Checking that plastic bottle for prints proved fruitless and it seemed that any other loose threads Max, Roxanne, and PJ pulled at amounted to a hole lot of nothing. Max had begun to think he'd never catch the pudgy ghost when, on the Friday evening the week their search began, Max had an idea. He crept his way to PJ's closet where the Jack-o-lantern costume was stored and opened it to check its insides. Lo and behold, there it was, the costume of the elusive pudgy ghost, sitting right there. Max grabbed it and, knowing the severity of the accusation this costume carried with it, he brought it to Pete to discuss what should be done.

"Pete." Max said gravely. "We need to talk."

"What about Mr. Doom?" Pete replied nonchalantly.

"About this." Max answered as he held up the pudgy ghost costume.

"What's that?"

"This is the costume the little creep that drugged Roxy and me, and you'll never guess where I found it."

"It can't have been mine. I'd be crushed to death if I were to put it on."

"No I did not find it in your things. I found it in the Jack-o-lantern costume Peej wore to the Halloween party. I came to you to see what should be done rather than getting the law involved immediately since Peej is still my friend and you did take me in."

"And I appreciate your bringing it to me. I can't have this getting out or PJ'll be ruined before he gets a chance."

"I'm glad we're in agreement regarding that but still that leaves out one important problem."

"What's that?"

"Roxanne's not stupid and I'm dead if she finds out I'm defending the pudgy ghost's identity."

"But you can't tell her. If you tell her you may as well cuff him and put him in the slammer yourself."

"I've considered telling her that I dealt with the pudgy ghost, but then she might pry further and figure it out. I also considered a printed apology note but once again it would lead back to PJ and if she doesn't take kindly to it then he's screwed. So I just don't know what to do."

"Well obviously you can't snitch, so just say nothing and if she figures it out just act surprised and heap oodles of praise on for figuring it out and being so smart."

"Yeah but if, no, when she figures it out PJ'll be in twice as much trouble than if-"

"Tell you what, let's figure this out after we deal with Peej." said Pete clearly exhausted and exasperated from this conversation before bellowing out "PETE JUNIOR! GET DOWN HERE NOW!"

"C-c-c-coming s-s-sir!" PJ called back down with a sound of pure terror. As PJ walked down the stairs Max quickly moved to hide himself lest his presence effect PJ's answers and conduct. "Y-y-you c-called Sir?" PJ said with a wince.

"Do you have any idea what this is?"

"A g-g-ghost costume?" PJ said trying to downplay his knowledge of the costume as his eyes flashed with realization.

"Have you seen it before?"

"N-n-no, no. Should I have?"

"Are you suuuure you never seen this before?"

"Yes, quite sure." Peej squeaked out weakly as he sweat bullets.

"Well that's awful strange." Pete began leaving just enough room for PJ to confess before erupting with "SINCE IT WAS TUCKED AWAY IN YOUR JACK-O-LANTERN COSTUME AND FITS YOU TO A TEE!".

PJ stumbled back a pace or to before fully recognizing that nothing he said or did would heighten or lessen his sentence. In a last ditch effort at self preservation he tried to run away only to stumble and quickly get overtaken by Pete in what may have been Pete's first feat of speed this year.

"We're going to have a nice long CHAT about what you done." Pete said menacingly as he dragged PJ away and gave Max a look over his shoulder as if to say "don't follow unless you want to join him."