The Girl and the Clock Tower Murder: Pandemonium Cozy Mystery #2

Chapter 21

Guy was right where Mahogany had last seen him at the churchyard cemetery, chatting away to either an unseen force or to himself.

"Guy, we need your help," Mahogany said, jogging to the semi-transparent entity with the messy brown hair and rumbled t-shirt. "We need you to investigate something in the clock tower."

"What do you think, Bazgul? Should I help Mahogany?" Guy glanced at the top of the headstone he sat upon. Next to him, Bazgul stood, narrowing his eyes at his master as she approached.

Instead of answering, Bazgul turned his back on Mahogany.

"Not you, too," Mahogany said, wiping a hand across her sweaty brow. She didn't have time for this. They needed to get into the clock tower.

"I'm hearing a lot of me, me, me, and not a lot of. I'm sorry I've treated you like a doormat, Bazgul." Guy turned to Mahogany, his pale eyebrows raised on his pasty face.

Mahogany closed her eyes and counted to ten. She took a deep breath and moved to where Bazgul stood. Mahogany crouched so she was at eye level with him. To her relief and surprise, Bazgul didn't turn away.

"Guy's right. Evelina and Neema were right too. I owe you an apology. I'm sorry for not being more patient and kind to you these last few weeks. I wish I had a better excuse than a broken heart, but I don't. Tony broke my heart, but I let that happen. I should never have let my guard down. Crushes are dumb, and I will do my best never to let another one get between my best friend and me ever again."

As the words left Mahogany's mouth, she realized they were true. She had let her feelings for Tony cloud her judgment and treated Bazgul with insensitivity.

Bazgul regarded Mahogany, his head dipping with demure repentance, and began to chatter.

A sad smile pulled at Mahogany's lips. "You were jealous of Tony? Why? He could never replace you. You," she held out her hand, and Bazgul climbed onto it, "are irreplaceable."

Bazgul scurried up her arm and nuzzled her cheek.

"I've missed you too, little buddy." Happy tears prickled in Mahogany's eyes.

Guy got to his feet and gave his back a dramatic stretch. "OK, what do you need my help with?"

Mahogany shot Guy a glance dripping with mock anger. "Thanks for your magnanimous offer. I need your ghosty skills to get into the clock tower and check out that hidey-hole in Matt's floor. There's something funny going on with it."

"A funny hidey-hole, you say? Color me curious. Let's go!" Guy sprang into a Superman flying position and disappeared in the direction of the town center.

****

Mahogany approached the clock tower after parking her scooter at Tony's across the street. Evelina, Tony, and Guy waited outside.

"Why are you still out here?" Mahogany said to Guy.

"I thought I'd wait for you," Guy said, his cheery face falling.

"I don't see why. They can't see or hear you," Mahogany said. She felt they were on the precipice of finding the truth about who murdered Matt. Waiting was the last thing on Mahogany's mind.

Guy raised a finger. "You make an excellent point. Be right back." He turned and vanished through the locked door.

"I should have known Guy was here," Evelina said, rubbing her bare arms. Despite autumn hitting Oregon, the weather was still warm and a tad sultry. Usually, by this time of year, the rains had descended upon the Pacific North West, but this year, summer had dug in her claws and refused to give way to cooler weather. "The temperature dipped a few minutes ago."