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Tosh and Ellery both jumped as if they’d been shot, and in those seconds of terrified discovery, Ellery learned that while he could not act his way out of a paper bag to save hisownlife, he was Lawrence Olivier when it came to protecting his friends.

He casually set Watson’s tranquilizers on the counter next to the sugar bowl, swept all the doggie paraphernalia back into the drawer, and slid the drawer shut.

“We’re arguing over who gets the last of the Frangelico,” he said.

“That’s easy.” Freddie joined them. “The three people who know you stillhaveFrangelico.” He winked.

Tosh laughed and banged her shoulder into his bicep. “Typical Freddie.”

Ellery moved to the fridge and unhurriedly removed the Bailey’s. He glanced at Freddie, who was studying Tosh withan odd little smile. “Freddie, you’ve got to be freezing in your shorts.”

Tosh shivered. “I know I am.”

“Then why don’t you and Flip and Lenny go upstairs and get dressed? Freddie and I can wait and go up when you guys get back.”

Freddie listened to this with, what Ellery couldn’t help thinking, was unusual attention. But then he shrugged. “Good idea. But leave your doors open so you can hear each other at all times.”

“Right.” Tosh gave Ellery an unreadable look before leaving the kitchen.

Ellery poured the last of the Frangelico into three of the Irish coffee mugs, and reached for the Bushmills.

“You reallydoput Frangelico in Irish coffee,” Freddie observed.

“Technically, it’s a Nutty Irishman. But yep.”

“Interesting. So, what were you and Toshreallytalking about? Because you both looked guilty as hell.”

Ellery grimaced, said glibly, “About whether there are spyholes as well as secret passages in this house, and whether Edwin Dolph is watching right now. You scared the heck out of us.”

Freddie looked surprised and then laughed. “I bet.Arethere spyholes?”

“Not that I know of. But then I didn’t know about the passageways until a couple of weeks ago.”

Freddie nodded, said abruptly, “When does Jack think he’s going to get his team out here?”

How to answer that? Was it to their advantage if Freddie thought he had plenty of time to do...whatever? Or was it safer to make him believe Jack was on approach? Or did it mattereither way? Because if Freddie believed he was safely in the clear...

Ellery opted for honesty. “He couldn’t give me an ETA. He said clearing the road to get to us is top priority, but they’ve still got to contend with whatever the road conditions are now. And another storm is moving in.”

“Anotherstorm?”

Ellery nodded, slowly measured out the Bailey’s. He just needed thirty seconds or so on his own. If he could get Freddie to step into the hall to listen for what might be happening upstairs... But on what pretext?

He was starting to fear that Freddie suspected something was up.

But maybe that was his own guilty conscience.

Freddie picked up one of the little bottles Ellery had set to the side. “What’s the trazodone for?”

Ellery’s heart stopped. He glanced over, said guilelessly, “Gabapentin and trazodone. The vet prescribed them for Watson. Because of the Fourth of July fireworks. He’s been so agitated; I was thinking I’d use them to calm him down.”

Watson, sitting next to his bowl in hopes that Ellery might forget he’d already fed him, missed his cue entirely. He gazed soulfully up at them, the very picture of a pup patiently waiting in line to receive his angel wings.

“He seems okay to me.”

“That’s what Tosh said.” Ellery shrugged. “We’ll see how he does.”

Enter stage right: Tosh poked her head in the kitchen doorway, and said, “The upstairs is all yours, gents!”