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

Chapter 28

"You are never going to guess what happened today." Evelina burst through Tony's front door. Her alabaster skin was flushed, and her golden hair hung in ruffled tangles.

"Whoa," Mahogany said. "You look like you've run a marathon."

"Practically." Evelina dropped her purse onto the floor, the items inside clattering in protest. "I decided to walk to Nancy's from work to return the bowl and ran the whole way here."

"You did what?" Tony slid his hands into a set of potholders bearing a pentagram and a black cat. One hand gripped the oven handle, frozen place. "She could be the murderer. What if she attacked you?"

Evelina waved her hand in the air, brushing away Tony's concern. "It was fine. Plus, I couldn't just sit and wait for you two to return. There are murders to solve."

Mahogany caught Tony's eye from across the kitchen and shrugged. "Isn't Nancy's place only a few blocks from here? You look like you've run miles."

"We Fae are not runners. We're more like gliders," Evelina said. "Did you make that?" She pointed to the steaming casserole dish Tony pulled from the oven.

"He did," Mahogany said, a smirk gracing her lips.

Evelina raised an eyebrow. "Cute, smart, and he cooks? It's a trifecta of awesome."

Tony set the piping dish on the counter and frowned. "Wow, the guys in Pandemonium sure have set a low bar."

Guy's head emerged from the center of the steaming lasagna. "Oh, wow. You're in for a treat," he said to Mahogany. "This has got to be the best lasagna I've never tasted."

"The useless type," Mahogany said, scowling at Guy's disembodied head.

"Remember Ralph Evens?" Evelina nudged Mahogany in the ribs. "He was so in love with you."

Mahogany groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Old Ralphie boy, huh." Tony put his elbows on the counter and rested his head on his hands. "What did Ralphie do?" He blinked at Mahogany, his mouth curving in a smile.

"More like what he didn't do," Evelina said before brushing Ralph Evens away with a flick of her wrist. "I have more pressing news."

Tony pointed at Mahogany. "This conversation isn't over."

Mahogany's cheeks tingled with a blush. "Right." She swiveled on the barstool and peered at Evelina. "What did you find out?"

Evelina kicked off her sandals and hopped on the barstool next to Mahogany. Tony placed an empty wine glass in front of her. "Red or white?"

"Red, please, and thank you. So, I get to Nancy's, and she's alone, or at least I thought she was."

Mahogany rested her head on her fist, her eyebrows raised. "Go on."

"Well." Evelina drained her glass in one gulp and held it out for Tony to refill. "Nancy answers the door, and I hand over the bowl. At first, she thanked me, then she recognized me as the person who called her out about the faulty crime rate statistics. She was not happy about being contradicted in front of her flock."

"I bet." Tony served Mahogany and Evelina. He then placed a small helping onto a saucer and set it on the counter in front of Bazgul. The demon spider chattered and dug in, sending flecks of cheese and sauce onto the counter.

"What did you do next?" Mahogany said, taking her first bite of Tony's lasagna, which filled her mouth with the rich flavors of Southern Italy.

"I asked her about Magic Mike, whom she denied having ever spoken to." Evelina took a sip of wine. "That didn't go so well."