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More looks of alarm from his friends.

“You trying to reassure us is the most frightening thing of all,” Flip informed him.

Ellery huffed in exasperation, and said, “Let’s just leave it for now. I’m sure it will turn up. Anyway, Jack’s on his way home, so how about we start dinner? I bought a bunch of pizza crusts and I thought I’d make sauce and you can pick your toppings.”

The change of subject clearly came as a relief.

“That’s agreatidea!” Tosh enthused.

Flip agreed. “Remember our old Monday night pizza parties?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed a Monday as much since,” Chelsea admitted.

It occurred to Ellery he had no idea what Chelsea did for a living. It also occurred to him that the ripple effect of doubt, created by the news of the missing hatchet, still lingered.

Jack arrived as the final slices of jalapeno were being judiciously applied to the last pizza.

“This looks industrious—and delicious.” Jack put his arm around Ellery and they exchanged a quick hello kiss. “Hello, you rascal,” Jack greeted Watson, who was leaping higher and higher in an attempt to get some acknowledgement from his hero.

“Jack, this is Freddie and Oscar.” Ellery made the introductions.

Jack shook hands with Freddie and Oscar.

Oscar said, “So, you’re the famous Jack.”

“World renowned,” Jack said gravely.

Freddie said, “Should we call you ’Chief’?”

Jack’s expression grew quizzical. “Jack’s fine.”

“Ellery says you used to work Homicide for LAPD. Can I pick your brain later, Jack?”

“Sure.”

Ellery thought Jack looked pleasant but unenthused.

Flip asked if there was any news regarding Edwin Dolph, and Jack admitted there was not and that the search had been called off for the evening.

“What are the chances you’ll be able to resume tomorrow?” Ellery said,

Jack grimaced. “We’ll see. The weather service is predicting a possible eighteen inches over the next thirty hours.”

This news received gasps of dismay.

“Oh,no,” Lenny said. “We’re snowed in!”

“Not yet,” Jack said. “But, yes, the ferry stopped running an hour ago.”

Ellery’s friends looked at each other in alarm.

“I have to be back on the set on Monday,” Freddie said. “We’ve got the November sweeps this month!”

Jack nodded noncommittally. “We’ll see how it goes.” Which was a very cop-like thing to say and not really all that comforting.

“On the bright side,” Ellery said quickly, “we’ve got pizza in the oven, plenty of wine, plenty of beer, and warm beds for everyone. It could be worse, right?”

“Heck, yeah,” Tosh said. “I mean, if we have to be stranded, “I can’t think of a better bunch of fellow refugees.”