behind his ears and walked back toward the desk.
âWell, that could explain our ghost,â said Charlie.
âWhat could? Rocky?â asked Tyler.
âNo, the passkey,â said Charlie. âRocky 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.â
âYouâre right,â said Tyler.
âAnd does the passkey let you into the bowling alley and the kitchen?â asked Charlie.
âYeah. It unlocks every door in the hotel,â said Tyler.
âSo thatâs how the thief did it,â said Charlie. âStole the spoons and shower curtains and everything.â
âBut how could you steal a key right in front of someone?â asked Tyler. âRockyâs not that smart, but he does notice things. He knew you and I were over here behind these plants and vases.â
âRight,â Charlie said. âThatâs why I think it had to be a magician.â
âWhy?â Tyler asked.
âMagicians use the trick Iâm thinking of all the time,â said Charlie. âItâs called palming. Itâs 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.â
âHmm,â said Tyler. He strode across the lobby and stopped at the front desk. Rocky was busy working at a computer.
âHey, Rock,â said Tyler. âThe day you couldnât find that key, were there lots of people checking in?â
âIâm busy here, Ty,â said Rocky.
âJust tell me what you dropped on the floor that day,â said Tyler.
âJust someoneâs credit card and ⦠hey, how did you know I dropped something?â Rocky asked, turning from the computer.
âElementary,â said Tyler, with a smirk. âWhose card was it?â
âAnd when did all this happen?â added Charlie.
Rocky thought for a moment. He brushed the hair out of his eyes and said, âIt was Thursday.â
âThanks, Rock,â said Tyler.
Then Charlie asked, âAnd were any of those people you checked in named Ken?â
âYouâre starting to bug me, kid,â said Rocky.
âHey, can you answer his question or not?â said Tyler.
Rocky frowned and looked quickly at his computer screen. âNope, no Ken. Hey, no Ken do. Get it? You asked if I could answer his question, and I said, âNo Ken do.â Ha.â
âYouâre a comedian,â said Tyler. âCome on,â 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. âWhat a weirdo,â he mumbled. âWell, now what do we do?â
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. Thursdayâs bathroom that he hadnât 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.
âThanks,â Rocky said.
âWe got one more,â said one of the men. He jerked his thumb over his