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Madison put her hands on her hips again and stared around with a puzzled expression. Then after a long moment, her face crumpled.“Well, guys, I guess this was a dumb idea?” She sighed and sat down on a footstool. “It doesn’t feel haunted at all! I didn’t see anything—no ghosts, nothing. And no intruder, either. And look!” She held her arm out for Butterbean to inspect. “Not even any goose bumps!” Butterbeanlooked. Madison was right. No goose bumps.

“So, I don’t know,” Madison said. “I guess we should just… leave?”

“Unless you want to look in the toilet,” Butterbean said, wagging her tail sleepily. It had been a long night. “The toilet’s a good bet.”

Madison ignored her. She picked up Butterbean’s leash and opened the front door.

“If there’s a ghost, you’d think it would want to scare me, right?” Madison said as she locked the door and then pushed the elevator button. “I’m a prime target. So there must not be one. I just don’t know how to prove it.”

“You’ll think of something,” Walt said reassuringly. Madison ignored her, too.

The elevator dinged, and the doors opened.

It wasn’t empty.

Butterbean wasn’t sure who looked more surprised, Mrs. Power Walker or Madison.

“Oh, hello again! Can you believe I forgot these?” Mrs. Power Walker laughed and held up a box of dryer sheets. “I’d lose my head if it wasn’t stapled on,” she chuckled.

“Um. Right?” Madison got into the elevator, a confused look on her face.

Mrs. Power Walker gave Butterbean a sympathetic smile.“Long night?”

Butterbean sighed.“You have no idea.”

Butterbean felt like she had just closed her eyes when it was time to get up the next morning. And staying awake was even harder—especially once Mrs. Third Floor showed up.

“And Bob came right over and installed the camera. I don’t even have to be there—I can see everything just using my phone!” Mrs. Third Floor explained for the third time. She looked at her phone like it was the most amazing thing in the world. Then, with a loving pat, she put it back into her handbag.

“Madison? You okay?” Mrs. Food leaned over and shook Madison gently. Madison was swaying a little too far to one side, and there was a little bit of drool forming at the corner of her mouth.

Madison jerked awake.“I’m fine! Wow, that’s crazy. A camera!” She blinked rapidly and forced a smile. It had been as hard for Madison to get up that morning as it had for Butterbean and Walt, but she hadn’t had the luxury of falling asleep in her breakfast bowl like Butterbean did.

“If you’re sure.” Mrs. Food frowned.

“Yes, like I said, a camera! It uses an app. It sends me alerts and everything!” Mrs. Third Floor continued happily. It didn’t look like she had any intention of going home. “I’m just feeling so much better today,” she said, clutching Madison’s arm as she talked to her. Apparently Madison wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon either. “And yesterday, everything seemed so horrible. I was even thinking of calling those ghost men I’ve seen on the TV.”

“Ghost men?” Madison said skeptically. She shot a side glance at Mrs. Food, who smiled blandly.

“Yes, the men on the TV who get rid of ghosts,” Mrs. Third Floor explained. “I was this close to calling them.” She lowered her voice. “But then, I worry about the publicity. Can you imagine if it got out? A haunted apartment would never rent!” She sat back and sipped her tea.

Madison took a cookie from the plate on the table, looking even more skeptical.“Are you talking about the movieGhostbusters?” She looked from Mrs. Food to Mrs. Third Floor again. “I’m pretty sure that’s not real.”

Mrs. Third Floor laughed.“Not the Ghostbusters, silly. The Ghost-Finder Men. They investigate paranormal activity and measure it. They’re scientists! They do research and expel ghosts!”

“The Ghostbusters,” Madison said again. “From the movie. Who you gonna call?”

“No, these ghost men are on the TV. They communicate with spirits! They may even be psychic,” she whispered, like it was a deep, dark secret.

“Oh, wait, are they on cable? They’re plumbers or something? I know who you’re talking about.” Madison nodded.

Mrs. Third Floor frowned.“Nooo, that doesn’t ring a bell.”

Mrs. Food cleared her throat.“I think Mildred is talking about some men who have a reality television show investigating ghosts. They’re local.”

“Wait, THOSE GUYS?” Madison suppressed a snicker. “The ones who wave gadgets around and talk about spiritual vibrations or whatever? With the cheesy graphics? The public-access guys?”

“Yes! The ghost men!” Mrs. Third Floor said happily. “But I don’t think I’ll need them. I haven’t had any problems today.”

A muffled ding came from Mrs. Third Floor’s large handbag.

“Oh, there, you see?” Mrs. Third Floor grabbed her handbag and started digging around inside, finally pulling out her cell phone. “That ding means that the camera recorded an interaction. It’s motion activated.”