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Two waterspout gargoyles adding ambiance to the facade looked down at them as Tempest, Ivy, Gideon, and Sanjay climbed the steps to the Locked Room Library. The stone creatures had been added as part of the renovation that turned the Victorian house into a library on the first floor, though the Gothic pair looked as if they’d existed for centuries.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Enid said as she opened the door. The sleeves of modern pajamas peeked out beneath the stylish vintage robe she wore.

“I’m sorry we woke you,” said Tempest, “but I know the secret of your invisible burglar—and why they did it.”

Stunned, Enid let them inside. Instead of turning on the lights of the library, she turned to the hidden stairs that led the way up to her apartment.

Before following, Tempest paused in the foyer that overlooked the library but was out of range of its security cameras. The sleek faux train car her dad had built was visible in the dim light. Secret Staircase Construction had modeled the train car based on Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express dining car. Members of the public could book the cozy space that held a dozen people for things like book club meetings.

“Coming?” Gideon asked, and she realized she was the last person not on the stairs.

She nodded, but before following, she waved her arms. The motion sensor raven, named Valdemar after a character in an Edgar Allan Poe story, didn’t caw. It was too far away from her. But Tempest had a clear line of sight to the raven perched on a high shelf. She knew she was right about what had happened. She hurried after the others.

“A nail gun?” Enid repeated after Tempest had explained what had happened with her break-in. “That explains why I found a couple of nails with the other trash that day. I’m sorry I didn’t make the connection to mention it.”

They were now sitting in the living room of Enid’s upstairs apartment, which was disappointingly modern compared to the classic décor of the library below.

“The more important question,” said Tempest, “is what the thief was after. I believe the library was a misdirection, and the thief went to the part of the house that doesn’t have security cameras: your apartment.”

“But I don’t have anything of value!” Enid insisted. “I don’t need the invasiveness of cameras up here. I inherited enough money to open this library in this old Victorian, but on top of all the unexpected costs of the library, maintaining an old house is a lot more expensive than I imagined. I don’t have much money left, so they certainly weren’t after my banking information. I do love shopping for vintage clothes, so I might have accidentally stumbled across a designer outfit that’s worth more than I think. That’s the only thing of value that might be here.”

“You’re Harold’s trustee,” said Tempest.

Enid crossed her arms. “I’m not stealing from his estate. A bank is the true manager of the estate, since Harold’s will was very specific about everything, but I’m the named person to oversee the estate being settled.”

“I don’t think you’re stealing,” Tempest said. “But you have all that paperwork related to his will and trust. Which could be of interest to someone else.”

“It’s on my password-protected computer, with the originals in a safe-deposit box.” She whirled around to where Sanjay was typing on her computer keyboard. “What are you doing?”

“Seeing how easy your password is to guess.”

“Ha. Have at it. You’ll never guess it.”

“Hmm,” said Sanjay. “You’re probably right. Ivy? What would she use that someone she works with knows?”

Enid laughed again. “Oh, I do love your enthusiasm. If you had your rabbit with you, I’d almost think you were like that fictional group—”

“Please don’t say it,” said Sanjay.

“If you type in the wrong password too many times,” said Enid, “you’ll probably lock me out, so please don’t keep guessing. I promise my password isn’t anything silly like Agatha1920, HerculeForever, or Sherlocked.”

Ivy reddened and mumbled something about needing to change her own passwords.

“So if that’s what they were after,” said Gideon, “they didn’t get it.”

“Well…” Enid twisted the robe’s belt between her fingers. “Maybe I had some notes in my desk drawers. It depends what the thief was after.”

“Is there any information in the will and trust that isn’t common knowledge?” Tempest asked.

“You all know what’s in there,” said Enid. “There were no secrets. Harold never had kids, and he invested his money well, so there’s plenty of money in the trust to keep the library going for decades. It includes funds for renovations, maintenance, property taxes, costs associated with running the library, and good salaries for both Cameron and a library assistant. And a modest salary for me is being paid through one year after the library opens. You all already know this.”

