Page 54

Lenny was musing, “That was so fun last night. Who would have dreamed Jack would be good at Charades?”

“Not me,” Ellery admitted.

“Maybe he used to do a lot of undercover work for LAPD?”

Flip started to laugh. “As what? A mime?”

The tea kettle began to whistle.

Lenny made a face at Flip and went to pour her tea.

When she returned to the table, Ellery said slowly, “This is going to come out of left field, I know, but did either of you ever think maybe Noah’s accident wasn’t an accident?”

Lenny and Flip stared at him.

“What do you mean?” Flip asked.

Lenny said, “You mean someone ran him down on purpose?”

Hearing it put so succinctly was disturbing.

Ellery shook his head. “I don’t know what I mean.”

No one said a word. The tick-tock of the kitchen clock sounded ominously loud in the abrupt silence.

Flip’s lips parted and Lenny said quickly, “No.”

Flip looked at her. “Len.”

Lenny shook her head. “No. We agreed. And dredging this upnowreally makes no sense. None.”

Flip’s look to Ellery was apologetic.

“Wait a minute,” Ellery said. “You mean, youdidthink at the time that there was something wrong?”

“Not at the time,” Flip said.

“Well, of course there was something wrong. It was a hit-and-run,” Lenny said.

“Right but... That’s someone running away from anaccident.”

Flip asked, “Is it? Was it?”

“Wasn’tit?”

“Of course, it was.” Lenny scowled at Flip.

Flip, busy scowling at Ellery, didn’t notice.

“But why wouldn’t it have been an accident?” Ellery objected. “What would be the reason for wanting Noah...gone.”

“There isn’t one.” Flip shook his head. “Noah was as nice a guy as they came.”

“Then...”

Once again no one seemed to know what to say.

Finally, Lenny glanced at the open doorway and said quietly, “Accidents happen. But that one just seemed...off. Wrong.”