The conniving lawyer, Duke Black, negotiated a tough deal with the underworld's leading attorneys to free Fatman's partner, Doris, from the realm of the formerly living. Only trouble is, he double-crossed the quasi-dead and locked up the underworld in the process. Nobdy in The Below is pleased, which explains why Duke shows up on Fatman's stoop on Halloween with a knife planted in his back.

Now that the undead situation includes Duke, he appears to be bent on revenge. He leads Fatman and Doris on a quest through Frogtown to secure what he views as justice. As always among the denizens of the underworld, things are more complicated than they seem. Duke doesn't lack for enemies who may have shanked him. But in the matter of his murder, Duke is less innoicent than he claims.