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He had been expecting it, so why was it such a shock?

“How?”

“The back of her head was bashed in with a hammer she’d been using to break up a block of ice.” He added bleakly, “She was in the process of mixing cocktails.”

For a shocked moment, Ellery couldn’t think past the unlikelihood of September being murdered.

No, she was not a very nice person. But tokillher?

She’s the most unlikeable woman I’ve ever known.

He gathered his wits, said quickly, “Jack, Dylan didn’t do this.”

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow morning.”

“Jack—”

Jack swung the car door shut, cutting off the rest of Ellery’s words.

“Are you freaking kidding me?” In disbelief, Ellery watched Jack stride up the drive, duck under the crime scene tape, and disappear around the back of the bungalow.

For a few seconds, Ellery fumed. Then, once again, he debated phoning Dylan, this time to warn him.

But there was no question that, at this juncture, Jack would view that as disloyalty—if not high treason. As dismayed as Ellery was by Jack’s suspicions, and as outraged as he was by Jack’s highhanded behavior, he couldn’t betray Jack’s trust.

He started the Volkswagen, drew carefully past the additional emergency vehicles pulling up at the bungalow, and made the short drive back to Jack’s cottage.

There, Watson was ready and waiting to share his own views on the topics of trust, loyalty, and high treason.

“I know,” Ellery told him. “Iknow. But I can’t take youeverywhere.”

Watson disagreed, and offered many loud if not logical reasons to support his argument.

Ellery did his best to soothe his little pal’s injured feelings with cuddles, and eventually Watson allowed him to make up for his transgressions by throwing the raggedy remnants of what had once been a squeaky lamb toy, until Ellery’s arm was ready to fall off.

After Watson had worked out his frustrations with the world in general and Ellery in particular, they retreated to the kitchen where Ellery fixed himself a cup of tea and troubledly studied his silent phone.

He understood why Jack had to consider Dylan a suspect. Boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, wives, romantic and domestic partners of any and all stripes werealwaysthe initial suspect in the violent death of a significant other. Until Jack could clear Dylan, he had to consider him a person of interest.

Ellery also understood why Jack wasn’t going to discuss the case withhimbefore he’d even finished his preliminary investigation.

He understood, but it was still worrying.

Nearly as worrying as the fact that Dylan hadn’t bothered to phone him once to learn what had happened after Ellery got to September’s bungalow.

Chapter Ten

It was after four in the morning when Jack finally, finally got home.

By then, Ellery had long given up waiting for him, and he didn’t even wake to the sound of Jack’s key in the front door lock. Even Watson could barely rouse himself to more than a few sleepy, snuffles of welcome when Jack finally came to bed. Ellery, who had been dreaming he was auditioning for a dog food commercial—wearing a black dog suit, no less—wordlessly drew back the blankets and reached for Jack.

Jack fell into bed beside him, resting his head against Ellery’s. “I’m glad you stayed,” he muttered. “I wasn’t sure you would.”

“Of course I stayed.” Ellery kissed him. Jack kissed him back.

It was very late and they were very tired, but that seemed to cover the essentials. They fell asleep in each other’s arms.

In the morning, however, things were different.