After the events of the summer, Mahogany hoped for a quiet fall, but this is Pandemonium, where nothing is ever calm, and silence carries consequences.
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When Matt Hader, the president of the Pandemonium Clock Tower Committee, is brutally m...
Mahogany and Tony positioned several tables into a long line and covered them with bright tablecloths. Neema and Peaches helped Evelina bring platter after platter of steaming food, desserts, and hors d'oeuvres, ladening the tables with enough fare to feed a small army.
"Well?" Evelina asked. Peaches walked up and handed Evelina a wine glass filled to the brim with white wine. She took a greatful gulp and eyed Mahogany with anticipation.
Mahogany sent an appraising gaze over the yard as she placed polished wine glasses at the end of the drinks table. In the corner, Tony had set up a badminton net. They had had enough of croquet. One of the Murphy clan from Tipsy O'Lush's was DJing on the deck. "I think it looks fabulous and smells even better." The aroma from the piping hot platters of succulent food made Mahogany's mouth water.
"Really?" Evelina shot a doubtful look around the yard.
"No," Mahogany said, rolling her eyes, "it's awful. You should go home and never show your face in public again."
Evelina's shoulders slumped, and a look of horror darkened her face.
"Relax, I'm only kidding." Mahogany pulled Evelina to her in a hug. "This will be the best dinner party this backyard has ever seen."
Peaches winked at Mahogany over Evelina's blond head.
"I hate you sometimes," Evelina said into Mahogany's shoulder.
"I know."
"Hey, hey!" Dimitri said, trailed by his husband and fellow stylist from Gothmother's. "This looks fantastic, Miss Evelina." He reached for Evelina's hand and kissed the back.
Evelina smiled and helped Neema pile plates with Dimitri's special recipe for jerked tofu.
"Sorry again about Blair," Tony said. He carried two wine glasses and offered one to Mahogany.
"As you should be," Mahogany said, taking the glass and giving him a wry smile. "I mean, Beds, Books, and Beyond?"
Tony squeezed his eyes closed. "I know. It's awful."
"It's the worst. Pensioned Pens have a long and storied history in the spy trade. The name meant something. Now it's just kitsch." Mahogany said, taking a sip of her wine. "How long do you think she'll stay?"
They eyed Blair across the yard as she played badminton with Brian O'Malley, the larger-than-life, red-headed Leprechaun cobbler. He still hadn't told her what he wanted as payment for fixing her boots. She hoped she'd be able to deliver when the time came to settle her debt.
"I don't think she'll be leaving any time soon." Tony sighed.
"And you. Will you leave?" Mahogany pulled her gaze from Brian's and Blair's game, slow to let her eye lock with Tony's. Part of her still didn't trust him 100%. He was keeping his engagement with Blair a secret had been a massive breach of the friendship code. But still, his golden skin, almond eyes, the smile that could knock her stomach for a loop, and washboard stomach were almost too much to ignore. Plus, he was a nice guy.
Mahogany groaned internally at the duality of crushes and cursed her emotions for betraying her mind.
"Not a chance," Tony said, his hazel eyes intense. "My whole life, I have wished to live in a town like Pandemonium. I love the people, my job, the shops, will most of them." He nodded to Blair. "I love my house." He gestured to the yard and everyone in it enjoying the party. "I love the people."
Mahogany smirked. "You said 'people' twice. It is a pretty great place to live." And to her surprise, she meant it. A feeling of pride swelled in her chest as she gazed around at the strange and beautiful Folks and humans who made Pandemonium. Even Guy and Bazgul sat together, chatting away.
"Is that Detective Sawyer?" Tony said, frowning toward the stone patio near the DJ's booth.
"Holy shit. It is." Mahogany's mouth dropped open as she and Tony watched Sawyer dance with Euryale and Stheno, the Gorgon sisters. Despite being a stickler for the rules, the Detective had some moves. Mahogany's chest tightened at the thought of Swayer's dogged pursuit of the truth. There was no way Mahogany was going to hold her off forever from placing her fingerprints on the anelace and the library.
Mahogany sighed. There wasn't anything she could do about it now. She shook her head, clearing away the sense of impending doom, and turned her thoughts to the party at hand.
"Here you go," Evelina said, holding two plates filled with jerked tofu.
Mahogany took hers and asked, "Did you invite the detective?"
"Of course. I figured if we're going to solve murders, we might want to make nice with the local constabulary." Evelina smiled and placed her hands on the front of her apron.
"You need to stop watching all those British crime procedurals," Mahogany said, still watching the human Detective and immortal Gorgons cut a rug.
"Evelina has a point," Tony said. He set his plate and wine on a nearby chair. "We could get licensed and offer help to the citizens of Pandemonium, for a small fee, of course." Tony pulled a business card from his pocket and handed it to Mahogany.
She ran her gaze over the card. "Investigators? But we don't know the first thing about becoming PIs." She handed the card back to Tony.
"It's only a mock-up, and I'm still learning what it will take to get licensed," he said, pushing the card back at Mahogany, who shrugged and placed it in her pocket.
"Think about it, Mahogany. I bet we could solve anything with your keen mind, my access to gossip, Tony's lock picking, Guy's ability to slip through walls, Bazgul's cuteness, we could crack the hardest cases."
Mahogany glared at Evelina and then Tony. "All right. I'll think about it, but I promise nothing."
Evelina threw herself at Mahogany, almost upending her plate of food, and hugged her. "I knew you'd come around."
Mahogany rolled her eye but smiled past Evelina at Tony. "I said I'd think about it. Let me eat this amazing food before you knock it out of my hand."
Evelina squealed again and grabbed Peaches' hand, pulling her to the dance floor, where they displayed the dancing prowess of extras from Dirty Dancing.
As she ate, Mahogany wondered if they could make a go at solving mysteries. The thought made her head spin with possibilities.
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A/N: And there you have it. The final chapter of The Girl and the Clock Tower Murder. If you enjoy this series, you will be happy to know that a third book is in the works.
Join Mahogany and the gang as they try to piece together a decades-old death. Was it murder or a tragic accident? Find out in The Girl and the Body in the Well, coming soon.
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