Avery had a clue, something she never had since this whole episode started. She puzzled over it as she sat on her bed in her home.

The clue might not even be helpful. Maybe it was just some pointless dream nonsense. But something told Avery what Deirdre had said was extremely important. I wish I could've said goodbye. I wish I could do something…

Avery's head shot up.

She could do something.

Avery opened the door and raced out of her house to the town hall. She ran inside.

"Isabelle!" Avery called. "Wait...Isabelle?"

Isabelle wasn't in her normal spot in her chair. For a second, she was confused. Then she laughed to herself. Isabelle was a living creature like her or Deirdre or Goldie. She had to go out and buy food sometimes, right? Or go to the bathroom? Avery paused, glad she installed the fire hydrant far away from her house or the town hall. Yuck.

Avery decided to catch up on paperwork. She was the mayor, but she always left the hard part to her poor secretary. She picked up the papers on the desk.

"Town: Crescent

Price: 1,000,000 Bells

Town is to come with 9 residents.

Next Town: Odiar"

Avery paused. Crescent was worth 1 million bells? From where she came from, that'd be $10,000. For this teeny town! Incredible!

Isabelle opened the door to the town hall and squealed in surprise.

"Sorry to scare you," Avery said sheepishly. "I just wanted to set something up. A public works project."

"O-oh! Which one?"

"A Wisteria Trellis."

Avery shut her eyes as a memory came to mind.

"Hello, Mayor!"

"H-huh? W-who are you?"

"One of your residents, Deirdre! Now that you're our mayor, I've been dying to have this in town!"

"Have something in town…that sounds nice, I guess…"

"Yeah! I think the town would rock with a Wisteria Trellis, whatevs."

"Miss Mayor? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Avery replied, her voice wobbly.

"Alright. I'll start on the paperwork." Isabelle was staring at the paper Avery was holding.

"Say, Isabelle, what's this paper for?" Avery asked, waving the paper. Isabelle smiled.

"It's just some info on Crescent. Really, I don't know why I haven't thrown that out yet!"

Avery nodded and headed out the door. As she turned and waved good-bye to her secretary, something black and shiny caught her eye.

The file cabinet.

Avery stared at it as if it had teeth when Isabelle's voice brought her back.

"Mayor? Are you alright?"

"I-I…I'm fine," she stuttered. "If you don't mind me asking, um, where were you?"

"I was collecting some fruit to make a nice little salad. I miss the perfect pear trees."

"Me too, Isabelle. Luckily, Goldie found a natural one growing a day ago, and we're repairing the trees."

"Oh, that's good to know!" Isabelle smiled and began scribbling on a paper titled "Wisteria Trellis".

"See you," Avery said, then closed the door. Every instinct wanted to look in that file cabinet, but Avery resisted.

She instead walked along the paths. She hadn't done her daily evening walk in weeks. She closed her eyes. What was she grateful for?

Her residents. Her town. Her family, food, water, and shelter. The bells she worked for. All the shopkeepers and shops. Her life.

"Not much has changed," she whispered to herself. "Nor will it ever."

Avery sat down on the log bench. Deirdre had suggested that too, she reflected. Avery leaned back and let the wind sooth her. But her mind would not rest. She had to check the file cabinet. She had to.

I don't know what I'll find…but I hope it'll solve this mystery.