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“Hey, Chad?” Walt said, peering inside the end table. “Was this stuff in here when you took the bag originally?”

“What stuff?” Chad flung the last few coins onto the man’s lap like he was throwing confetti and inched his way over to the end table. He peered inside. “Oh, that stuff? Yeah, I guess. Why, did you want that, too?”

Walt shook her head.“No, we’re not touching this.” She turned to Butterbean. “This is bad news. We’ve got to get out of here.”

Butterbean cocked her head.“Why, what is it?”

“Trouble,” Walt said. “Big trouble.”

Oscar sat on the floor in front of the Television watching the surveillance feed.

“This is fine,” he said to himself. “This is fine.” He didn’t feel fine, though.

He knew that watching the feed was important. And he knew that criminal masterminds usually left the grunt work to their minions. But he didn’t like the idea that the others were up there alone.

A figure on the Television caught his eye.

Oscar jumped up with a squawk. He’d only seen him through the grate, but he would recognize him forever.

The Coin Man was back.

Butterbean pawed at the inside of the end table. She could see what looked like winter hats, and something metallic underneath. She frowned.“Why are hats trouble?”

She pawed at the hats again. A black ski mask fell onto the floor.“Should I try it on? I’ll look like a robber!” Butterbean joked, and then caught herself. “Oh. I’ll look like a robber.”

“Exactly.” Walt didn’t sound like she was joking.

Butterbean nosed the metallic things.“And these must be?”

“Guns,” Walt said. “Those are guns of some sort.”

“Then that means—”

“That means we need to go. Now.”

“Okey dokey, then,” Butterbean said, trotting over to the door.

Walt looked around for Chad, who was examining the contents of the kitchen cabinets.“Chad? Time to—”

“OUT! OUT NOW!” Oscar flew in through the window, collapsing on the couch in a dramatic crash landing that made everyone duck for cover. “The Coin Man is on his way.”

“What?” Walt and Butterbean stared at Oscar in panic.

The elevator bell dinged in the hallway.

Oscar’s eyes widened. “The Coin Man is here.”

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18

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WALT LEAPED TO HER FEET.“Oscar, GO! Start Operation Outside Authorities!” she screeched. “It’s all up to you now!”

“Operation Outside Authorities, check,” Oscar echoed, launching himself out of the window.

Chad scooted into the kitchen sink in record time.“I’m out of here. Good luck,” he called, sliding into the drain. “You’ll need it.”

Butterbean turned to Walt.“What about us?”

Walt looked around the apartment in desperation. She had some options—high places were always a good bet for a cat. But Butterbean had limited choices. The apartment didn’t seem to have any hiding places that would fit a small dog.

“He’s coming!” Marco yelled from the vent. “Do something! Get out!”

Walt turned to Butterbean.“Okay, we need to do a little distracting again. Operation Mini Distract. I need your nostril-licking skills.”

Butterbean wagged her tail.“Sure thing!” She was always up for a good nasal probe. “This guy?” She nudged the sleeping man on the couch.

“Go for it,” Walt said. If they woke the man up, there was a good chance he and the Coin Man would fight. And if they were fighting, they might not notice a smallish dog and cat slipping into the hallway.

It was a chance, anyway.

Butterbean leaned over and, with surgical precision, licked up the sleeping man’s nose. He wiped at his face with his hand.

She licked again, doing the power move she liked to think of as the“brain lick.”

The man swatted sleepily at his face, and his eyelids fluttered. Butterbean looked deep into his eyes and licked again. The man shrieked and staggered to his feet, scattering coins everywhere.

Butterbean nodded.“Three licks usually does it.”

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The key turned in the lock.

“BEAN, RUN!” Walt raced toward the front door.

Butterbean leaped off the couch and skidded down the hallway, coming to a stop behind Walt just as the door started to open.

Walt and Butterbean pressed themselves against the wall behind the door. The space was so small that the door was almost touching Butterbean’s nose. She turned her head to the side and squished herself flatter.

“What is this?” The Coin Man’s voice was cold.

Butterbean cringed. They’d been caught. She didn’t think she’d be able to cute her way out of this one.

But nothing happened. She slowly opened one eye.

The Coin Man was standing in front of the couch with a gold coin in his hand. He flipped it up into the air and caught it. Then he did it again. And he never once stopped staring at the Number Two Man, who was cringing back onto the sofa cushions and looking confused.

“I… don’t know where this all came from. I just… it was just there.” Number Two winced as he said it. No one would ever believe that, especially not the Coin Man.

He didn’t.

“This all just appeared after you decided to ‘nap’?” He flipped the coin into the air again and caught it.