family used to own a summer house on the island, but it sounds like that was way before this guy’s time.”

Flip asked, “Does it say anything about the Dourdos Aquamarine?”

“The what?” Freddie asked.

Oscar scanned the paper. “Nope.” He resumed reading. “RI State Police Colonel Giordano has warned that Dolph, while not convicted of homicide due to his mental state, may still pose a risk to the public. Citizens are advised notto approach him and to contact authorities immediately. Ya think?”

Freddie said, “I think we should keep this from the girls.”