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But everyone else is drinking, too. It is a party, after all. And atthe center of it is Fred, celebrating his ill-gotten gains from his tennis win over me and Oliver. Emma’s smiling at him indulgently, all forgiven, apparently, after the revelation that he’d been gambling.

If I were a real detective, I’d be questioning Fred about his financial situation, but I’m not, so bottoms up!

Oooh, boy, these arestrong.

The other “real” detective isn’t talking to Fred either. Instead, he’s cracking jokes with Harper, and I don’t know, but fuck it, I guess? If he makes her happy, who am I to judge?

Ha ha ha ha.

Come on, Eleanor. We all know you’re just biding your time until you can put a stop to it.

I am. I am.

But in the meantime, there’s a slightly terrifying group activity on the schedule, so as Inspector Tucci might say,Andiamo!

We’re doing the ropes course in shifts. The first one includes the usual suspects—me, Oliver, Harper, Allison, David, Emma, Fred, Connor, Simone, Shawna, and Inspector Tucci.

We load into a series of dune buggies to go to the ropes course. Harper, Oliver, and I gravitate to one of them, Harper up front and me and Oliver in the back.

The ropes course is set into the hillside above the Casino, a landmark that seems to be visible from everywhere on this island. It was built by the Wrigleys in 1929, our driver reminds us, in the Art Deco and Mediterranean-revival style, and is twelve stories high.

But here’s some new information.Casinois an Italian word that means “gathering place,” and—wait for it—there’sneverbeen gambling at the Casino. Instead, it has a twenty-thousand-square-foot ballroom and a theater.

I’m not sure why this gives me goose bumps. Maybe it’s the misdirection or the use of Italian, but it feels like a warning.

Or these drinks are just super strong.

Either is possible.

We turn away from the Casino and start to climb up the hill. The track is bumpy and we get jostled up and down, which is not allaying my fear of heights and ropes and anything to do with ropes and heights.

“I thought the ropes course was optional?” Harper says. She’s changed into a pair of black leggings and a crop top that looks like it comes from the Olivia Newton-John videos my mother used to work out to. I’m wearing leggings, too, and a long-sleeved shirt I bought when I was going through a running phase.

“That was yesterday. Today, there’s no opting out,” I say. “How was the glass-bottomed boat, by the way? You never said.”

“It was cool.”

“Cool?”

“Yeah, you know, colorful fish, et cetera.”

“And Connor?”

“What about him?”

“He was on the boat, right?”

She gives me a look. “So?”

“That must’ve been annoying.”

“You should cut him some slack.”

Um,what?

“Why?”

“He’s been turning over a new leaf.”