They pressed their faces to the grate to get a closer look. Madison’s pink backpack was on the kitchen table, and she was sitting alone reading a book.
“Why don’t I smell other people there?” Polo said. “Heck, I barely smell her.”
“Your nose isn’t as good as Butterbean’s, I guess. It makes sense that the girl lives somewhere, though, right? Why not here? Bob lives here. In the building, I mean.”
Polo shook her head as she watched Madison read.“It feels wrong. Something is wrong. I don’t like this.”
Marco gasped.“Oh man. You’re right something is wrong. Look at her.”
Madison had stopped reading. She put her book down on the table and stood up. Then she picked up her jacket and a set of keys hanging by the door.
“What?” Polo said, watching Madison put her shoes on. “What’s so wrong?”
“We’ve taken too long,” Marco said, pointing at Madison. “She’s leaving. Don’t you see?”
He grabbed Polo by both shoulders.
“She’s leaving to go take care of us.”
[Êàðòèíêà: img_3]
10
[Êàðòèíêà: img_4]
[Êàðòèíêà: img_23]
“IT’LL BE FINE, RIGHT?” POLO leaped like a rat Olympic high jumper into the up vent. “The others will cover for us. The girl will never suspect that we’re gone.”
“Maybe Walt will pretend she ate us. I’d buy that,” Marco said, pulling himself up into the vent after her.
“Walt would never eat us,” Polo scoffed.
“Maybe not before. But NOW? If we’ve messed this up, she’ll be super mad. We need to hurry!” Marco looked wildly around the top-floor vent. He didn’t know how Wallace could tell them all apart. “Is it that one?” He pointed to a shadowy grate a few feet away.
“I think so,” Polo said. “Now calm down. We have to do this right. It won’t do us any good to panic.” She edged toward the grate. She could practically feel the Coin Man waiting for her. She braced herself and nodded at Marco. “Let’s go.”
The elevator ding in the hallway took Walt, Oscar, and Butterbean by surprise. Walt was taking care of a little personal hygiene, Oscar was having a millet snack, and Butterbean was playing with a piece of fluff on the floor. None of them expected Madison to come back so soon. Butterbean sat up so quickly that she inhaled her fluff.“Madison?” she coughed.
Walt stopped midlick, her ears swiveling toward the door.
“Oh no,” Butterbean gasped.
“Urk,” Oscar choked, spitting out a flurry of millet shells.
“It can’t be,” Walt said. Surely it was someone for some other apartment. “It can’t be time yet.”
“I do need to pee,” Butterbean said. She hadn’t wanted to mention it before, but it was true.
A key turned in the lock. The three stared at one another in horror.
“Quick. Distractions. Don’t let her see they’re gone,” Oscar said, flying around his cage and hopping on the perch. “Do whatever it takes!”
The door opened, and Madison stepped inside smiling.“Hey, you guys!” she said brightly.
“Butterbean, go,” Walt said under her breath. Butterbean nodded and launched herself at Madison.
“How’s it—oof!” Madison was abruptly cut off by the small furry dog slamming into her kneecaps. “HEY!”
“OUT OUT, OH PLEASE TAKE ME OUT OUT OUT,” Butterbean wailed, jumping up and down.
“That should do it,” Walt said softly, hopping up onto the table next to Marco and Polo’s empty aquarium. She lounged casually in front of it, trying to hide the lack of occupants from view.
“Okay, sure, little guy, just give me a second,” Madison said, laughing and trying to dodge Butterbean’s wild jumps in the air. “Just let me check on the others real quick. Then we’ll go.”
“OH NO, NO TIME, NEED TO PEE, PLEASE PLEASE,” Butterbean yelped, doing her best need-to-pee dance. Oscar watched, impressed. She was really outdoing herself.
Madison patted at Butterbean absently and made her way over to Oscar’s cage. “Everything okay, bird?”
“Fine,” Oscar said in his human voice.
“Oh.” Madison reeled back, shocked. “Well, good.” Oscar eyed her carefully.
Butterbean slowed her pee dance down to a lazy shuffle and frowned at Madison.“I should totally pee on the floor. She would deserve it.”
“Please don’t, Bean,” Walt said, draping herself over the aquarium dramatically. “You’re doing great.”
“It’s like she doesn’t even understand urgency,” Butterbean lamented, doing a jig around the entryway.
“And how are you?” Madison said, walking over to Walt. “Are you okay? You look… strange?”
Walt blinked at her.
“And how are your little friends?” Madison said, bending down to peer inside the aquarium.
“EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY!” Oscar screeched. “Distraction, Walt!”
Walt scanned the area for options. A water glass that Mrs. Food had left on the table was standing nearby. Walt reached out slowly and put a paw on it.
Madison stopped immediately.“Oh no. Don’t do that.”
Walt meowed and pushed the glass an inch forward.
“Good kitty. Just leave the glass alone.” Madison stepped forward, her hands outstretched.
Walt pushed the glass closer to the edge of the table, paused, and then shoved it slowly off the edge.
[Êàðòèíêà: img_24]
“No!” Madison lunged forward and caught the glass in midair. “Whew! Silly cat!”
She carried the glass into the kitchen and put it in the sink. Then she grabbed Butterbean’s leash and came back to the living room. “Good grief, what’s with you guys today?”
She clipped the leash onto Butterbean’s collar and opened the door.
Butterbean smirked as she trotted out of the house.“About time!”
“Thank goodness,” Oscar said, slumping down on his perch. “We did it.”
“For now,” Walt said, turning to look at the vent.
“But this doesn’t make sense.” Polo peered through the dusty grate. “This is the apartment with the treasure? This place is so… BORING.”
“Right? Where are the piles of jewels? Where’s all the gold?” Marco looked around at the beige living room. He’d expected walls encrusted with gems, or maybe some kind of seedy criminal lair. Not boring tweed sofas and vinyl chairs.
Polo scurried down the vent to the next grate along the line. Standing on her hind legs, she quickly peered inside. It was a standard bedroom, nothing flashy or special. Definitely not a treasure lair.“Beige,” she muttered. “Everything is beige.”
“Weird. It’s not personal AT ALL,” Marco said.
“It’s like it’s all rented.” Polo brightened. “Maybe that’s it! Maybe this is just a place where they stash their loot!”
“Okay, sure,” Marco agreed. “But then where’s the loot?”
“I don’t know.” Polo had never felt so confused. Knowing whose apartment it was, she’d expected cold waves of evil to come from everything inside, but it was all just so ordinary.
Marco pointed down the vent.“There’s one more grate. We could try it. But I think it’s the—”
“Oh no,” Polo squeaked. “Marco, that’s the bathroom grate. No thank you. You can check if you want.” She rolled her eyes. She’d never heard about treasure stashed in the bathroom.
“I’ll just take a quick look-see,” Marco said, heading down to the final grate. He stuck his eye up to one of the gaps. He’d hardly taken a look when he squeaked and jumped back. “Polo! It’s—there’s someone here! Look!”
Polo rushed to the grate and then hung back.“I can’t look!”
“Why not?”
“They’re in the bathroom!”
“Just look! It’s not embarrassing. And it’s NOT the creepy guy! No blue eyes!”
Polo covered her eyes (in case the person in the bathroom needed a little privacy), but as soon as she took a peek, she dropped her hands in shock.
“Who’s that guy?” she squeaked.
The man at the bathroom sink wasn’t the creepy Coin Man. This guy had shaggy hair and brown eyes, and he was wearing a shiny-looking suit. He didn’t seem particularly friendly, but he wasn’t giving Polo the heebie-jeebies like the other man had. He didn’t look like he’d eat her for lunch.