Dr. Penguin and Ms. Parrot gazed up at the two suits of armor that guarded the mahogany bookcase. One of the knights was missing its halberd, and Dr. Penguin could only assume the lost weapon was the key to solving this mystery. Where it was located was the pressing question.

“So you believe one of us to be the murderer, Penguin?” Ms. Parrot asked skeptically. “If the halberd was what killed our host, which one of us is strong enough to have carried it all the way to the kitchen in such a short amount of time?”

“I’m afraid I don’t have the answers yet,” Dr. Penguin said. “Any of us could have the strength, or perhaps there are more of us lurking in the shadows.”

“More of us?”

“More guests, yes. Hard to believe there are only five guests at a dinner party in such a lavish mansion, don’t you think?”

“I suppose that could be the case.”

Dr. Penguin smiled, though his expression was difficult to read under his black and white mask. 

Ms. Parrot looked as if she wanted to say something further in response, but she thought against it and leaned on the knight behind her. 

The pressure she put on the armor must have triggered a secret mechanism, however, and suddenly the halberd came down, hard, on the empty bookshelf. As it began to fall forward, Dr. Penguin grabbed Ms. Parrot and dragged her out of the way.

“A secret passage,” he said, gesturing to the cavern that appeared in the fallen bookshelf’s wake.

“Hold on, something’s on the ground,” Ms. Parrot murmured, and she led Dr. Penguin inside.

On the floor was a broken lens, glinting in the torchlight. Ms. Parrot, skeptical, looked back up at Dr. Penguin.

One of his glasses lenses was missing.

Edited by Abby Stetina | astetina@themaneater.com