Page 39 of Death at the Deep Dive

“Okay, true.” Ellery grimaced. “Anyway, I hate to tell you, but dinner’s going to be late. I just got here myself. The groceries are still in the car.”

Jack slid his arm around Ellery’s waist, pulling him in for a quick hug. “No worries. I’m just glad to be here. We’ve got all night, plus we’ve both got tomorrow off, so I don’t care if we eat at midnight.”

They started across the drive, Watson trotting ahead.

“What’s that box?” Jack asked.

“Vera sent over some photos—” Ellery stopped in his tracks, staring up at the shining window on the second floor.

Chapter Twelve

“Did you plug that lamp back in?” Jack asked.

“I sure didn’t.”

“Okay, that’s weird.” Jack let go of Ellery and strode up the steps. Using his key, he unlocked the door and entered the house, Ellery on his heels.

“Maybe it’s battery operated.” Even as Ellery said it, he knew that couldn’t be right. The lamp was too old to be battery operated. A short in the wiring made sense. Though not if the lamp was still unplugged.

“Maybe.” Jack was already across the front hall and heading up the staircase. Ellery and Watson followed.

The hall on the second story was dark, so there went one theory.

“Was the contractor here today?” Jack asked.

“No. Nobody’s working here on the weekends.”

Even before they got to the doorway of the small room, Ellery knew the lamp was not on. No light spilled through to the hall. The room was dark.

Jack paused in the doorway, feeling for a light switch. “Is there another lamp? An overhead light?”

“No.” That now-familiar sense of unease crawled over Ellery. “There’s just the rocking chair, the table, the lamp, and some empty bookshelves.”

Jack suddenly laughed. “I think I know the answer to this mystery. We saw the setting sun reflecting off the windowpanes.”

“Right! Of course!” Ellery laughed too and relaxed. However, he couldn’t help asking, “But why just that window?”

“The angle of the house. The angle of the sun. You weren’t here this time last year, so for all you know, that window glows all autumn long.”

“That makes sense.” Did it, though? Ellery’s relief at a simple explanation was already receding. Sure, there had to be a simple explanation, but maybe this was too simple. Wouldn’t he and Jack have noticed if the sunset had been reflected in the window? That light had sure looked like it was shining from within the house.

But what were the other alternatives?

“So, no ghost?” he joked.

“No ghost.” Jack was joking too, and yet Ellery could tell by his tone that the idea had also crossed his mind. Well, Jack had grown up reading the Hardy Boys and Encyclopedia Brown and The Three Investigators. It would be odd if the thoughthadn’toccurred to him. The closest Ellery had come was in college, watching Saturday morning episodes ofScooby-Doowith Brandon while recovering from Friday night hangovers.

He glanced around for Watson and saw him sitting a couple of yards down the hall. Watson’s ears were uncharacteristically pinned back, and he looked small and defensive. He whined when Ellery looked at him, as though they were on opposite sides of a chasm.

“Does that room feel cold to you?” Ellery asked Jack.

Jack snorted. “This whole house feels cold to me.” He closed the door to the room.

Hadn’t they done that before? How had that door opened?

Stop. The entire housewascold this time of year. And with all the work being done on the ancient wiring, it was more than possible that the hall light was flickering on and off. Ellery had enough mysteries to keep him occupied without looking for new ones. Especially if the new ones were going to make him nervous about staying in his home alone at night.

Jack glanced at him, said briskly, “What do you say we go downstairs, have a drink, and I’ll help you make dinner.”

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