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“Swear to it in court?” Ellery echoed.

“Yes.”

“I’m sure it was September. But I’m not—it was difficult to understand what she was saying.”

“I see.”

Ellery tried to read Jack’s expression in the gloom. “If you’re thinking Dylan had any part of this, you’re wrong.”

Instead of answering, Jack pulled out his cell phone. “I’m going to tape your statement now. I want you to tell me everything that happened after you left the Salty Dog up to when you phoned me.”

Tersely, matching Jack’s tone, Ellery went through his steps after paying for their meal at the pub.

Jack only interrupted twice. Once to ask about Dylan’s demeanor when he’d approached Ellery. Once to ask why Ellery hadn’t phoned the police when September didn’t answer the doorbell.

The first question was easy enough to answer.

“Dylan seemed honestly worried. Which is why I agreed to come over here. His reasons for not coming himself made sense to me.”

Jack reserved comment on that one.

The second question was trickier.

“I didn’t phone the police because I wasn’t one hundred percent sure September’s threat was authentic.”

“In fact, you weren’t sure therewasa threat because you couldn’t make out most of the message purportedly left by her.”

Ellery did not like Jack’s tone and the use of the wordpurportedfelt hostile. “If it was just emotional blackmail, then phoning the police would teach her a lesson, but it would also be humiliating for Dylan. And it would be a waste of police resources when your team was already stretched thin.”

Jack snorted. “Come off it.”

“I’m just telling you what ran through my mind. If a police report got filed, how long before a story popped up in theScuttlebutt Weeklyabout a police incident occurring at Dylan Carter’s girlfriend’s house?”

That time, Jack said nothing.

“I didn’t think September was the self-harming type. I figured she was trying to manipulate Dylan. She’s been badmouthing him all over the village. I didn’t want to help her smear his reputation. But I couldn’t be one hundred per cent sure it wasn’t a-a cry for help. Which is why I didn’t leave.”

“You went around to the back of the cottage,” prompted Jack.

Ellery finished recounting his discovery of September’s body.

“Did you step inside the cottage?”

“No.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

“You didn’t touch anything but the bench, the window, and the door handle?”

“Correct.”

“Okay.” Jack clicked his phone, reached for the car door. “You’re still heading over to my place? I won’t be home until late.”

“Jack, you haven’t even said what happened.Wasshe murdered?”

Jack glanced back; his expression indecipherable. “Yes. She was murdered.”