"All right, you need to catch me up. What do you know?" Tony took a bite of his blooming onion. The trio sat in Evelina's small apartment, munching on dinner from Tipsy O'Lush's as they studied the modest murder wall.

"Matt Hader was murdered at the clock tower on Tuesday Night sometime after midnight," Mahogany said. "When I went to bed, the bone-needle compass was quiet. When I got up the next morning, it was spinning."

"He was murdered with a wrench used to fix the clock. First, Matt was hit over the head and then strangled with the wrench," Evelina said, picking at her pizza toppings.

"That means the murderer didn't have to be large or strong. Matt wasn't overpowered. He was probably surprised by the blow to the head, and then the murderer used the wrench to cut off his air supply," Tony said.

"I hadn't thought of that," Evelina said. "Saree is looking better and better for Matt's murder."

Mahogany pictured the diminutive Saree Fenquoth. At only five-foot-two and 100 pounds, fully dressed and after a big meal, Saree wouldn't have been able to strangle Matt with her bare hands, but with an instrument like a large, heavy wrench and her body weight, she could have murdered her husband.

"I just wish we knew what Lilac told the police and what evidence they found when they searched her house," Evelina said, tearing a bit from her pizza slice in frustration.

"What about Guy?" Tony asked.

"What about him?" Mahogany said.

"Well, he was pretty helpful during the last investigation. Could you ask him to snoop around the station for us?"

Tony had a point, but Guy had been missing in action for the last few weeks. She had no way of knowing where he was, but maybe.

"Bazgul, please come," Mahogany said, projecting her voice into the small apartment and hopefully beyond.

A second later, a red-brown mist materialized on Mahogany's plate, and started munching on her half-eaten piece of pizza.

"Hey there, buddy." Mahogany scratched the massive spider's bulbous body. "Do you have any idea where Guy might be?"

Bazgul raised his head, and four sets of glittering black eyes focused on Mahogany as if to say, was that the only reason you summoned me? Bazgul chittered, and Mahogany nodded.

"When you're finished eating, would you mind heading to the cemetery and asking him to pop by for a chat?"

Bazgul bobbed on his eight harry legs and chatted again.

"Thanks, buddy." Mahogany hand-fed Bazgul a bell pepper slice.

"Yeah, Thank you, Bazgul," Tony said.

Bazgul hopped and faced Tony, chittering menacingly at him before dissipating and drifting through one of Evelina's open windows.

"Well, I think he told you," Evelina giggled.

"I don't get it. Why does Bazgul hate me?" Tony shook his head and popped more deep-fried onion into his mouth.

"Beside Saree and RW, Ace Hitchen was a good suspect, but he was playing poker at the time of the murder. And, wait, is that it? Are those all of our suspects?" Mahogany said, astonishment coloring her tone.

"I think so," Evelina said, her shoulders slumping.

"Well, what about Lilac?" Tony said. "She was in a relationship with Matt before marrying RW. Why isn't she a suspect?" Tony said. He got to his feet to better inspect the meager collection of suspects and clues on the quickly shrinking murder wall.

"Indifference," Mahogany said with a shrug. "She didn't seem interested in Matt or anything he was doing."

"But she campaigned with RW to get people to sign the petition to change the town clock's chimes," Tony said.

"But that hardly makes her a murderer," Evelina said, polishing off her pizza crust.

"It hardly excludes her either," Tony said. He eyed Mahogany and Evelina.

"Put her up there. We can take her down if it's wrong," Mahogany said.

Evelina shrugged. "OK, fine. I need to get up early and bake," she said with a sigh and disappeared into the bathroom.

"Right," Tony said and collected his things. "I'll give you a call tomorrow, and we can make a plan."

"Are you going to be all right with Blair roaming around?" Mahogany said, raising an eyebrow. "She's not going to go all Play Misty For Me on you?"

"Wow, you dug deep for that reference," Tony said with a laugh. "No, I think I'll be safe. Evelina's aunt came by a few days ago and re-upped the security incantations on the cottage. It should be more than secure."

As Tony opened the door to leave, a cold burst of air chilled the apartment.

"You rang?" Guy took a deep bow and smiled. "I've always wanted to say that." He peered around the glorified studio. "So this is Evelina's abode. Not bad, not bad. I almost rented a place like this back in Columbus, but my Grandma fell and needed help, so I decided to continue living with her."

"Good to see you too, Guy," Mahogany said and smiled despite herself. She'd missed Guy's rambling narratives about his life before becoming a ghost.

"Bazgul said you needed something?" Guy said, vanishing through the partial wall that separated the tiny living room from the cramped kitchenette.

"Guy's here," Tony said, gazing around the apartment. "Hey, Guy."

"Hey Tony," Guy replied, even though Tony couldn't hear him.

"He says, hey," Mahogany said, getting to her feet and stretching. "The police think R. Whitebait killed Matt Hader based on evidence his wife Lilac Delldini gave. Would you mind snooping around the evidence locker for anything interesting?"

