Investigator Vale : The Curse of Mandrake Manor Content . You have no ghost , my dearest friend . The culprit is , in fact , Palwin the blacksmith ! Investigator Vale ' s words echoed off the walls as the crowd gathered in the library around Lady Mandrake gasped . Heads turned in all directions , seeking the accused . In the back of the room , the blacksmith stood nervously . A look of utter guild spread across his face even as he shook his head from side to side . What are you talking about ? There was no way a mere mortal could have caused all this trouble , " he said defensively , " How could I sneak into a locked room and murder the butler ? How could I hide the body when I was in my forge the entire time ? You have no evidence , wench ! The room fell silent as all eyes once again turned to Investigator Vale . The insult didn ' t seem to faze her in the least . Her eyes sparkled in the flickering candlelight as she drew back her shoulders and tilted her chin up slightly so that her raven hair fell across her back . The fingers of her right hand , curled into a tight fist , seemed to clutch something . She made a deliberate show of rotating her fist and letting her fingers fall open to reveal a shiny bronze key in the shape of a skull . Oh , you have once again underestimated me , dear Palwin , " Vale said . " The evidence is clear as the nose on your face . You were the only one who had access to this skeleton key , the one lost by the lord of Mandrake Manor ! " Palwin ' s eyes widened . He stumbled over his words before collecting himself , Then he said , " You . . . you don ' t know that was mine . How did you even get it ? I . . . wait . You used me ! Vale ' s head rolled back as a joyous laugh erupted from her long , elegant throat . " Oh , you silly little man ! Of course I used you ! Those drinks we shared last night ? I added a tincture to yours that allowed me to search your rooms after you fell into a deep sleep . It was then a simple matter for me to see exactly what was out of place . Vale , now moving about the room and playing to her audience , continued . " Scratches on the floor by the bookshelf clearly revealed evidence of a hidden door . Gloves casually tossed in a corner , stained with blood . Boots caked with grass from the forest where the bodies were found . And this key , sitting on your nightstand for anyone to see . What does any of that prove , except that you drugged me ? " Palwin cried . It proves everything , " Vale said happily . " Instead of a ghost , we have a disgruntled blacksmith who wandered the tunnels beneath the manor . Tunnels that could only be accessed with this key . What started as a scheme to frighten and blackmail the lord - shame on you for that ! - eventually led to murder . No ! " Palwin screamed . " I won ' t be cheated out of what ' s mine ! Not again ! " He drew a dagger from his belt and rushed towards Vale . She stepped to the side at the last possible moment , sending Palwin off balance and head - long into the wall . He fell , his own dagger protruding from his chest . Murder never pays , " Vale said . " Now if you ' ll excuse me , I have a bottle of aqua vitae waiting for me . And another mystery . There ' s always another mystery .