Hocus Pocus Hotel (9 page)

“Rocky,” said the guy. “I work the front desk.”

“He and Annie switch off,” explained Tyler.

“When did you lose the key?” Charlie asked.

“I didn't really lose it,” said Rocky. “I just misplaced it. I was checking people in and I had a lot on my mind. I couldn't find the key, but when I looked again a little later, there it was on the floor. Must have dropped it. Anyway, why do you care when I lost it?”

“Don't you have work to do?” asked Tyler.

“Nice talking to you too, Ty,” said Rocky. He pushed his long hair behind his ears and walked back toward the desk.

“Well, that could explain our ghost,” said Charlie.

“What could? Rocky?” asked Tyler.

“No, the passkey,” said Charlie. “Rocky said he was missing it for a little while, right? So while it was gone, someone could have used it to get into the rooms on the ninth floor and steal the shower curtains.”

“You're right,” said Tyler.

“And does the passkey let you into the bowling alley and the kitchen?” asked Charlie.

“Yeah. It unlocks every door in the hotel,” said Tyler.

“So that's how the thief did it,” said Charlie. “Stole the spoons and shower curtains and everything.”

“But how could you steal a key right in front of someone?” asked Tyler. “Rocky's not that smart, but he does notice things. He knew you and I were over here behind these plants and vases.”

“Right,” Charlie said. “That's why I think it had to be a magician.”

“Why?” Tyler asked.

“Magicians use the trick I'm thinking of all the time,” said Charlie. “It's called palming. It's how they can hide an object in their hands, right under your nose. Or they distract you, make you look at something else, while they put the object in their pocket.”

“Hmm,” said Tyler. He strode across the lobby and stopped at the front desk. Rocky was busy working at a computer.

“Hey, Rock,” said Tyler. “The day you couldn't find that key, were there lots of people checking in?”

“I'm busy here, Ty,” said Rocky.

“Just tell me what you dropped on the floor that day,” said Tyler.

“Just someone's credit card and … hey, how did you know I dropped something?” Rocky asked, turning from the computer.

“Elementary,” said Tyler, with a smirk. “Whose card was it?'

“And when did all this happen?” added Charlie.

Rocky thought for a moment. He brushed the hair out of his eyes and said, “It was Thursday.”

“Thanks, Rock,” said Tyler.

Then Charlie asked, “And were any of those people you checked in named Ken?”

“You're starting to bug me, kid,” said Rocky.

“Hey, can you answer his question or not?” said Tyler.

Rocky frowned and looked quickly at his computer screen. “Nope, no Ken. Hey, no Ken do. Get it? You asked if I could answer his question, and I said, ‘No Ken do.' Ha.”

“You're a comedian,” said Tyler. “Come on,” he told Charlie.

The two boys walked away from the counter. Tyler shook and head and shoved his hands into the back pockets of his jeans. “What a weirdo,” he mumbled. “Well, now what do we do?”

This puzzle was more bizarre than the Mr. Madagascar one.

This was more than just a magician trying out a fancy trick. This mystery had a ghost, a wavering voice, missing bowling pins, spoons, and shower curtains. What did bowling pins have to do with ghosts? What did silver spoons have to do with shower curtains?

Or maybe not exactly shower curtains
, Charlie thought. There was something he had seen in Mr. Thursday's bathroom that he hadn't seen in the others Tyler had showed him.

The other thing, the weirdest thing, was that Charlie was sure there was a phantom cleaner in the hotel. Things were being cleaned without anyone else realizing it.

Suddenly, grunts echoed through the lobby. Charlie turned and saw a couple of men walk toward the counter where Rocky was working. Rain dripped from their clothes and their shoes.

The men had thick necks and broad shoulders, but they were struggling with two huge suitcases. They set them down by Rocky, then took out handkerchiefs and wiped their foreheads.

“Thanks,” Rocky said.

“We got one more,” said one of the men. He jerked his thumb over his shoulder toward the front door. An empty taxi was sitting by the curb.

Charlie looked at the suitcases again. Things were starting to make sense to him.

