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“Why don’t I take everyone’s initial statements, send them off to Jack, and you can all go back to bed for a while,” Ellery suggested. He tried to interpret the expressions on the faces turned his way, and qualified, “Or not.”

“Seriously?” Lenny asked. “You think we’re going to be able to sleep after this?”

“Well, let me get your statements and we can fix breakfast?”

“Whoareyou?” Tosh demanded. “What have you done to our kind-hearted friend Ellery? Are you saying you couldeatsomething?”

“I’m not hungry,” Ellery admitted, “but it could be a while before help arrives. We probably should keep our strength up.”

“Ellery’s right,” Oscar added, “Also, I’m a stress eater. So yes, I’m hungry.”

Tosh sighed. “I don’t know about food, but I admit I could use a drink about now.”

Ellery said quickly, “Okay. Let’s get this statement thing over with. It shouldn’t take long. And then I’ll make Irish coffees and we can figure out what to do next.”

Freddie said, “I think it’s important that we all stick together as much as possible. No one should be alone.”

This idea was greeted with approval all around. Ellery and Tosh went into the kitchen and the others headed for the front room to wait their turn to be interrogated—and no doubt discuss in detail everything that had happened so far.

The kitchen was still a mess from the night before. The overturned table and chairs lay on the floor. The counter was cluttered with dirty glasses, bottles of alcohol, and an ice bucket full of water.

Ellery fed Watson, who, unlike some of the other members of their party, was definitely in the mood for breakfast. Then heand Tosh righted the table and sat down. He turned his phone on record.

“Sunday, November 16. Interview with Tosh—er, Theresa Chase-Ames. Okay, it was about 10:15 when you and Oscar went upstairs last night. What did you do?”

Tosh began to splutter. “You really want me to sharethatwith the at-home audience?”

Ellery sighed. “No, I mean, did you go straight to Oscar’s room or did you—”

“We went straight to Oscar’s room. I didn’t feel like washing up in the dark. Honestly, I was kind of creeped out by everything that happened yesterday. Chelsea stealing my photos, the power going off the way it did. I just wanted to cuddle up some place warm and quiet, and not have to be polite to Chelsea—which I feel horrible saying aloud.” Tosh closed her eyes tight and then blinked rapidly. “Anyway, we went to Oscar’s room and opened the drapes and the moonlight was really bright and the snow was very pretty. It was cozy, nice, and we talked for a long time and then, you know, and then we went to sleep.”

Ellery opened his mouth and Tosh said, “I never woke up until Chelsea screamed. But I think I would have if Oscar had left the bed. The floorboard on his side of the bed squeaks. In fact, the whole bed squeaks when you move around.” She cleared her throat. “As one does.”

“Right. So, you didn’t hear anything weird—”

“We heard everyone else coming up to bed, sure, but I didn’t hear anythingweirduntil that scream.” Tosh studied him curiously. “I know, if this was an ordinary investigation, I’d be under suspicion because of the-the bickering with Chelsea. But you know that’s all it was. We were on each other’s nerves. There’s no mystery. We know who killed her. And even if wedidn’t, I wouldn’t have killed her for taking my photos. Even if Ihadn’tgot them back safely.”

“I know.” Ellery was pretty sure Jack didn’t want his opinion on the interview recordings, but hedidknow what Tosh meant. “Do you think anyone else would have wanted to get rid of Chelsea?”

Tosh seemed flabbergasted. “Getridof her? No. Of course not. Getawayfrom her, sure. I think she put everyone’s back up, one way or the other, this weekend. But weknowwho did it.”

Ellery remembered Jack’s warning, and said, “True. Okay. I think that’s everything. Is there anything you want to add or that you think I should I know?”

Tosh shook her head. Was she suddenly avoiding his gaze?

“Do you want to send Oscar in?”

Tosh nodded, left the room, and Oscar took her place at the table a couple of minutes later.

“Maybe you should have Freddie do this,” he joked. “He’s out there explaining police procedure to us as according to the scriptwriters ofLAPD Blues.

Ellery snorted, turned his phone recorder back on. “Sunday, November 16. Interview with Oscar Murillo.”

Oscar spread his hands like,bring it.

“Okay, so Jack is just interested in what happened when we all went our separate ways last night. You and Tosh went upstairs together. Were either of you on your own at any time after that?”

“I used the john at one point. That took, like, a couple of minutes. We weren’t apart at any other time for the rest of the night.”