Page 16 of Death at the Deep Dive

Kingston said, “Perhaps you’re right. It won’t hurt to keep Vera on our list of suspects.”

Nora ignored them both, staring thoughtfully into space. “I wonder if Joey Franklin was that woman Vernon got involved with after he joined the navy? The one who used to work at the Deep Dive.”

Neither Ellery nor Kingston had anything to offer. They watched Nora as though waiting for the oracle to pronounce.

Nora returned to muttering over the list of Vera’s suspects. “Douglas Franklin. What’s the connection? Did Vera say?”

“She didn’t seem to know anything about him, other than he was married to Josephine and they both worked at the Deep Dive. He was one of the bartenders. She was a waitress. Vera wasn’t sure if either of them were still alive or where they might be living.”

“The lady, I regret to say, was a tramp. If she’s the one I’m thinking of. They had a lot of waitresses over the years. I don’t remember the gentleman.” Nora frowned, reading the next name on the list. “Tony Bernard. I vaguely recall… He must have been Vernon’s navy buddy. Tall. Very handsome. Of course, they were allsohandsome in their uniforms.”

Ellery and Kingston glanced at each other.

“They went diving a few times. I don’t remember if he was here that summer, but if he’s on Vera’s list, I suppose he must have been.”

“How old were you in 1963?” Ellery asked curiously.

Nora raised her brows.

“Sorry. A gentleman doesn’t ask?”

“I wouldn’t have minded you asking in ’63,” Nora said. “I was fourteen.”

“Fourteen?”

“An unusually observant child, I don’t doubt,” Kingston put in, and Nora’s cheeks pinked.

“Sure,” Ellery said. It was likely true; Nora probablyhadbeen an unusually observant child. But she’d still only been fourteen. He had to assume at that age, she’d have missed a lot or misinterpreted some of what she witnessed. Assuming she witnessed much of anything.

“What about Stanley and Hermione?” Kingston inquired.

“Stanley is a year older than me,” Nora said. “Hermione couldn’t have been more than nine or ten.”

“Then I suppose we can rule the three of you out as suspects.”

Kingston chuckled. Nora said absently, “In this instance, yes.”

“Uh…” But honestly, maybe better to let that go. One mystery at a time.

Finally, Nora handed him back his phone. “Where will you start?” she asked.

Her expression was as innocent as a baby’s, but Ellery didn’t buy that for a second.

He sighed. “I can’t believe what I’m about to say, but given that this investigation requires in-depth knowledge of the island and its history, and you, Mr. Starling, and Mrs. Nelson are about the only three possible witnesses I can trust, I think this might be…”

He didn’thaveto say it. Nora clapped her hands together and exclaimed, “Yes!Another case for the Silver Sleuths book club!”

Chapter Six

“Tell me you’re kidding,” Jack said.

“Well, no. But if you think about it—”

“If I think about it, my head’s going to explode.” But truthfully, Jack sounded resigned, not upset, and Ellery relaxed.

The Crow’s Nest was closed for the day. Ellery sat in his office, feet propped comfortably on his desk. He was talking to Jack on the phone, while playing Scrabble GO and listening to the rain wind down and Watson gnaw his bully stick with the ferocity of a tiny wolf having brought down its first stag. Better a stag than another piece of antique furniture at Captain’s Seat.

“It’s not like I could really keep them out. I mean, ifyoucan’t scare them straight, how amIsupposed to do it? They were bound to get involved sooner or later. This way maybe it’s more of a controlled burn rather than an actual wildfire.”

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