"Couldn't say away, could you?" Guy said, sticking his head through the wall he'd just passed through. "Solving murders has gotten into your blood, Mahogany."

"Gods, you're dramatic. Will you look?"

Guy gave Mahogany a mock salute and snapped his heels together before vanishing.

The bathroom door swung open, revealing Evelina in pajamas emblazoned with waving kitty cats. Her long hair was in a bun on the top of her head, and cold cream covered her face.

"I asked Guy to snoop around the police station for any of the evidence collection from RW's house," Mahogany said.

"Oh, that's a great idea," Evelina said. "Guy came in handy last time. We should utilize his gifts more." She yawned and pointed to the bed behind where Mahogany and Tony stood. "You're in my bedroom."

"Right, sorry," Mahogany said, and she and Tony moved outside onto the front stoop at the top of the stairs. "I'll wait for Guy out here and let you get some rest." Mahogany said before closing the door.

Evelina nodded and hopped into bed.

"So, um, Evelina alluded to you using magic." Tony shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. A feat Mahogany didn't think possible.

"That's right, you've been off pretending to be engaged." She nodded at Tony, a half-joking half-mocking smile pulling at her lips. "It's all thanks to my boots." Mahogany lifted her left boot and turned it admiringly. The porch light caught the tailored leather, making it glow.

"Your boots? How?"

Mahogany filled Tony in on the spell crafted into the boots, learning of her parentage and how Neema had been dampening her powers by spiking her milk.

"Neema's your aunt?" Tony gave a low whistle under his breath. "That's wild. Are you all right?"

"I'm not speaking to Neema at the moment, which is strange. In all our years together, I've never slept away from home before."

"Wait, you've never had a sleepover?" Tony leaned back in disbelief.

"No," Mahogany shook her head. "Neema never allowed it. In hindsight, it makes sense. At the time, I thought she was punishing me for being human. It turns out she was protecting me."

"Protecting you from what exactly?"

"From whoever killed my parents. Neema took me and moved me across the country after their murders to keep me safe."

Tony rubbed the back of his neck. "That's commendable, I guess, but lies carry a weight."

Mahogany snorted and shoved Tony in the shoulder, not without some force. "They sure do, lover boy."

"Please don't call me that," Tony said, rubbing his shoulder. "So, what kind of magic can you do?"

"So far, incantations. Like the mirror at the brownstone," Mahogany said, "and I made this skin cream for Euryale."

"The Gorgon?" Tony shivered. The Gorgon sisters weren't popular with the locals, but the tourists loved their lawn statuary.

"The one with the scaly skin. Well, she's scaly no more." Mahogany gave a thin smile, even though her heart swelled at the thought of curing Folk with her magic.

"That's amazing, Mahogany." Tony's eyes shone as he gazed at Mahogany.

"You are never going to guess what I found," Guy said, materializing in front of Mahogany. His supernatural glow was several lumens brighter than usual.

"Gods, Guy. I wish you wouldn't do that," Mahogany said, clutching her chest.

Guy waved her words away. "Wait till you hear what the cops found at RW's house."

"Guy's here? Did he find anything?" Tony's eyes darted around the stoop, searching for signs of the ghost he couldn't see.

"Spit it out, already." Mahogany rolled her eyes, the old familiar irritation welling in her chest.

"A bloody glove." Guy danced from foot to foot with excitement.

"We know about the bloody glove," Mahogany said.

"Did you know it has Matt Hader's blood on it?" Guy puffed out his chest.

"Interesting," Mahogany said, tapping her lip. "So whoever wore those gloves killed Matt while they did it."

Tony gave a low whistle through his teeth. "The blow to the back of Matt's head must have been a doozy. Where was Lilac when Matt was murdered?"

"She claims she was home watching TV," Guy said.

"All night?" Mahogany asked, cocking an eyebrow upward.

"Lilac says she's always had trouble sleeping and stays up most nights watching TV, working on designs, or reading."

Mahogany turned to Tony. "Lilac is an insomniac and was up watching TV."

"Can anyone corroborate that?" Tony said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Guy nodded. "Officers interviewed Lilac's neighbors, and there was a croquet party across the street. The partygoers said they remember seeing her living room light on and her sitting on the couch most of the night."

Mahogany frowned. "Lilac says she found a glove in the garage with Matt's blood on it. But RW claims he was out of town when the murder occurred. So how did the glove get there?"

The apartment's front door flew open, and Evelina stood there, an eye mask pushed onto her forehead. "We need to find out where RW was when Matt met his end."

Mahogany and Tony jumped, startled.

"Hey, Evelina," Guy said, waving his hand.

"Guy says hi," Mahogany said, rolling her eyes. Only Guy would speak and wave to people who couldn't hear or see him.

"Thank you so much for helping, Guy. Now it's bedtime." Evelina grabbed Mahogany's arm, tugged her inside, and said, "Night, Tony," before closing the door.