to explore in order to finish what they’d started.
The first thing Leo noticed when he returned to the duck elevator was the item that was no longer there.
I t’s gone,” Leo said.
“What’s gone?” Remi asked.
“The fuse, and it’s the only one we have. We can’t get back under the hotel without it.”
“Did you hear that?” Remi asked.
“Hear what?” Leo asked back.
Someone had used the trapdoor on top of the duck elevator and was still sitting up there, Remi was sure of it. He pointed to the ceiling of the small space.
“Put Blop away before he starts talking,” Leo whispered in his smallest voice.
“Who’s up there?” Remi shouted without thinking, blowing their cover as Leo slapped his forehead in frustration.
“Perfect,” Leo said, but in a way he was glad. They needed the fuse and the only way they were going to get it was to first find out who’d taken it. At least Remi followed Leo’s instructions about Blop. There was only one sure way to make the robot go quiet: put him upside down in Remi’s red jacket pocket. It was like putting him to sleep, something even Remi did once in a while for a break from the never-ending monotony of Blop’s voice.
“If that’s you, Jane Yancey, you’re in big trouble!” Remi said once Blop was safely upside down in his pocket. “Loopa better not be up there! She could get loose in the elevator shaft!”
Leo thought Remi had said too much. What if it wasn’t Jane Yancey? But he let it pass and gently knocked on the trapdoor.
“We know you’re up there,” Leo said. “You stole our fuse.”
The door, Leo knew, snapped shut from the inside. A person could get trapped up there by accident if he or she didn’t know the proper way to open it.
Leo looked at Remi with a look that said Be ready to run , and then he unlatched the trapdoor and pushed it up a few inches.
At first there was no one, just a long silence as Leo guided the door up another inch or two. Then four dirty knuckled fingers appeared over the edge of the door, pulling it all the way open.
“I don’t think it’s Jane Yancey,” Remi whispered.
A second hand drifted out above the opening, holding the missing fuse.
“Looking for something?” a voice asked.
“Oh no,” Leo said.
“What?” Remi responded, because he didn’t recognize the voice, though he’d heard it in the basement once before from around a corner. “Who is it?”
“Why, it’s me, Mr. Carp, of course. Who were you expecting, that Rickenbacker character? He’s too big to fit up here.”
“Why are you hiding on top of my duck elevator?” Leo asked.
Mr. Carp’s head appeared over the edge of the door. His glasses had slid down to the end of his nose, making him look older than he was.
“I told you already — I’m supposed to keep an eye on you, make sure you don’t try to leave or do anything shifty. It’s my job.”
“And you stowed away up there while we were in the Puzzle Room?” Leo asked. He was trying to keep Mr. Carp busy while he thought of a plan.
“Yes, well, I didn’t mean to get stuck up here. Only to do my job, you see.”
“Yeah, we see what you mean,” Leo said. “You’re serious about your job.”
“You’ll find I’m impossible to shake,” Mr. Carp said proudly. “Like a bad cold or a wad of gum on your shoe. It’s a gift.”
Leo thought Mr. Carp was more like a bumbling inspector than a serious force to be reckoned with, but Leo was also smart enough to know that looks could be deceiving.
“How did you get our fuse?” Leo asked. “You were trapped up there.”
“Not at first; that unfortunate part came later,” Mr. Carp said. He explained that he’d put a Popsicle stick in the trapdoor so it would stay open, and when they’d left the elevator, he’d opened it and reached down, taking the fuse. The only problem? He’d knocked the stick away when pulling up the fuse.
“Before I knew it,” Mr. Carp said, “the trapdoor was shut and I was
The first thing Leo noticed when he returned to the duck elevator was the item that was no longer there.
I t’s gone,” Leo said.
“What’s gone?” Remi asked.
“The fuse, and it’s the only one we have. We can’t get back under the hotel without it.”
“Did you hear that?” Remi asked.
“Hear what?” Leo asked back.
Someone had used the trapdoor on top of the duck elevator and was still sitting up there, Remi was sure of it. He pointed to the ceiling of the small space.
“Put Blop away before he starts talking,” Leo whispered in his smallest voice.
“Who’s up there?” Remi shouted without thinking, blowing their cover as Leo slapped his forehead in frustration.
“Perfect,” Leo said, but in a way he was glad. They needed the fuse and the only way they were going to get it was to first find out who’d taken it. At least Remi followed Leo’s instructions about Blop. There was only one sure way to make the robot go quiet: put him upside down in Remi’s red jacket pocket. It was like putting him to sleep, something even Remi did once in a while for a break from the never-ending monotony of Blop’s voice.
“If that’s you, Jane Yancey, you’re in big trouble!” Remi said once Blop was safely upside down in his pocket. “Loopa better not be up there! She could get loose in the elevator shaft!”
Leo thought Remi had said too much. What if it wasn’t Jane Yancey? But he let it pass and gently knocked on the trapdoor.
“We know you’re up there,” Leo said. “You stole our fuse.”
The door, Leo knew, snapped shut from the inside. A person could get trapped up there by accident if he or she didn’t know the proper way to open it.
Leo looked at Remi with a look that said Be ready to run , and then he unlatched the trapdoor and pushed it up a few inches.
At first there was no one, just a long silence as Leo guided the door up another inch or two. Then four dirty knuckled fingers appeared over the edge of the door, pulling it all the way open.
“I don’t think it’s Jane Yancey,” Remi whispered.
A second hand drifted out above the opening, holding the missing fuse.
“Looking for something?” a voice asked.
“Oh no,” Leo said.
“What?” Remi responded, because he didn’t recognize the voice, though he’d heard it in the basement once before from around a corner. “Who is it?”
“Why, it’s me, Mr. Carp, of course. Who were you expecting, that Rickenbacker character? He’s too big to fit up here.”
“Why are you hiding on top of my duck elevator?” Leo asked.
Mr. Carp’s head appeared over the edge of the door. His glasses had slid down to the end of his nose, making him look older than he was.
“I told you already — I’m supposed to keep an eye on you, make sure you don’t try to leave or do anything shifty. It’s my job.”
“And you stowed away up there while we were in the Puzzle Room?” Leo asked. He was trying to keep Mr. Carp busy while he thought of a plan.
“Yes, well, I didn’t mean to get stuck up here. Only to do my job, you see.”
“Yeah, we see what you mean,” Leo said. “You’re serious about your job.”
“You’ll find I’m impossible to shake,” Mr. Carp said proudly. “Like a bad cold or a wad of gum on your shoe. It’s a gift.”
Leo thought Mr. Carp was more like a bumbling inspector than a serious force to be reckoned with, but Leo was also smart enough to know that looks could be deceiving.
“How did you get our fuse?” Leo asked. “You were trapped up there.”
“Not at first; that unfortunate part came later,” Mr. Carp said. He explained that he’d put a Popsicle stick in the trapdoor so it would stay open, and when they’d left the elevator, he’d opened it and reached down, taking the fuse. The only problem? He’d knocked the stick away when pulling up the fuse.
“Before I knew it,” Mr. Carp said, “the trapdoor was shut and I was
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