Just thought I'd say thank you to everyone who reviewed, if I haven't done so yet. Seriously. Reviews make me feel special! Just a warning, tomorrow's update MIGHT be delayed a tad... I'm helping out with an event in the village, so I might not be able to get a chapter done as quickly as I usually would. Sorry about that... uh, don't worry though. I'm not going to go off and leave you for months on end again- promise!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

CHAPTER ELEVEN: The Phantom Thief

Tim Marcoh was right; it was not at all difficult to track down Clara Taylor. Since the palaver over Psiren, she had not stayed out of the spotlight: in fact, she had become a reporter, and when they contacted her she was quite willing to lend herself to the investigation. She had assured them that she would be in Rizembul on Saturday evening at six, and so they were once more at the train station, awaiting her arrival- but despite the lack of hustle and bustle at the station, she found them before they found her.

"Hello, handsome." Clara grinned. "Would I be correct in assuming that you are Roy Mustang?"

Roy smirked, but a warning look from Riza quickly restored his neutral expression. Havoc snickered.

"Hello, Miss Taylor. It's a pleasure to meet you." Roy said in a professional tone, wary of Riza's wrath. Havoc began to cough in his efforts to cover his laughter, and Roy sent him a glare.

"Oh, please, call me Clara. I don't mind at all..." she smiled.

Riza cut in before Roy could speak. "Thank you very much for coming, Clara," she said. "We appreciate your help."

"Oh, no problem." Clara turned her smile on Riza, but then her demeanor turned serious. "Glad to lend a hand... What happened to that family was awful." There was a moment's pause before she asked, "So, what did you want to know?"

"Well, first of all, did you work for the Elrics in Rush Valley?" asked Riza.

"No," she replied. "I started working here a few months after they moved. And before you ask, no, I wasn't told about the boys... I met them in the garden once, and was immediately sworn to secrecy. They seemed quite upset at having been caught."

"So... the boys definitely knew they were supposed to be in hiding. Do you have any idea why, Clara?"

"Ye-es." she said after a brief moment. "I mean I don't know for sure, but... Do you know about the study incident?"

"The study incident? Do you mean the boys' study? Tim Marcoh told us that you'd seen it, yes."

Clara sighed. "Well, it has to do with that... I'm afraid I didn't see much of it, but there were... circles. No, that's not right- what do they call them? Arrays!"

The group started. "Arrays? As in alchemy arrays? You're sure?" asked Maes.

"Yes," Clara nodded. "Definitely. Arrays, and lots of old books... before I could see anything else, though, Ed caught sight of me. A few days later, the Prof called me into his study and told me that I had snooped where I ought not have, and as such, I was fired. 'Let go,' he called it, but I know when I'm fired... he asked me to keep what I saw secret, too, and I did- whatever was going on in there was definitely not normal, and I didn't want to risk getting those kids into hot water." she said.

"Alchemy..." muttered Roy. "It's got to be. But how on earth...?" he trailed off.

"I couldn't help you there," said Clara with a shrug. "But alchemy or not... that's got to be the reason Ed and Al were kept hidden away like that. I can't think of any thing else- they were both good kids, smart kids. Kids any parent would've been proud of, and the Prof and Trisha were definitely proud of them. They loved them, and the only reason they would've ever kept them locked away from the world like that would be if they were in danger."

Maes nodded. "I'm sure."

Clara smiled. "I'm glad I found them that day," she said softly. "Even if I did end up in trouble for it; and I'm glad I snooped around their study too if it'll help you catch their killer... which brings me to my next point," she gave them a conspirational smile. "You want to have a look at that study?"

"Thanks for the offer, but it was all-"

"No," she interrupted. "I don't mean the room where the study used to be. I mean the study. I know where they moved it... just a few days before they fired me, actually."

"Wha- you know where they moved it? How?"

Clara just smiled. "A woman has her ways."

Riza raised an eyebrow at that. Roy decided to let it go for now, and pressed on; "Where is it?"

"Well," Clara grinned. "Have you found the cellar yet?"

"There's a cellar?"

The Elric family cellar was accessed via a trapdoor beneath the dining room carpet, and once inside, the door to the Elric brothers' study was hidden behind a fake plywood wall- a surprising amount of paranoia for a room belonging to a pair of kids.

Of course, thought Roy, it's not paranoia if they really are out to get you... which, considering what's happened, I think it's safe to say they were.

"How exactly do you know about this again, Clara?"

"A woman has her ways." Clara repeated. "But since it's you asking... I have an odd habit of overhearing conversations, and it just so happens that I overheard the boys moving their things out here before I left and- purely by accident, of course- I followed them."

Roy raised an eyebrow. Suddenly, I can see how she ended up a suspect in the Phantom Thief case.

"I see." he said. "I don't suppose you just happen to have the key, then?"

She shook her head. "Sorry, love, but no."

"Well, I suppose we could always break in, but we'd have to get tools..." he said reluctantly- and then he was hit by an epiphany.

The keys I found stitched in the Professor's cushion!

"I think we might just happen to have the key- Maes, you remember? The one for the compartment in Hoenheim's study?"

"I remember- but it's back at the hotel." he frowned. "We could go back and get it, but by the time we get up here again, it's going to be dark... and there're no lights on the road up."

"Damn," sighed Roy. "I suppose it'll have to wait..." he stared at the locked door in frustration.

"Well, at least we know what we're doing next," offered Maes. "Tomorrow, we open the study."