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“Oh,” Kingston snapped to attention. “Yes. Of course!”

“Is it that time?” Nora looked surprised. “We didn’t get any practice in.”

This was directed to Kingston, who considered, and then offered a tentative, “Perhaps, if you don’t already have plans, we could work in a short session after dinner?”

“Oh.” Nora’s cheeks pinked ever so slightly. “That’s…I believe that might work.”

Hermione and Edna exchanged glances but restricted their comments to cheery farewells, which they made as they hastened toward the front door.

Mrs. Ferris, perhaps out of pity, purchased a copy ofThe Mormon Murders: A True Story of Greed, Forgery, Deceit and Deathby Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith.

As Ellery rang Mrs. Ferris’s purchase up, she said to Nora, “It seems that it’s finally over between that charming Mr. Carter and That Awful Woman.”

“Oh?” Ellery, Nora, and Kington chorused.

Ellery winced, but there was no use pretending he wasn’t just as curious as Nora and Kingston.

“What have you heard?” Nora demanded.

“It’s not what I heard,” Mrs. Ferris said. “It’s what Isaw. Mr. Ferris and I were having supper at the Salty Dog last night when the festival people came in after finishing setting up for the big concert.”

“Right,” Ellery said. Dylan had invited him to go to the Salty Dog, but he’d wanted to get over to Jack’s.

“Well,” Mrs. Ferris continued, “That Awful Woman had been sitting at the bar all evening badmouthing Mr. Carter. No one really paid much attention to her. It just sounded like sour grapes.”

“What was she complaining about?” Ellery asked.

“She was claiming Mr. Carter kept trying to interfere in her career. That he was very controlling.”

“Dylan?” Ellery interrupted. He couldn’t think of anyone less controlling than Dylan.

Nora cut in, “Interfering in her career how?”

“It wasn’t clear. But I gathered it had something to do with the festival. Apparently, shesings.”

“Ah,” Nora said.

“How was Dylan controlling her?” Ellery asked.

Mrs. Ferris shook her head. “She didn’t go into specifics, but the implication was she was trying to break it off and he wouldn’t let her end it.”

“That’sridiculous,” Ellery said, though his word of choice was not nearly so polite.

“That doesn’t sound like Mr. Carter,” Nora agreed. “Quite the opposite.”

Nora and Mrs. Ferris exchanged knowing looks.

“Agreed,” Mrs. Ferris said. “Enywhoo, she’d had quite a snootful by the time they arrived, and she went charging right up to Mr. Carter and gave him and everyone else an earful.”

“Good heavens,” Kingston exclaimed.

“But Mr. Carter said, just as cool as could be,September, go home. You’re drunk. Worse, you’re boring.”

“Gulp,” said Ellery.

Mrs. Ferris’s eyes gleamed with uncharitable glee. “And shelost it. Themouthon that creature!”

“What was the upshot?” Nora inquired.