Stella stared at him. “That is exactly the kind of skeptical thinking we need on our team. Love that. So glad you’re here. However, you’re a crappy detective. If I were going to kill someone, do you really think I’d use something as imprecise and messy as an ax? On someone else’s turf with no way out? Give me some credit here. I’m obviously way too clever for that.”

“She does have a point,” Harlow said.

“That’s just what she wants you to think,” Francis said.

“Also probable,” Stella agreed.

“This isn’t getting us anywhere,” Luna said. “Do you believe me or not?”

“Of course I believe you. I never said I didn’t,” Stella said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “You were absolutely right to have us meet in here. We can’t let them know that we know something is up, and we can’t let them know what we know about it. However.”

Luna involuntarily sat up straighter as Stella approached her. Tablet in hand, Stella flipped it around to show her the slide that explained C-P-R. “You’re not entirely wrong, but you’re also not right. You’re conflating challenges and the recipe again. Stop that. It’s very disappointing.”

“I am?”

“Think about it,” Stella said. “You said the interrogation was the pressure cooker. No. Wrong. Incorrect. The interrogation wasn’t something we had to solve. It was something we had to survive. Sure, no one got arrested, but no one got a present either.”

Luna’s eyebrows scrunched together as she thought. “The challenge is still happening?”

“And if the challenge is happening…” Stella trailed off.

“Then the interrogation can’t be in the recipe. Damn it.”

“Language, little one. We try not to swear in our family,” Stella teased. “You gotta slow down. You get too excited, and you start making mistakes.”

“Right.” Luna nodded. “So, what do we do next?”

“Yeah, what should we do next?” Francis called. “Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt your little meeting, but the rest of us are kind of waiting for an answer too.”

She looked at Francis. “I’m so glad you asked, Double Agent.”

“I’m not a double agent.”

“You are now, comrade,” Stella said. “They told us to stay in our rooms. You’re the only one who can wander around without it looking suspicious. You’re their friend. You’re concerned and want to help. Unless you had something to do with this, they should have no problem telling you what they know.”

“Oh, that’s good,” Luna said. “I didn’t even think of that.”

“By the by, I can also spot a lie from across the room, so if you try to double-cross us, I hope you know how to fight.”

“How do you spot a lie?” Harlow asked.