Night has fallen! Apparently Ranger Shaw didn’t marry this gal for her inquisitive nature. But was it worth it to waste two panels for this non-joke joke? Was it worth it to pivot away from continuing a serious discussion all the way through four panels?

In any event, the investigative groundwork continues even as Ranger Shaw admits they’ve done next to nothing. Certainly, an examination of the wastewater chemical content should help narrow down the possible candidates. Heck, maybe the contamination is brought in at night and dumped, the way people used to get rid of their nonworking appliances. Will Mark bother with any of this?

Well, where the rangers failed, Mark is certain to deliver! And he has to, as he’s under contract with North American Syndicate (full transparency: an affiliate of King Features, owned by Hearst Communications).