Alex sighed. “I’m with you, you know that,” he said, “but last time you reached this hard because of that damn recipe, it didn’t exactly go well.”

“That was a mistake,” she pleaded. “I’m right this time. I know it.”

Harlow asked, “What about you, Stella? What do you think? Are we still playing the game?”

Nicole added, “You’ve been strangely quiet this whole time.”

“That’s true.” Stella locked eyes with Luna. “It is strange.”

Stella was the only person in this room who could change everyone’s opinion with virtually zero effort, the only other person who stood a chance of winning, and now she was looking at Luna like she was about to eat her alive.

“I think that’s enough for now. Tell all your friends,” Stella said, tapping her tablet.

“What?” Luna asked.

“What?” Stella slung one leg over the rim of the bathtub, turned onto her side, and barrel-rolled into a standing position. “I think it’s time to address the elephant in the room. I’m just going to come out and say what we’re all thinking: Nicole is way too pretty to go to prison. There I said it!”

“Stella, please,” Nicole said with a pained expression. “This is serious.”

“I am being serious. We have two options: one—figure out what in the hell is happening in this house, or two—go to prison. I’m assuming I’m the only one here with any kind of connection to financial affluence, if you will. Lloyd will definitely lawyer us up with a Johnnie Cochran type, but that’s no scot-free guarantee.”

“Lloyd’s your dad?” Francis asked. “That’s what you said, right?”

“Indeed. Now, a body doesn’t have to be found to convict someone of murder. Jewel is a megacelebrity, which means there will be an aggressive hunt to find her and make an arrest.”

Stella paused—Luna almost shouted but it’s a game! Stella must have sensed her objection because she looked at her and imperceptibly shook her head.

“It’s time to address elephant number two: Dumbo’s Revenge,” Stella continued. “All the colors have been mixed, and our batter is smooth as butter. We’re in this together. So, in the event that Jewel Is Missing is not a challenge, and someone in here had anything to do with her disappearance, fess up and we’ll figure out a way forward. Together.”

Everyone had returned to quiet.

“Good, because the second one of you stepped forward, I was going to sell you straight down the river.” Stella laughed.

“How do we know you didn’t do it?” Francis said. “Your parents keep you on lockdown because they know you’re a repressed ax murderer or something. Inaugural wild child weekend? Sounds like a perfect opportunity to let out some homicidal rage.”