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Oscar studied Freddie. He nodded. “He’s fine. He’s out.”

“Yeah, but I don’t want to trust expired sleeping pills to keep him that way. I think there’s rope in the garden shed.”

Flip said, “I’ll go with you.”

“No, that’s okay. If he comes to—”

“Oh. Right,” Flip said quickly, with an uneasy glance at Freddie’s slumped figure.

Ellery left the drawing room, and Watson abandoned his comfortable space on the sofa to follow.

In the hall, Ellery hurriedly shrugged into his parka, opened the door, and stepped outside. The air was as cold and sharp as a dip in the ocean. However, the sun was shining, and between patchy black-edged clouds, the sky was a deep and dazzling blue.

He was no expert, but it sure looked like the blizzard had passed.

Watson jumped off the steps into snow that was now much harder and icier than even the day before. Ellery waded after. As they started toward the back of the house, the distinct growl of an engine floated in the vast white silence.

Watson stopped bounding through the drifts, staring in apparent and delighted disbelief at the tiny vehicle trundling their way. He began to wag his tail.

An SUV with the blue and gold insignia of Pirate’s Cove Police Department plowed up the long drive, tires spraying showers of snow.

“Thank God.”

Ellery’s heart lifted. Sure, it could always be Detective George Lansing to the rescue, but he knew with certainty it was Jack.

Watson knew, too, and heralded the joyous arrival for all the island to hear.

ARF! ARF! ARF!

Ellery reversed course, slogging back toward the front of the house. He reached the courtyard a full minute before the SUV, carrying an indignant Watson safely out of range, as the SUV half-slid to a stop.

Watson shoved free of Ellery with a finalhow-very-dare-youwriggle, as the driver’s door opened and Jack got out. His eyes were very bright; his expression, hard with worry.

Ellery came to meet him in a kind of full-body slam. Jack’s arms locked around him. Ellery’s arms wrapped tightly around Jack.

“Are you okay?” Jack demanded. “You’re not hurt?” He examined Ellery’s face intently, closed his eyes in quick relief, and kissed him.

“I’m okay,” Ellery gasped, when he could. “We’re all okay. What are you doing here, Jack? How did you get through?”

“If you think I listened to that interview with Lenny and thought,Oh hey, they’re good. They can wait till the snow melts...”

Ellery laughed shakily. “We’ve had quite a morning. We had to drug Freddie with sleeping pills.”

“W-W-What?”

“The situation was deteriorating rapidly. Freddie knew thatweknew, and he was trying to decide what to do about it—and us.”

Jack was clearly still processing. “So, you drugged him?Youdrugged him?”

Ellery said, “I tried. Tosh finally managed it.”

“You...tried...”

They were interrupted as the passenger doors of the SUV popped open and two gnomes tumbled out. They plopped into the snow.

“What in tarnation!” huffed the gnome in the lime-green parka with the pink toque.

The gnome in the navy-blue hooded parka attempted to come to her rescue, and they clutched each other like first time skaters in an ice rink.