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“You wereterrible,” Chelsea informed Ellery.

“I know.”

Tosh said vaguely, “Noah. God.” She glanced at Lenny, who was frowning at the ferry as if still waiting for a final passenger to disembark.

Ellery uneasily studied thePirate Queen, rocking back and forth in her mooring.

Wassomething going on? There seemed to be a lot of serious-faced conferencing going on between the crew members gathered at the stern of the ship.

“I’m pretty sure you’re the only one who even remembers that production,” Tosh said. “But even if it is a funny coincidence, why on earth would we make up a story like this?”

“Why would you Saran-wrap me to the sofa?”

Tosh and Lenny started giggling. Flip looked slightly guilty. Chelsea said, “We didn’t want your next performance to be stale.”

“Why would you pose a demon mannequin in my closet? Why would you—”

Flip interrupted, “Okay, yes, wealllove practical jokes. Let’s not forget, you’re the one who put that demon mannequin in mybed.”

“Oh, that was brilliant!” Tosh exclaimed. “They heard your scream all the way over in Manhattan.”

Flip made a face at her.

“You put a fake tarantula in my oatmeal!” Ellery was laughing, though. They were all laughing.

“Oops. That was me,” Chelsea admitted. “I lied about it being Flip’s idea.”

“Anyway,” Flip said, “Your boyfriend’s the chief of police, right? Why not askhim?”

Chapter Two

“Actually…” Jack said.

“What?” Ellery yelped. “Are you seriously telling me there’s a homicidal maniac on the loose?”

Ellery was back in his office at the Crow’s Nest. Flip, Tosh, Lenny, and Chelsea had insisted they wanted to see the bookshop before driving out to Captain’s Seat. He could hear them—everyone talking at once per usual—and Nora and Kingston’s bemused answers. He waited for Jack’s careful reply.

Jack was always honest, so the carefulness was the point.

“Maniacisn’t a clinical term. Last night a court-ordered forensic patient did escape the state psychiatric hospital on the Cranston campus. There’s a possibility he might try to make his way to the island. But that’s all it is. A possibility. There’s no reason to believe he’s already on the island.”

“What did this court-ordered forensic patient, who might or might not be headed our way, do to get himself committed?”

Jack sighed.

“Okay.That. That sigh.Thatis worrying.”

“There’s nothing to worry about,” Jack said in a tone that could best be described as professionally soothing.

“Because this escaped patient isn’t dangerous?”

“No. Because the chance of this escaped patient making his way to Pirate’s Cove, let alone Captain’s Seat, is about one in a million.”

“Why was this guy locked up?”

“Edwin Dolph was found not guilty—”

“Notguilty?”