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Marco turned to Polo.“So, should we just go on up?”

Polo shook her head as she looked around.“Let’s look into some of the apartments first. Get our bearings. I don’t want to make any more mistakes.”

She scurried down to the apartment grate at the end of the vent.“According to Butterbean this should be… what?”

Marco frowned as he thought.“Butterbean said that one apartment on this side smelled weird and pretzely, and one smelled like Axe Body Spray.”

Polo rolled her eyes.“Axe Body Spray? I’ll take a look. Catch me if the smell knocks me out.” She sniffed cautiously at the grate. “Not the Axe Body Spray one.”

She peeked up into the vent.“Huh. It does smell kind of empty and pretzelish. I wonder who—HEY!” Polo’s whiskers bristled, and her eyes widened. “Marco! It’s the girl!”

Marco turned to look so quickly that he bruised his nose on the grate.“OUR girl? She lives in this one?”

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.”

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10

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“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.”