bang.
The voice cried out one more time, and then â silence.
âWow,â said Tyler, walking up to Charlie.
âSo, whoâs this Mister Ken guy?â asked Charlie.
âBeats me,â said Ty. âHe could be a magician, maybe? They always call themselves Mister this or Mister that. I wonder if he used to live here a long time ago and maybe died in the hotel.â
âOr maybe itâs the ghost of Abracadabra,â added Charlie.
âLetâs ask Brack, when his elevator gets here,â said Tyler. âHe knows everything about this place.â
âMaybe thereâs a record of accidents that happened here,â said Charlie. âWe could Google it, I bet.â
He pushed the button for an elevator, but when the next one came, it was not Brackâs.
âNo problem,â said Tyler. âWe need to go back downstairs anyway.â
As they stepped inside the elevator, Charlie thought about the ghost that had shown itself to the elderly operator. Something about Brackâs story didnât sound right.
When they reached the first-floor lobby, Tyler led Charlie past the front desk and down a broad flight of steps. At the bottom, they walked through several more corridors and finally came to a huge room with a shiny wooden floor.
âYou have a bowling alley down here?â exclaimed Charlie. His voice echoed in the large, empty space.
âYup,â said Tyler. âWith nine lanes. But itâs closed now because of the ghost.â
âDonât tell me he stole the bowling balls,â said Charlie.
âNo, the pins,â Tyler said. âNot all of them. Just nine. One from each alley.â
âThis is getting weirder by the minute,â said Charlie.
âAnd itâs not over,â said Ty.
As he led Charlie back toward the marble steps, they passed another door. Actually, it was a set of double doors. Charlie noticed that the carved wooden doors were each decorated with a face. One face was smiling, and one was frowning.
âWhatâs that?â Charlie asked.
âOh, thatâs the old theater,â said Tyler, sounding bored.
Charlie darted over and peered inside the doors. It was another huge room, bigger than the bowling alley. Rows and rows of red velvet seats faced a large stage. The stage curtains looked about a mile high. They were pulled to the sides, so that the shiny wooden floor of the stage could be clearly seen. It was one of the most amazing rooms Charlie had ever seen.
Charlie rubbed his hand along the back of one of the theater chairs. âCool,â he whispered.
âNo oneâs used this place for years,â said Tyler. âThis is where they used to have the old magic shows. Come on, letâs go.â
He led Charlie back up the stairs and into the hotelâs main floor restaurant, the Top Hat.
Several of the tables and booths were already filled with hungry guests. At the back of the dining area was the kitchen. Warm air and chattering voices greeted the boys as they passed through the kitchenâs swinging doors.
âHey, Dad!â yelled Ty.
A tall man wearing a tall white chefâs hat hurried over to meet him.
âTyler, you shouldnât be back here,â said Mr. Yu. âOnly cooks and waiters.â
âI know, I know,â said Tyler.
âWhoâs this?â asked his father, gesturing toward Charlie. âYour friend from school?â
âYeah, this is Hitch,â said Ty. âHeâs here because heâs interested in the ghost.â
âAh,â said his father, nodding his head. âOur phantom friend.â
Charlie noticed that the older Yu had the same eyes as his son. But his face was much friendlier. Tyler must get his scowl from his mom , thought Charlie.
âTell him what the ghost took from your kitchen, Dad,â said Tyler.
âI donât know if it was a ghost,â said Mr. Yu, smiling. âBut someone