Over the next week or so, Ezekal Sawyer and Mantell Roberts conferred over the strange manuscript that was found in the Rat-Things lair. Jonathan Beaumont and Conrad Nagel rested, healed, and recovered from their wounds both physical and mental. Deacon Faust spent the time as any rich man about town would.

One day, a middle aged woman entered Dr. Roberts bookstore, The Codex Esoterica. She browsed in the ghosts and haunting section, looking confused and befuddled. Dr. Roberts came to her assistance. "May I help you?" he whined in that high pitched voice of his. Looking back and forth across the near empty bookstore, she said "I was just looking over your selection of books and I dont know where to start. You see I have a problem and I was hoping to find something in here to help me. Mantells eyes bugged a little more than usual at this. He coughed and then said. "Why madam if you would just tell me your problem. I would be very so glad to help you" Dr. Roberts then remembered to smile and thats just what he did. "Well" said the lady "My name is Mabel Duncan, I live up on Nob Hill. A few nights ago, I think I saw a ghost". Mantells head cocked to the side, like a hound dog sniffing a strange scent. "Why Mrs. Duncan, we have a large range of books on ghosts and the like. If you would tell me more about this ghost maybe I can steer you to the correct ones. "You see a few nights ago, I was in my upstairs sitting room reading a most enjoyable romance novel. It was a little after 8:00 in the evening and it has just stopping raining about an hour before. By chance I glanced outside my window and saw a most troubling sight. I saw a man hanging by a noose from the home across the street. And that was not the most gruesome part of it. His face was white and swollen, and as he slowly spun in front a second story window his arms and legs made the most unnatural movements. Quite in shock and went downstairs to get my husband but by the time I had returned, the aberration was gone." "Mrs. Duncan, may I ask you a question? Whose home was this that this "ghost" hung in front of?" said Roberts. "Why it as the home an Elmer Standish, he is a young man who we have very little contact with. A rather nervous person I believe."

Dr. Roberts then picked up several books from the shelves and handed them to the woman. "This should help you considerably my good lady. And if you wish, I will look into this myself for you, just in case some danger might be involved." The woman thanked Dr. Roberts for the books and the advice and after paying him for the books, she ambled out of the store.