Alec listened to Clay’s retelling intently. He took a seat beside Clay on the bench, furrowing his brow in consideration. He gave the half-bewildered-half-satisfied chuckle of a witness to improbable circumstances. “I think I know where your ring is,” said Alec.

“Oh?” said Clay.

“You’re going to think I’m crazy,” said Alec.

“Try me,” said Clay.

“I’ll tell you,” said Alec. “I think we can wrap up both of our cases by tomorrow morning. We may just need some mineral oil.”

“I’m listening,” said Clay.

Alec recounted the details of his own investigation, starting with his arrival in Liltsburgh that morning. Clay’s interest was piqued at the mention of the Sandow family living on Welville Road.

“How is it, even when we’re assigned to different cases outside of the city, we end up getting entangled like this?” said Clay. “You’re telling me that you were hired by the Sandow family? The family that Evan Hislop was stalking last night?”

“That’s right,” said Alec. “And it can’t be a coincidence that he was there, one night after the Sandow dog was killed.”

“Why would Evan have killed the dog?” said Clay.

“He was looking for the ring,” said Alec.

“The dog had the ring?” said Clay. “I’ve never known a dog that was much into jewelry. Do you mean that it swallowed it?”

“It would explain the motivation,” said Alec. “Imagine, Evan Hislop lifts the ring from Seymour Thompkins, but he doesn’t get away clean. As he flees, he realizes that he has stolen something very valuable, much more valuable than his usual bounty. Evan is chased into the fish market, where he decides to ditch his hat and jacket to throw off the constables that are following him. The problem still remains: constables are having men turn out their pockets upon leaving the market, so it’s a risk to sneak out with the ring, but it’s also a risk to hang around for any longer. What if he bought a fish for the purpose of hiding the ring? He buys a fish—or some other morsel—tucks the ring inside, and then leaves the market without raising suspicion. He turns out his pockets for the constables, but they don’t search his purchased goods from the market. On his way home, Evan runs into the Sandow dog—Douglas admitted that his dogs liked to roam around town with a wide berth, and Constable Susan Janson noted that dogs are known to hang around the market—and the dog ends up getting the fish from Evan and swallowing it. Evan follows the dog, or recognizes it, and so he decides to return to the Sandow home at night to try to get the ring back by any means necessary. That would explain the motivation for butchering a dog’s stomach and guts like that, and using fish as the bait.”

“But Evan went back again last night, so he must not have found the ring on Monday night,” said Clay.

“Exactly,” said Alec. “The Sandows have two dogs that are practically identical, Rex and Milo. Evan killed the wrong dog. It was Milo that ran into Evan after he escaped the fish market, and then swallowed the ring, but it was Rex that Evan killed on Monday night, by mistake. The Sandows seemed to think that Milo was acting strange because Rex was gone, but what if Milo simply felt sick because there was a ring clogging his guts? Lack of appetite, weakness, pale gums, increased heart rate… these are all symptoms of metal poisoning from the sterling silver band.”

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Clay leaned forward on the bench seat. Clouds were clearing from the sky. He sipped the last of his coffee before speaking, counting up on the fingers of his left hand as he did so, recapping Alec’s theory. “(1) A thief steals a ring and flees from the authorities, (2) a dog happens to swallow the ring and runs away, (3) the thief tracks the dog to cut it open in search of the ring, but he cuts open the wrong dog. He's already returned once to the dead dog’s house, trying to lure out the correct dog, the one that has a ring in its belly.”

“Unfortunately for Evan, the Sandows didn’t let Milo out last night,” said Alec. “Good thing, too. But do you think Evan will try it again tonight? It’s a race against the clock after all—eventually the ring will pass, or Milo will, at which point the Sandows may discover it.”

“If you’re right, then I wouldn’t be surprised if Evan goes there again tonight,” said Clay.

Alec and Clay returned to the Sandow home with a bottle of veterinary mineral oil. Douglas and Mossie agreed to feed the laxative to Milo after the investigators explained that they thought the dog had swallowed something that was causing its ailment.

“So, you work for the Detecting Company as well?” said Douglas to Clay.

Clay nodded. “I do.”

“I wouldn’t have guessed that there were two of you in Liltsburgh at the same time,” said Douglas. “Seems like you folks are everywhere.”

“Sure, just about,” said Clay.

Celeste piped up from behind them. “Why did you want to be an investigator?”

“I’m good at finding things, and finding people,” said Clay.

“Are you good at hide-and-seek?” said Georgia.

“I’m one of the best,” said Clay.

Within a couple hours of the laxative’s application, Milo produced the emerald ring, just as Alec had predicted. After thoroughly scrubbing it clean, Clay held the ring up to the window, afternoon light dancing in and around the carved emerald. The gemstone was a mesmerizing translucent green.

“Well, I never imagined that the ring would turn up in the intestines of a sick dog,” said Clay. “You’ve all made my job a lot easier.”

“So, that’s why Rex was killed?” said Mossie. “The killer thought there was jewelry in his stomach?” She was crouched over Milo, scratching the dog behind the ears. Milo already appeared somewhat rejuvenated and relieved after passing the ring.

“That seems to be the case,” said Alec. “And we think he may come back again tonight. With the stolen ring as evidence of the true nature of Rex’s death, I’m sure the constabulary will be willing to post a couple of watchmen nearby to catch the pickpocket-dog killer.”

“I can’t believe that someone would be driven to kill Rex over this,” said Douglas. “I never thought something like this would happen in Liltsburgh of all places.”

“Believe it,” said Clay. “I’ve seen a lot of people do a lot worse for a lot less. There are desperate people anywhere you go.”

Constables Janson and Carbey were intrigued by Alec’s tip regarding Evan Hislop. They confirmed that Evan was not working at the butcher shop on Monday at the time of the theft, and that he fit the description of the pickpocket. The constables agreed to watch over the Sandow house that night. Evan returned for the third night in a row, equipped with his meat carving tools. He wandered straight into the hands of the Liltsburgh Constabulary, whistling as he did so.

Seymour Thompkins was overjoyed to see his ring returned. He was less enthusiastic when we learned where it had been lost for the past two days. The ring did not appear to have suffered any significant damage.

The next morning, Alec and Clay traveled back to Cogdon by train, leaving the small, fish-scented town behind.