The Girl with the Uninvited Ghost: Pandemonium Cozy Mystery #1

Chapter 24

Mahogany maneuvered her Vespa into the parking space at the back of the Haughty Hemlock and entered the kitchen. She set Bazgul on his cat tree before grabbing a few treats of freeze-dried mealworms, which he gobbled up.

"Oh, good, you're back," Neema said, popping into the kitchen to start the kettle for tea. "Would you mind watching the store while I get a fresh cup and hit the powder room?"

"Sure," Mahogany said, smiling. Here Neema was in her early fifties and still couldn't manage to use the word bathroom. Any semblance of what she did in the small, windowless room that thankfully kept her secrets was off-limits.

Mahogany and Guy headed into the apothecary while Neema danced upstairs to relieve herself. The store door opened, and Cheryl, their postal carrier, rushed. She nodded to Mahogany and dropped a stack of letters fastened to a modest package by a rubber band before dashing back outside.

"Thanks, Cheryl," Mahogany said, and Cheryl waved through the window as she quick-stepped to the next delivery. Mahogany thumbed through the letters, most of which were order invoices. The package was from one of their distributors.

"That's better," Neema said, returning to the store. "Anything good?" She nodded to the stack of mail.

"Nope, just bills and junk mail," Mahogany said as she handed the letters to Neema.

"Would you mind taking out the trash?" Neema said as she sifted through the mail.

"No problem." Mahogany gathered the sheer plastic bag from the wastebasket behind the counter. As her fingers gripped the door's brass handle, someone pushed it open, nearly hitting her.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," said a tall woman with auburn hair neatly quaffed into a vintage bob. Mahogany recognized the woman from the day before.

"That's all right," Mahogany said, taking the door from the woman and holding it open. "How's your stomach?"

"My stomach?" The woman frowned.

"You bought tea for your stomach yesterday. Something about the plane food bothering you," Mahogany said.

"Oh, yes, of course. I don't usually share my health issues with strangers, but thank you for asking. My stomach is much better. Your, um, employer's tea did the trick. I'm here for more in case my issue crops up again." The woman held her hand to the side of her mouth when she said 'issue' as if it were a euphemism for explosive diarrhea.

"Neema makes the best teas in the state." Mahogany held up the trash bag, "If you'd excuse me," Mahogany said and mimicked the woman's gesture and whispered, "duty calls."

The woman gave a high-pitched giggle and swept past Mahogany into the store. Mahogany stepped onto the sidewalk and let the door fall shut behind her. She rounded the side of the building to the ally and tossed the trash bag into the dumpster. As she turned, Cheryl waved to her from across the street, an envelope in her hand.

Mahogany jogged to meet her, her boot heels tapping on the smooth asphalt, pentagram necklace bouncing around her neck.

"This one was sorted with another business's mail," Cheryl said, handing over the envelope.

Mahogany reached the sidewalk in front of Humbaba and took the proffered piece of mail, thanking Cheryl. She glanced at the letter, her heart skipping a beat. Thad's neat block lettering from the other mystery envelopes graced the front.

She peered over her shoulder towards Haughty Hemlock, ensuring Neema wasn't checking up on her. Mahogany stuffed the letter into the back pocket of her jeans. She couldn't believe her luck. Just as she thought the whole investigation was over, a new lead was hand-delivered. Spirits high, Mahogany skipped across the street, not noticing the scaly hand holding back the black curtain in Humbaba's window.