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“She hasn’t said anything because she left the island last night.”

“She— She’s on therun?”

“That would be my best guess.” Jack half rose, picked up his jacket and drew out a long, white envelope. “See what you think.”

Ellery took the envelope. His name was neatly written across the front. “She left me a letter?”

“Yep.”

“You read it?”

“It’s evidence. Yes.”

Ellery lifted the flap, pulled out the single sheet of paper, and began to read.

Dear Ellery,

The jig is up. I realized tonight that you know the truth. I knew you were getting close, but I thought I had a little more time. At least I got the pleasure of hearing my greatest work brought to life. It’s fitting, I think, that you were there to share my achievement.

Jack said, “Did you know the truth?”

Ellery shook his head. “I mean, it went through my mind—but it kept going. I couldn’t see that Jane would have any motive. I didn’t even remember to ask her what she was doing skulking around Lara’s hotel suite on Saturday. I still don’t know what that was about.”

He resumed reading.

I hope you believe me when I say, I didn’t mean to kill Sibyl. It wasn’t an accident, but I didn’t go there intending to do her harm. I asked her, for old time’s sake, not to ruin my setup by trying to blackmail Neilson. Sibyl was not a smart woman—she was probably the most selfish person I’ve ever known. She brushed off my concerns, and when I told her how hard I’d worked to arrange the purchase of the Foster fragment, she told me what I wanted was not important. That I was not important.

It was not a surprise to me. Sibyl never pretended she thought anyone was as important as she. I was there when she left that phone all for Mr. Carter. It made me sick. She was always cruel. It wasn’t deliberate. It’s just how she was. And for some reason, when she picked up that cocktail tray and went sashaying off —so sure that he was going to come running—I decided it was time for her to go.

Ellery looked up. Stared at Jack. “Yikes.”

“You can say that again.”

I was sorry when Mr. Carter was arrested, but that couldn’t be helped. It will be all right now.

I would like you to know that I had more fun this last year than all the years I lived in Pirate’s Cove. That is mostly because of you. I hope you have a long, happy life with Chief Carson. And I hope you see the light, eventually, and fire Nora.

Best regards,

Jane Smith

Ellery blinked. “What made her think I’d figured it out?”

“Your reputation precedes you?”

“Ha. Not so much. It’s kind of alarming how much fingerprints and forensics had to do with solving both these cases.”

“I know,” Jack sympathized. “I’m sure from your perspective it feels like cheating.”

“Pretty much.” Ellery sighed sadly.

He was a terrible actor, and Jack shook his head and stretched his arm out. Ellery shifted Watson onto his lap, and scooted over. He rested his head on Jack’s shoulder. He felt Jack’s quiet laugh and turned his face up for Jack’s kiss.

“Did you have a chance to talk to Imelda?”

“Oh.Yeah. That’s who I was dealing with when you phoned about Nielson.”

“I assume she denied everything?”