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The lobby was in an uproar. The last they’d seen of Polo and Butterbean was when Polo did a mad dash into the elevator and Butterbean looked like she’d gone crazy, racing around the lobby and then disappearing into the elevator just as the doors closed.

The girl had been knocked off her feet when Butterbean raced in between her legs, and she’d spent a few minutes gesturing wildly at the doorman before racing to a door at the end of the lobby, opening it, and disappearing.

“The stairway,” Walt said softly.

The doorman had looked concerned for a few minutes, until a lady with a big hat came in. Then he seemed to go back to his usual self, smiling and holding the door like nothing had happened.

“Wow, did you see that?” Marco bobbed up and down nervously. “Maybe they’ve gone CRAZY! Or maybe they’re found the coins and they’re cutting us out of the loop! Oh man, it’s just like a real action movie! We’ve been double-crossed! They’ve gone ROGUE!” He hugged his rat-head corn in excitement. “Isn’t it awesome?”

“We haven’t been double-crossed. It’ll be fine,” Walt said slowly. “I think.”

“Wait, what’s that?” They could hear the sound of the elevator dinging in the hallway, followed by the sound of frantic barking.

“That’s Butterbean,” Oscar said, flying to front door and hovering awkwardly. He’d never been good at using the peephole.

“That Workout Lady Who Gives Me Snacks! The Airplane Man Who’s Never Home! The Guy Who Smokes Cigars. Us! Hi, guys, be back in a sec!” Butterbean barked at the doorway. Then they heard the elevator doors close. There was silence.

“So it sounds like there’s a new plan?” Walt said, ears back and eyes wide.

“Those two are going to ruin everything,” Oscar groaned as he dropped back to the floor.

Butterbean slumped in the back of the elevator and waited for the doors to open. Polo leaned against the wall next to the door. They weren’t having so much fun anymore.

Butterbean had done the circuit over and over, sniffing every apartment on every floor, and so far they hadn’t even gotten one whiff of the Coin Man.

“Just two floors left, Bean,” Polo said, watching the numbers.

“I know,” Butterbean said.

“And you’re sure you haven’t smelled him?”

“I’m sure.” Butterbean hadn’t smelled anything like the Coin Man smell. She was starting to think she’d imagined him. Maybe he didn’t even live in the building. He could’ve been visiting. He could’ve dropped the coin in the lobby, gone away, and never come back.

The door opened, and Butterbean trudged out into the hallway while Polo flopped over to block the door. Around the sixth floor she’d realized she didn’t have to actually hold the door closed. Lying in front of the sensor worked just as well.

“Patchouli Family. Biscuit. Empty apartment. No, wait—not empty. Pencils? Pretzels? Anyway, not him.” Butterbean headed for the last door and took a sniff. “Nope. Axe Body Spray and fish.” She didn’t even feel like explaining what she’d sniffed anymore. It all seemed so pointless now.And they didn’t have a Plan C.

“Okay, one last chance,” Polo said, scooting back into the elevator after Butterbean had returned. “If he’s not on the top floor, he’s not here.”

“I know,” Butterbean said quietly.

“So,” Polo said after a second. “Haircut Biscuit?”

“Different Biscuit.”

They didn’t say anything else as the elevator climbed to the top floor.

The doors opened.

Butterbean gave Polo a mournful glance as she plodded into the hallway. The top floor wasn’t like the other floors. There were only two apartment doors. Butterbean sniffed the first one. “Nope. Furniture polish and incense.”

Butterbean turned and looked at the last apartment. Then, taking a deep breath, she marched down the hall.

“Just smell it,” Polo said from the elevator.

Butterbean stuck her nose under the door as far as it would go, and then she took a big sniff.

Her head shot up. She looked back at Polo.“I think…”

She took another sniff under the door.“Polo. Polo. I think…”

The door to the stairway burst open and Madison lurched into the hallway, red faced and panting.“There you are! What did you do that for, you crazy dog?”

She dropped to her knees and hugged Butterbean tightly.“I was so worried about you!”

Butterbean, caught tight in Madison’s hug, raised her eyebrows at Polo, who shrugged. Butterbean licked the girl across the forehead.

“We have to get you home, okay?” Madison reached down and examined Butterbean’s collar and leash. “How did you get it all twisted like that?”

She had just gotten the leash untangled when the apartment door jerked open.

A tall man with icy blue eyes stared down at them.

Madison’s grip on Butterbean tightened. “Oh, um. Hi. I’m sorry. I just… see, the dog… she got in the elevator…” Madison stammered, gesturing back toward the elevator. Polo pressed herself against the elevator door, hoping the man wouldn’t notice her. She shouldn’t have worried. He never took his eyes off Madison. And he didn’t say a word.

Polo shivered. There was something about his eyes. She was glad he wasn’t looking at her.