“Can we see—” Tempest began.

“Sure,” said Enid. “But your dad has already seen the details of the trust. He wanted to make sure there were adequate funds for the renovation. Like I said, there are no secrets in there, so I happily showed it to him.”

Tempest had been so sure she was right about the intruder needing to get access to Enid’s apartment. “Why did you lie to us about why you couldn’t come over tonight?” she asked.

Enid opened her mouth to protest, then changed her mind. Instead, she began laughing.

“I’m so sorry,” Enid said. “I’ve muddled things for no reason. I was just so exhausted . I couldn’t imagine fitting in one more thing. Do you know how difficult it is to run one library and plan another, especially with the bureaucracy I had to go through with Hidden Creek to get the Gray House Library approved to be part of this summer stroll?”

“Wait,” said Sanjay. “You were simply tired ?”

“I’m an introvert.” Enid shrugged. “I like people, but I like books even more. People are fun—especially book people—but they exhaust me. A good book and a cup of tea replenishes my energy. I know you two stage performers probably don’t understand, but Ivy probably does. And maybe Gideon.”

“Definitely,” said Gideon.

“Why didn’t you just tell us?” Ivy asked. “I would have understood.”

“It sounded important to you that we do a proper rehearsal with an audience. But I didn’t think my presence would help. So I told a white lie.”

“What book did you read instead?” Ivy asked.

Enid smiled. “A British Library Crime Classics collection of recently discovered bibliophile short stories from the early to mid-1900s. I got through three stories before I fell asleep. And you can find the remnants of my cup of chamomile tea in the sink.”

Ivy reddened. “I’m sorry we had to ask.”

Enid smiled warmly. “I’m glad you came and asked, rather than skulking around thinking I was a killer instead of simply asking for my explanation for why I lied. Do you know how often the puzzle of a mystery novel would have been cleared up early on if only the characters had spoken to one another?”

“But then there wouldn’t be a book,” said Ivy.

“Agreed,” said Enid. “And what fun would that be? But truly, saying I was tired wasn’t a subtle hint that you should leave. It’s more that I’m being run ragged running my library and now having to set up a new one.”

“You don’t want to do it?” Tempest asked.

Enid hesitated. “I wanted to follow through with Harold’s dying wish, but honestly? Cameron could have done it with the help of a consultant. It didn’t need to be me. I wish Harold had never asked.”

“I’m glad I’m not a real homicide detective,” Sanjay said on the walk back to where they’d found a parking spot two blocks away. “I don’t know how I’d deal with the constant frustration on a daily basis. We’re no closer than we were before.”

“Aren’t we?” said Tempest.

“You learned something?” Gideon asked.

“I believe she was telling us the truth,” said Tempest, “which unfortunately gives her a very strong motive. We now know the break-in was related to the Gray House Library, since the nail gun on-site was used—and Enid Maddox didn’t want that library to open.”

“You can’t really think Enid is a killer!” Ivy shouted the words so loudly that a light clicked on in a second-floor window of the house they were standing next to.

Sanjay ushered Ivy into the jeep, and they pulled away before the person they’d woken could take further action.

“I simply think it means we can’t rule her out,” Tempest said. “We shouldn’t be looking at motives anyway. That’s what Blackburn does well. We need to focus on what we do well.”

“Bickering with a bunny at our side?” Sanjay quipped.

“We know how Lucas was killed now,” said Tempest, “which anyone could have done, since the house wasn’t under observation at that time. Blackburn is looking into people and forensics, but there are two impossibilities that haven’t been solved.”

“The disappearing body,” said Sanjay.

“And the reappearing one,” Tempest added. “That’s what we can solve. It’s what we should have been doing tonight in the barn when we got sidetracked.”

“You’re the one who sidetracked us,” Sanjay pointed out.

Tempest scowled into the rearview mirror, but Sanjay wasn’t looking her way to see it. “Hey, I solved the mystery of the invisible intruder.”

“That’s not bad for one night,” Gideon said.

Tempest grinned and caught his eye. “Who says the night is over?”