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“I think it’s possible,” he admitted. “Jocasta Fairplay mentioned the hoped-for comeback hasn’t been a blazing success so far. They’re not getting the media coverage they expected. Maybe the idea is to give the media something to write about?”

It would also explain not hiring real bodyguards. Not to mention recruiting a local bookseller versus employing a private eye to find out who was sending death threats.

He said, “Even if someoneissending threats, it doesn’t mean they intend to act on them. The threats themselves might be the revenge.” He was thinking of Arti Rathbone, who had been friends with James, might know some of the factors that caused him to take his life, andwasstill on the island.

“True,” Kingston said. “That’s a good point.”

Nora said, “I can’t help thinking that sending a warning to someone you intend to kill is merely making your own life more difficult.”

Ellery grinned, “So you wouldn’t send ominous threats to your intended victim, Nora?”

“Indeed no. I would bide my time until the right moment and then…KAPOW!!!”

Everyone jumped. Watson, who had been slumbering peacefully on Ellery’s lap, leaped to the floor and began barking.

Arf! Arf! Arf!

Sure, Watson was barking at the front door, rather than at the culprit, but he had the right idea.

“Ohh. Kay.” Ellery shuffled his papers together and rose. “Thank you all. This has been very helpful. It’s getting late. I think I’d better get over to Loon Landing.”

“What time is it?” exclaimed Mrs. Ferris. “Mr. Ferris will be expecting his dinner.”

The others rose too and began the inevitable dropping of papers and spectacles and phones as they reached for coats and sweaters and purses.

Nora called, “Stanley, don’t you sneak out of here. You need to help Kingston put these chairs back in the junk room.”

“Oryou could stack them in myoffice,” Ellery said pointedly.

Stanley, who had been slinking toward the front door, turned with an innocent look. “Of course! Of course!”

Ellery spotted Kingston attempting to capture Watson, who seemed to believe they were playing a delightful game of tag.

“Watson,” Ellery called sternly.

Watson looked around as though convinced that voice must surely be coming from the Great Beyond, and darted off toward Ellery’s office, narrowly missing tripping Mr. Starling.

“Don’t worry, I’ll put him in his crate,” Kingston assured Ellery, waving off Ellery’s thanks. He added, “Do be careful over there, Ellery. I can’t help feeling there’s something sinister at work here. Some connection we keep overlooking.”

Chapter Fifteen

Ellery was hoping to run into Jack.

With PICO PD handling so much of Sing the Plank’s security, it made sense that Jack would be on site for much of Saturday night. Typically, Jack would have let Ellery know his plans—typically, Ellery would have let Jack knowhisplans. The prolonged radio silence was not encouraging, and Ellery wished that he’d left a message when he’d phoned Jack earlier.

By that point, the events of the morning felt surreal.

Ellery still couldn’t understand why Jack had taken the action he had, but he was more than willing to hear what Jack had to say—and to accept responsibility for his own part in the unfortunate unfolding of events. He wasn’t sure he agreed with Nora’s and Kingston’s armchair analysis of Jack’s state of mind. He knew Jack cared for him, but he didn’t kid himself that Jack placed any great importance on his opinions, especially when it came to how Jack did his job.

Jack’s withdrawal triggered Ellery’s old insecurity where Jack was concerned. He could all too easily envision Jack deciding Ellery was not the right boyfriend for Pirate Cove’s chief of police. That, between the amateur sleuthing andinterfering with an officer in the performance of his duties, Ellery was proving himself to be a liability.

Partly, he could thank Todd for instilling in him that instinctive fear that if he was not an actual asset in his partner’s life, he was a liability. But partly, he hadn’t forgotten Jack’s reluctance to get involved in the first place. Jack had explained all that. He had reassured Ellery. It wasn’t Jack’s fault that Ellery remained a little uncertain about Jack’s level of commitment. But it wasn’t entirely unreasonable either, especially when Jack had flat out said he wasn’t ready to make any commitments.

Anyway, Ellery was hoping he might casually run into Jack, and then maybe, hopefully, they would each see that the other was ready for a truce.

The cove at Loon Landing was significantly more crowded than the previous night, so that was good news. A line led all the way from inside the boathouse to the end of the dock, but the smaller stages had audiences too. People wandered around with food and drink, and everyone seemed to be having a good time.

Eventually, Ellery spotted Jack by a booth where souvenir T-shirts were being sold. He started to make his way over, but realized it was maybe not the best time. Jack seemed to be reading the riot act to a young female officer who looked close to tears.