“I think we need to go back up to the ninth floor,” said Charlie. “There's something else missing from the bathroom in Room 909.”

“I don't hear the voice,” said Tyler.

“Me either,” Charlie said. “Just wait.”

They were walking through the hallways again on the ninth floor. When they reached Room 909, Tyler unlocked the door with the passkey. He'd grabbed it while Rocky was busy with the heavy suitcases that had just arrived.

“Okay, Hitch,” said Tyler. “What's the deal with Mr. Thursday's bathroom?”

“Look at the curtain rod,” said Charlie. “See anything?”

“Uh, no,” replied Tyler. “I already told you that the ghost, or whatever it was, stole the shower curtains.”

“Right,” said Charlie. “But I remember something from the other bathrooms. Since I have acute visual memory, I remember …”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” said Tyler, with a frown. “You remember everything you see.”

“And the other rooms don't match this room,” Charlie said.

Tyler frowned, but he took off and ran to one of the other hotel rooms.

Charlie followed as Tyler rushed inside the other room and disappeared into the bathroom.

“Wow!” came his voice.

“See it?” asked Charlie.

Tyler walked slowly out of the second bathroom and stared at Charlie. “You did it again, Hitch,” he said. “This bathroom has the curtain rings still attached.”

“They all do,” said Charlie. “Except for the curtain rod in Mr. Thursday's bathroom. The shower curtains and the rings are missing.”

“But why?” asked Tyler. “What's the difference?”

“Let's see, there are about twelve or so rings on each rod,” Charlie said thoughtfully. “Someone wanted those rings.”

“They're not valuable,” said Tyler. “Just made out of metal.”

Ooooooh-ooooooohhhhhh!

The boys stared at each other. The voice had returned.

“This guy is starting to tick me off,” growled Tyler. He rushed out of the room and strode down the hallway.

“Where are you?” he called out. “What's your problem?!”

Charlie followed him, listening closely to the phantom sound.

“
Mister Ken … ahhhh … uhhh … Mister Ken …
”

The moan echoed through the hall.

“Wait here,” said Charlie.

He rushed back to the hallway where he had earlier noticed the ghost's voice growing softer. Yes, it was still soft in that area.

Charlie walked down the hall until the voice seemed louder again.

There has to be a logical explanation
, he thought.

He dropped his backpack onto the carpet and knelt down. He fished through one of the pockets to find his notebook and a pen. He wanted to write down all the clues they had discovered so far.

Then he noticed something. When he was kneeling down on the floor, the sound was louder.

What is going on?
he thought.

Staying on his knees, he crawled to one side of the hall. No, the sound was normal. Then he crawled to the other side. The voice was louder.

Charlie stared at the dark wall. The wallpaper design of big black flowers stretched all the way to the floor. But in the dim light, Charlie could see that there was a small vent disguised in the black petals. He pressed an ear to the vent and heard the ghostly voice loud and clear.

He sat up and called out, “Hey, Tyler! Come here!”

Tyler rushed into the hall. “You saw it?” he asked.

Charlie shook his head. “No,” he said, “but I heard it.” He pointed at the vent. Tyler bent down and listened closely. They both heard Mister Ken's name cried out again.

“I know where it's coming from,” Tyler said suddenly.

“Where?” Charlie asked.

Tyler shuddered and said, “The basement!”

On the way downstairs in the elevator — this time, it was Brack's — Charlie made a quick list on his notepad of the clues and questions they had.

“You have the hunter's gleam in your eye, Master Hitchcock,” said Brack. “Do I detect that you have solved the puzzle?”

“He better have solved it,” muttered Tyler.

Charlie grinned and told Brack, “Well, I've solved at least part of it.”

Leaning in to look at Charlie's list, the operator raised an eyebrow. “So you have juggled all your clues and evidence together,” he said, “and that's why you are traveling to the basement?”

“We always end up in the basement,” said Tyler.

“But the mystery was solved upstairs on the ninth floor,” said Charlie. “Down here we'll find out who's behind the mystery.”