Page 42

Halfway up the stairs, he met Jane Smith on her way down.

Jane jumped as if at the sight of a ghost. “Oh! Ellery! I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Likewise, but Ellery said pleasantly, “Hi Jane. How’s Lara this morning?”

Jane shook her head. “They’reveryupset with you. I don’t think it’s a good idea to go up right now. Mr. Neilson is talking about suing you.”

Ellery’s heart dropped. “Suingme? For what?”

“You were supposed to make sure nothing happened to Lara. It’s sheer chance she wasn’t killed last night. You didn’t go to the concert. You weren’t even in the theater. I’m honestly shocked that you’d just…just blow off a case!”

Jane did seem genuinely perturbed about it. Her face was flushed and her eyes were pink as though she’d been crying.

“I didn’t blow anything off,” Ellery protested.

“Well, where were you?” Jane asked, which was a fair question.

“Something came up.”

Jane stared at him. “Ohhhh,” she said wisely. “Poor Mr. Carter. Such a nice man, I always thought. Such nice manners. You can never tell though. Not that he has to worry. She was an outsider, after all.He’sa respected member of the community.”

Oh no. Was that what people thought? That September wouldn’t get justice because she was “an outsider?” That Dylan would get off, not because he was innocent, but because he was a respected member of the community?

“Dylan didn’t kill September. He would never hurt anyone.”

Jane gave a tight smile. “You’re so loyal to your friends. Notallyour friends, of course.”

That was definitely pointed. “What’s that mean?”

“You weren’t very loyal tome.” Jane shrugged. “I suppose you thought you were being loyal to Nora.”

“I wasn’t aware there was a contest between you.”

“There’s always a contest when Nora’s involved. Anyway, you know what they say, choose your friends wisely and your enemiesmorewisely.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s not what they say.”

“Isn’t it? Oh well. I did warn you.” Jane delivered another of those pinched smiles and trotted past him down the staircase.

Ellery stared after her. He wasn’t imagining it, right? That had definitely been one strange encounter.

He continued more slowly up to Lara’s suite.

To recap, his morning was off to a fairly terrible start.

He’d quarreled with Jack, learned his best friend was about to be arrested for murder, received another poison pen letter, smeared spray tan on his T-shirt and makeup on his favorite black sweater, received cryptic threats from Jane Smith—and it was not even eleven o’clock yet.

What next?

He didn’t have to wait long to find out.

As he reached the second floor, Lara’s suite door opened and Neilson Elon stepped into the hallway. He bristled at the sight of Ellery, closed the door with a bang.

“What’s this supposed to be?” he demanded. “Better late than never?”

Ellery did not like confrontation. He was getting better at dealing with it, out of self-preservation, but his instinct was still to avoid it when possible. However, as previously established, he’d had a hell of a morning, and he surprised both himself and Neilson by planting his hands on his hips and saying pugnaciously, “Look, I’m not a bodyguard and I made that clear at the outset.”

Neilson matched his aggressive posture and raised his voice. “No, you’re not a bodyguard, but you were supposed to find out who was behind these threats so we wouldn’tneeda bodyguard.”