CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 7 CHAPTER 7 By nine the next morning, the three families were down in the lobby. Ruth Rose's parents had treated them all to breakfast at Ellie's Diner, then they'd walked back to the hotel for their luggage. While the adults thanked Mr. Linkletter and the Spivetses, the kids huddled on the sofa. "What are we gonna to do?" Dink asked. "Mr. and Mrs. Spivets are selling the hotel today!" Ruth Rose pulled the white hair from her pocket. "This proves that someone is just pretending to be
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CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 7
By nine the next morning, the three families were down in the lobby.Ruth Rose's parents had treated them all to breakfast at Ellie's Diner,then they'd walked back to the hotel for their luggage.
While the adults thanked Mr. Linkletter and the Spivetses, the kids huddled on the sofa."What are we gonna to do?" Dink asked. "Mr. and Mrs. Spivets are selling the hotel today!"
Ruth Rose pulled the white hair from her pocket."This proves that someone is just pretending to be the ghost," she said. "But we don't know who or why!"
"Maybe one of the guests has white hair," Josh said.
"Josh, all the guests are gone except Mr. and Mrs. Jeffers, and they both have dark hair," Ruth Rose reminded him.
"Could the hair be from a wig?" Dink asked."The ghost could have been wearing a costume and makeup."
"That's it!" Josh cried. "Last night I smelled makeup in the hall.I remember the yucky smell from last Halloween!"
Just then Mr. Linkletter walked over to the kids.He looked even more unhappy than he had the day before.
"This is a sad day" Mr. Linkletter said. "Eatch, Rail, and Roock will be here at noon with the papers."
"Noon!" Ruth Rose jumped up. "Then we still have three hours!"
Mr. Linkletter gazed down at her. "I'm afraid it's too late." He shook his head and walked away.
"We have to find out who's pretending to be the ghost," Ruth Rose said."If we don't, Livvy and Mr. Linkletter will lose their jobs!"
"And Mr. and Mrs. Spivets will lose their home!" Dink added.
"Guys, I think I know who the ghost is," Josh said.
Dink and Ruth Rose stared at him. "Well," Dink said. "Who?"
"The only people left in the hotel are Livvy, Mr. Linkletter, and his aunt and uncle, right?" "Right," Ruth Rose said.
"And we know that none of them want the hotel to be torn down," Josh continued.
"You forgot about Mr. and Mrs. Jeffers," Dink said. "They're still here." Josh grinned. "Bingo!"
"The Jefferses?" Ruth Rose said. "But they said they saw the ghost outside their room."
"Sure they saw the ghost," Josh said. "One of them is the ghost!"
"I know how we can find out," Dink said. "We have to search their room."
"Mr. Linkletter will never let us do that," Josh said.
"Well, maybe he won't let us, but I know someone who might," Ruth Rose said. "Who?" asked Dink. "Livvy!"
The kids said good-bye to their families, then hurried to the door that led to the basement.
They found Livvy in a cozy room, drinking a cup of tea.She was wearing her maid's uniform."Morning, kids," she said. "What brings you down here?"
"We saw the ghost last night!" Ruth Rose said.
Livvy's eyes widened. "Really? Where? Tell me!"
The kids explained about spending the night in the hotel and hiding in the cleaning closet.
"It was so creepy!" Josh said. "First we heard all these weird noises, then this thing came out of nowhere!"
"It glowed!" Ruth Rose said. She showed Livvy the white hair. "And we found this!"
"We think the ghost is one of the guests wearing a costume and wig," Dink explained.
Suddenly Livvy let out a gasp. "It was a wig!" she cried. "What was?" Ruth Rose asked.
"I just remembered," Livvy said. "Yesterday I was in 301 getting ready to vacuum.When I looked under the bed for shoes and stuff, I saw this hairy white thing.I thought it was a rat. But it could have been a white wig!" "Who's in Room 301?" Dink asked.
Livvy shrugged. "I don't know their name, but they're a nice couple from New York."
"Could you let us in so we could check the room for clues?" Ruth Rose asked.
Livvy shook her head. "Sorry, but you know how Mr. Linkletter is about the guests' privacy."
"But Mr. and Mrs. Spivets hired us to get rid of the ghost!" Dink said."Besides, if they have to sell the hotel, you and Mr. Linkletter will lose your jobs!"
"And Mr. and Mrs. Spivets will have to move," Ruth Rose added. "Please, Livvy? It won't take us long."
Livvy took a moment to think. "Okay" she finally said. "But just for two minutes!"
"Hey what's this?" Josh had stuck his head into a small opening in one wall.
"That's an old dumbwaiter," Livvy explained."In the old days, the hotel sent food up to the guests.Each room had one of these little elevator things,when the food got up there, the guests just opened a door and pulled out their food tray."
"Our room didn't have one," Dink said.
"None of them do anymore," Livvy said. "When the hotel closed its kitchen, the dumbwaiters were all sealed up."
She pointed to the one in her wall. "That's the only hole left."
