Chapter 6

Chapter 6 Dink stared at Mr. Linkletter. "No answer? Are you sure?" Mr. Linkletter nodded. He looked puzzled. "Perhaps he's resting and doesn't want to be disturbed." "Can we go up and see?" Ruth Rose smiled sweetly at Mr. Linkletter. "Then we'd know for sure."

Mr. Linkletter shook his head. "We cannot disturb our guests, young miss. We have rules at the Shangri-la. Now good day and thank you." Ruth Rose opened her mouth. "But, Mis—" "Good day," Mr. Linkletter said firmly again. Dink and the others walked toward the door. "Something smells fishy," muttered Dink. "Yeah," Josh said, "and I think it's that Linkletter guy. See how he tried to hide the register? Then he turned his back. Maybe he didn't even call Room 303. Maybe he was warning his partners in crime!" "What are you suggesting, Josh?" Mavis asked. "Maybe Mr. Linkletter is the kidnapper," Josh said. "He was the last one to see Wallis Wallace." A man wearing a red cap tapped Dink on the shoulder. "Excuse me, but I overheard you talking to my boss, Mr. Linkletter. Maybe I can help you find Wallis Wallace. My kids love his books." "Great!" Dink said. "Can you get us into his room?" The man shook his head. "No, but I know the maid who cleaned the third-floor rooms this morning. Maybe she noticed something."

With his back to Mr. Linkletter, the man scribbled a few words on a pad and handed the page to Dink. "Good luck!" the man whispered, and hurried away. "What'd he write?" Josh asked. "Outside," Dink said. They all shoved through the revolving door. In front of the hotel, Dink looked at the piece of paper. "The maid's name is Olivia Nugent. She lives at the Acorn Apartments, Number Four." "Livvy Nugent? I know her!" Ruth Rose said. "She used to be my babysitter." "The Acorn is right around the corner on Oak Street," Dink said. "Let's go!" Soon all four were standing in front of Livvy Nugent's door. She answered it with a baby in her arms. Another little kid held on to her leg and stared at Dink and the others. He had peanut butter all over his face and in his hair. "Hi," the boy's mother said. "I'm not buying any cookies and I already get the Green Lawn Gazette." She was wearing a man's blue shirt and jeans. Her brown hair stuck out from under a Yankees baseball cap. "Livvy it's me!" Ruth Rose said.

Olivia stared at Ruth Rose, then broke into a grin. "Ruth Rose, you're so big! What are you up to these days?" "A man at the hotel gave us your name." "What man?" "He was sort of old, wearing a red cap," Dink said. Livvy chuckled. "Freddy old? He's only thirty! So why did he send you to see me?" "He told us you cleaned the rooms on the third floor this morning," Dink said. "Did you clean Room 303?" Livvy Nugent shifted the baby to her other arm. "Randy please stop pulling on Mommy's leg. Why don't you go finish your lunch?" Randy ran back into the apartment. "No," Livvy told Dink. "Nobody slept in that room. The bed was still made this morning. The towels were still clean and dry. I remember because there were two rooms in a row that I didn't have to clean—303 and 302. Room 302 had a Do Not Disturb sign hanging on the doorknob. nkledc. So I came home early, paid off the baby-sitter, and made our lunches."

"But Mr. Linkletter told us Wallis Wallace checked into Room 303 last night," Ruth Rose said. "Not the Wallis Wallace? The mystery writer? My kid sister devours his books!" Dink nodded. "He was supposed to sign books at the Book Nook this morning. But he never showed up!" "We even saw his signature on the hotel register," Ruth Rose said.

"Well, Wallis Wallace might have signed in, but he never slept in that room." Livvy grinned. "Unless he's a ghost." "I wonder if Mr. Linkletter could have made a mistake about the room number," Mavis suggested quietly. Livvy smiled at Mavis. "You must not be from around here. Mr. Linkletter never makes mistakes." "So Wallis Wallace signed in, but he didn't sleep in his room," said Dink. "That means…" "Someone must have kidnapped him before he went to bed!" Josh said. Livvy's eyes bugged. "Kidnapped! Geez, Mr. Linkletter will have a fit." She imitated his voice. "We have rules about kidnappings at the Shangrila!" Everyone except Dink laughed. All he could think about was Wallis Wallace, his favorite author, kidnapped. Suddenly a crash came from inside the apartment. "Oops, gotta run," Livvy said. "Randy is playing bulldozer with his baby sister's stroller again. I hope you find Wallis Wallace. My kid sister will die if he doesn't write another book!"