Stella stared at the back of her head. “I’m okay with that.”

“I didn’t tell them everything,” Harlow said quietly. She pulled a square, loosely wrapped in gold foil, out of her pocket and handed it to Stella. “The cop gave it to me during my interrogation. You can have them.”

Stella peeled it open. Six oversized letter tiles: G, E, N, R, I, S in a rich chocolate-brown color with white lettering. “Chocolate,” she said.

Share and cut the Baker’s dozen chocolate bar into quadragrams.

“Congratulations, Harlow,” Stella said with a small laugh. “You just helped me solve step five.”

Luna had been right after all.

STELLA SAYS
EPISODE 5

Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos

Hello, again.

Hello, goodbye.

This will be my last episode of Stella Says.

We’re winding down, and I have a feeling I will no longer be paid for my services. My labor is far too precious to be given away.

[pauses]

Jewel Is Missing is quite the hot topic, I see. No, I will not be answering any of your questions.

[pauses]

You’ll just have to tune in and see, Filia20.

[pauses]

Anyway, before we go our separate ways, true to form, I am in need of one more favor. As I understand it, Luna’s brood, you Goldspiracy folk, create transcripts for all of Jewel’s videos. Have you been doing that for our Golden Shindig as well?

[pauses]

Excellent.

On our first night here, Olive said some interesting phrases to me. I don’t remember all of it—she was very cute, and between her and Nicole I was very overwhelmed—but I do remember this: If you find the key, you can unlock the game.

What was the rest of it? What else did she say?

I’ll wait.

HEART OF GOLD

SATURDAY, 7:30 P.M.

Nicole had no idea what she should be doing.

As a group they had decided on a plan: When Ethan summoned them at eight tomorrow morning, they would call his bluff. They would all ask to go home. Everyone agreed his response would be the deciding factor in what came next.

They play the game so the ransom money could save Jewel.

They play the game because it was a game.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t for another twelve hours.

“How are you holding up?” Francis asked.

They sat alone outside. His suite was the only one with a balcony—a cute table-and-chair set took up the entire left side. The weather was so nice. Partly cloudy with a delicate breeze as the sun began to set.

“I’m not. I wish there were something else I could do to help Luna and Stella,” she said. “Last I checked, they were holed up in the bathroom again.”

“Guess that means we’re in third place,” he said. “Honestly, I don’t see how we can beat them.”