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

Chapter 3

"We're still trying to figure that out," the detective said, not looking up from her notes. "Did you hear anything out of the ordinary while in the house or as you left?"

Mahogany shook her head. "I left with Evelina, and we were busy chatting, so I didn't notice anything."

"If you remember something, please get in touch," the detective snapped her notepad shut, pocketing it.

Mahogany gave the detective a mock salute and turned to retrieve her Vespa.

The uniformed officers had made it to Tony's front door, where they stood questioning him. Mahogany's gaze collided with Tony's over one of the officer's shoulders.

He gave Mahogany a slight smile that carried a tone of sadness so out of place on Tony's lovely, golden face that Mahogany's breath caught in her throat.

"You should probably get your bike and head home. There's nothing for you to do here, and if I discover you sticking your nose into this investigation like last time, I'm arresting you for obstruction," the detective warned.

Mahogany kept her gaze locked on Tony as he closed the door. Fighting the urge to march past the officers and confront him, beating the problem out of him if necessary, Mahogany mounted her scooter and pulled the compass from her pocket.

The bone needled pointed straight at the clock tower. Mahogany gazed past the police cruisers, crime scene tape, and milling officers and sighed. She'd have to sneak into the crime scene and try to retrieve the enchanted objects later.

***

"Did you hear what happened?" Neema greeted Mahogany as she entered the Haughty Hemlock from their home attached at the rear of the building.

"Does it have to do with the clock tower?" Mahogany asked, scratching her scalp underneath the scarf. The day was warmer than anticipated, and her scalp prickled with sweat.

"Yes, but how did you know that?" Neema stopped filling a jar with dried chamomile flowers and eyed Mahogany suspiciously. "You haven't been snooping around, have you?"

"I left my bike at Tony's last night, and when I went to get it this morning, I saw the ambulance take someone away in a body bag. I also ran into Detective Sawyer."

Neema sniffed at the mention of the detective. "Well, I'm sure she didn't tell you anything important." She shook more chamomile into the jar. "Matt Hader's been murdered."

"Matt Hader, that was here yesterday arguing with RW?" Mahogany said, her heart quickening. "Matt Hader, who I served earl gray to? That Matt Hader?"

"Mahogany, don't be stupid, of course, that Matt Hader." Neema rolled her eyes. "I know it's a shock, having just spent time with him less than twenty-four hours ago."

"Any idea what happened?" Mahogany asked, unwrapping a homemade toffee and popping it into her mouth.

"Those are for the customers," Neema scolded. "Euryale came by this morning to thank you for the skin cream, and she told me about Matt. I'm not sure how she heard about it. She seldom leaves Humbaba."

Mahogany peered across the street at Humbaba through the Haughty Hemlock's window. A pale hand held back the dark curtains, spying on the world beyond.

"By the way, nice work on the skin cream. Euryale looks great. What did you use?" Neema finished filling the chamomile jar and moved on to the next.

"Oh, I don't remember," Mahogany said with a shrug. "It was a recipe I found online." A seed of warmth bloomed in Mahogany's chest. She'd used a spell to craft Euryale's cream and had only given it to her yesterday morning. The cream had worked much faster than she'd expected. After using a revealing spell on a mirror in the brownstone to help solve Guy's murder last summer, Mahogany had decided to try a little experiment, and it seemed to be working. But how? How was she, a human, doing magic?