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

Chapter 19

"What did Magic Mike want with Neema?" Evelina asked the following afternoon. They stood out in front of a modest two-story Victorian with a pristine lawn. Someone had stuck a sign that read: End Halloween! Meeting at Noon. A similar yet smaller sign with an arrow pointed to the side of the house where a wooden gate stood open.

Mahogany thought about the photo of Neema and Mike in their teens but said nothing. Guy eyed her with a scowl which she ignored. "Guy mentioned a binding spell he and Mike were working on. Maybe they needed special herbs." Mahogany reached up and patted her shoulder, expecting to find Bazgul, but her hand came up empty. A small empty spot opened in her chest. Ever since she'd bumped into Tony as she left Hot Brews, Bazgul had been acting strange. Whenever Tony was about or his name came up, Bazgul transformed into a wet, slimy toad, and this morning, she couldn't find him anywhere.

"In similar news, I may have made some headway with the letters," Tony said. "Maybe they will answer some questions about Neema."

"That's great," Mahogany said. A warmth fluttered in her chest at the thought of Tony researching late into the night. Bob curled up in his lap. Tony's short dark hair was shower-damp, his chest bare.

"My uncle's library has some great books on encoding magical messages," Tony said. He smiled down at Mahogany. "I'm close to finding the answer. Shall we?" Tony asked. He held his hand out, motioning Mohogany and Evelina to go first.

Guy snorted. "Such a gentleman."

"You're just jealous," Mahogany said and started toward the gate.

"Who's jealous?" Tony asked.

"It's not important," Mahogany said. A few random couples carrying casserole dishes with tea towels draped over them entered the backyard ahead of them.

"Should we have brought refreshments?" A worried frown brought Evelina's eyebrows together. "I can run back to Hot Brews and grab some scones or brownies."

Mahogany entered the manicured backyard and gazed about the area. Grass so green it seemed impossible stretched from the impeccably edged fence line to a flawlessly mulched side garden filled with perfectly tended hydrangeas. A man in a pale yellow polo shirt and khaki dockers flipped various burgers at a stainless steel, built-in barbecue. A shelter of snappy red bricks encased the large outdoor cookery nestled under an arbor spilling over with purple and white wisteria blooms. Next to the barbecue was a glossy granite counter piled high with hamburger buns, enough condiments to last a year, bowls of chips, platters of cookies, and vats of potato salad and coleslaw. Nearly fifty people attired in various pastel floral prints, stripes, and polka dots milled about the yards. Several middle-aged white women held wine glasses, the yellow liquid chilled with a single ice cube.

"Definitely not," Mahogany said.

"Oh, my, gods." Evelina stifled a giggle against her cupped hand. "It's like a Caucasian heaven."

"Can confirm," Tony said. "Someone put raisins in the potato salad."

"Monsters." Mahogany made a face.

"Welcome!" The man in the yellow polo said. He gave a jaunty wave from the grill with the heavy metal spatula.

Mahogany, Tony, and Evelina raised a hand and gave a small wave in return.

"Oh, good! The more, the merrier." A woman wearing a yellow jumpsuit that matched the man's shirt at the grill approached them, her platinum blond hair done up in a neat bun at the back of her head. Tendrils of hair curled in perfect spirals, kissing her neck. "New faces! How lovely. Please, tell me your names." She leaned in towards Tony, her eyes blinking expectantly.

"I'm Tony Applegate. This is Evelina." He stopped and peered at Evelina.

"Moore. Evelina Moore," Evelina said, finishing Tony's sentence.

"And I'm Mahogany."

Tony and the blond woman turned to Mahogany, waiting for her to finish.

"That's it. Just Mahogany," she said.

"Her parents were fans of Cher," Evelina said, squeezing Mahogany's hand.

"Well, that's interesting." Something cold crept into the blond woman's eyes, and her gaze lingered on Mahogany's pink hair. "Have you lived in Pandemonium long?" she asked. Her thin lips curled up in a practiced smile that lingered beneath her eyes.

"Most of my life," Mahogany said. Beside her, Guy's semi-solid form flickered. Mahogany side-eyed him.

Evelina nodded. "Born here."

The woman turned her plastic smile and vapid stare to Tony. "Just a few months," he said.

"Marvelous!" the woman said. "I'm Nancy Roberts. Head of the committee to revamp Pandemonium. You know, make it more family-friendly." Again, her gaze lingered on Mahogany's hair.

A young man wearing black dress slacks and a white button-up shirt carrying a tray ladened with glasses half-filled with various wines approached. Nancy stopped him with a much too familiar hand on his chest. Her red nails glinted like blood against the pale of his shirt.

Evelina raised a shapely eyebrow, and Tony coughed.

"Would you like something to drink?" Nancy's hand lingered on the well-built server's chest. One of her red lacquered nails slipped under a button on the man's shirt.

"No, we're good," Mahogany said, grabbing Evelina and Tony's arms and steering them away from Nancy.

"I have to work later." Tony gave an apologetic smile as Mahogany towed him away.

"That was strange, right," Mahogany said once they had placed some distance between themselves and Nancy.

"I've stepped into housewife hell," Evelina said. "These freaks want to get rid of what makes Pandemonium great." She blew out a long breath. "I'm getting angry."

"Down, girl." Mahogany nodded toward a small stone patio raised higher than the rest of the yard. Nancy had moved to take center stage and clapped to get everyone's attention.

"Thank you all for coming today. Keith and I appreciate it." The man at the grill saluted with his spatula.

Next to Mahogany, Guy flickered again.

"What's wrong with you?" Mahogany leaned over and whispered.

"I recognize that voice."

"What's going on?" Tony whispered back, tilting his head toward Mahogany.

"From where?" Mahogany asked.

"Who's where?" Evelina joined in.

"The woman who came to the brownstone and argued with Mike before our murderers." Guy's flickering quieted.

"Now that is interesting." Mahogany turned her attention back to Nancy. "Guy says she's the woman who argued with Mike at the brownstone." She lifted her chin at Nancy.

_____

A/N: This party sucks, with a capital S, but they did get a good lead. Maybe this Nancy Roberts will be their murderer. She should probably be taken off the good streets of Pandemonium before she gets her painted nails into any more of the town's youth.

I've dedicated this chapter to @DeliriousMoon whose cozy mystery, Bleed for the Camera, is out-of-this-world fun.