“R-S-G-N-I-E,” Harlow said in a singsong voice.

This wasn’t true—Harlow had definitely gotten the tiles from the cop, but neither Ethan nor Olive corrected her. She even waited, giving them time to catch the inconsistency, and they didn’t rise to the occasion. Confident her plan would work, Stella continued, “Jewel told us who the culprits were. First anagram: SIGNER. Ethan, Jewel’s brother and business partner. Coincidence? I think not. You said it yourself. You supervise the staff. You are in charge of security. The Warden of Golden Rule. Jewel would have never been abducted if you didn’t give the go-ahead.”

“Wow.” Ethan laughed in disbelief. “I knew I should’ve stopped you before you got started. You can’t seriously think that I had my own sister kidnapped. Why would I do that? I love my sister. We share everything and—”

“Don’t say that.” Olive’s voice nearly hit a shrill pitch that only dogs could hear.

“—she’s one of the most important people in my life. I would never do anything to hurt her.”

“Why? Why? Why?” Stella said, ready to bring it home. “Second anagram: RESIGN. After a year of soul searching, I think Jewel was ready to walk away from everything. You may be partners, but Francis told us that it’s not in equal shares. If Jewel decided to dissolve whatever you built together, there’d be nothing you could do about it. Once you recruited the staff to your side, you promised them the million dollars as a bonus—the first of many to come once you inherited Jewel’s share of the company by default once she’s never seen or heard from again.”

“Three,” Harlow said.

“Bravo.” Ethan began the most sarcastic slow clap to ever exist. “That was good. Quite the show. But speculation without proof doesn’t mean anything.”

“For the last time, the proof is in the presents—are you just not listening to me?” Stella said, grinning again. “Third anagram: SINGER. Olive, the Siren of Golden Rule, the beatific soprano, and Ethan’s fiancée and accomplice. You stand to gain just as much as he does once you kooky kids tie the knot.”

Olive’s jaw dropped. She sputtered in shock and outrage, staring from Stella to Ethan and back again. “How— What— I— No!”

“Yes,” Stella said. “It was the Lovebirds in the Bedroom with the Security Guards. I rest my case.” She finished with a bow and sat back down next to Harlow.

“You don’t have a case,” Ethan said. A shock of red had begun to creep up his neck and face. “Again, you didn’t prove anything. You just talked for five minutes—”

“Two.”

“—about what you think happened by connecting nonexistent dots.”

“Maybe,” Stella admitted. It had been far too easy to cast Ethan and Olive as villains.