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“Of course,” Ellery replied. “I’m going to make myself a nightcap and go up in a bit as well.”

“Night, Ell.”

“Night.” Ellery, still carrying Watson, who seemed uncharacteristically subdued after the evening’s excitement, seated himself on the sofa across from Chelsea.

As Freddie’s footsteps died away down the hall, Chelsea said, “I thought I’d sit up and enjoy the fire for a while.”

“Me, too. Can I fix you a nightcap?”

She shook her head, said shortly, “I wonder how that’s going to work out.”

“What’s that?”

“Tosh and Oscar. Does she think she’s fooling anyone?” Chelsea mimicked, “‘I’m pooped after all that running around in the snow today!’Brother.”

“Maybe she’s just trying to be discreet.”

That time there was no mistaking the eye roll.

“They both have fantastic jobs on opposite sides of the country. That isnotgoing to last.”

Had Chelsea always been so, well, negative? She’d been snarky, yes, but Ellery didn’t remember that tinge of mean-spiritedness. But then he and Chelsea hadn’t spent a ton of time together on their own. Usually, Ellery had been hanging out with Tosh, and Chelsea had been there, too.

He asked, “What do you do now, Chelsea? Besides act, of course.”

Watson gave one of his loud pained moans, and tucked himself into an even tighter ball next to Ellery.

Chelsea said, “Watson said it.”

“I mean, we all had to take day jobs,” Ellery said.

“Freddie didn’t. You didn’t.”

“My career lasted five minutes. Now I work in a bookstore.”

“You made six films.Movies. And a slew of commercials. And those stupid movies earned atonof money. And now Black Palace wants you to come back and makemoreof them.”

Ellery wasn’t quite sure how to respond. TheHappy Halloween! You’re Deadmovies had indeed been stupid, but he’d worked hard on them. Even harder after he’d suffered through the first reviews.

Chelsea added, “And you don’t just work in a bookstore. Youowna bookstore. You know what I do? You know what my day job is? Data entry clerk for a hardware company. And Ihateevery minute of it.”

“I’m sorry.” Which he truly was, because Chelsea was a very good actress. Or had been, back in the day. He was under the impression that she was still getting roles, still getting good reviews, but obviously her career had not taken off as she’d hoped.

Most careers in the arts did not.

“Meanwhile, everything Tosh wants falls in her lap. Even the things shedoesn’twant fall in her lap.”

Ellery said nothing. Tosh was talented, hardworking, and personable. Those traits were an advantage in life. He understood that Chelsea needed to vent, and he was sorry for her, but he was acutely uncomfortable sitting there listening to her bash one of their closest friends.

At the same time, he didn’t want to leave Chelsea downstairs on her own. For one thing, it didn’t seem kind. For another... Well, he hadn’t been one hundred percent convinced she’d taken Tosh’s pictures. But now he was pretty sure she was trying to outwait him so she could retrieve the box. Once she realized the photos were no longer in the passage, she was going to be very freaked out.

And that, Ellery felt certain, was not going to make the weekend easier for anyone.

“Anyway,” Chelsea said, “I don’t know why I’m telling you all this. I know you’re tired. You don’t have to sit up with me.”

“No, I’m happy to. We haven’t really had a chance to chat this weekend.”

“Chatting was never really our thing, was it?”