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

Chapter 25

Mahogany set the beer on the kitchen counter and handed the folded envelope to Tony.

He reached for the letter, his finger brushing against hers, sending a jot of lightening through her arm. She was glad she'd set down the beer, fearing her now shaking hand might have dropped it.

Evelina set the plate next to Mahogany's beer. "Can I get you anything else?"

Mahogany shook her head, loathing that Evelina acted as if she lived here.

Tony picked up a dusty, faded tome on the coffee table with the letter in hand. "My research has turned up several types of magically encoded messages and how to reveal what's written." Tony flipped through the book. The scent of old paper drifted through the room. "Moonlight works for letters written between lovers. Minotaur urine reacts with messages written in wizard's blood. Mermaid tears work on ocean water, and letters written with a phoenix feather react to firelight," Tony said, running his finger down the page as he read.

"Cool and gross," Evelina said. "Now, we just need to figure out which solution to use."

"I say we start with the least invasive," Mahogany said. "We don't want to cover the thing in bull urine if it's not going to work."

"Excellent point," Evelina said. She pulled back the curtain on the kitchen window. "The moon's out now. We could give it a try."

Tony joined Evelina at the window. "Mahogany, would you mind getting the light?" He walked to a standing lamp in the living room and switched it off.

Mahogany flipped the kitchen wall switch and bathed the room in the silver moonlight. Cautiously, Mahogany made her way over to the window, and together they peered at the blank page as the waning moon shone upon it.

"How long should it take?" Evelina asked after several minutes.

"I'm not sure. My uncle's book isn't that detailed," Tony said, lowering the letter.

"Something would have happened by now," Mahogany said. "Let's try another from the list."

"Firelight is the driest of the three left," Tony offered.

"We need a candle." Mahogany moved back to where her food sat on the counter and took another grateful bite of her cold pizza. She hadn't eaten since the chips and guacamole.

"There are some in my uncle's study." Tony disappeared down the hall and returned with a long taper and a brass candle holder. From his pocket, he retrieved a silver Zippo.

"Set it up over here," Evelina said, patting the kitchen counter.

Tony did as requested and lit the candle. The firelight cast a warm glow through the paper, and they held their breath, waiting. Just when they were about to move on, faint writing appeared.

"It's working," Evelina said, clapping her hand. "Phoenix feather for the win!"

Thad's block lettering darkened until the whole message could be deciphered.

YOU ARE IN DANGER. COVER BLOWN. WE COULD BE NEXT.

"Cryptic much?" Evelina said, the excitement fading from her eyes.

"What cover?" Mahogany said, plucking the letter from Tony's fingers.

"She must be hiding from something," Tony offered.

"We came to Pandemonium over twenty years ago. That's a long time to hide." Mahogany's thoughts raced. Did this have something to do with the scandal all those years ago in Boston? Was she hiding from someone or something? Is that why she changed her name and moved across the country?