9 STAKEOUT!

CHAPTER 9 STAKEOUT! We have to do what your parents do," Kaz told Claire. "We have to watch that spot where everyone sees the ghost and wait for him to appear again." Claire grinned. "You're right. We know where he'll show up." She grabbed her bag and went out into the entryway. "Everyone always sees him right there." She pointed. "Right above that plant." She went over to the bench and sat down. Kaz floated behind her, keeping one eye on the plant and the other eye on the door to the Outside. Sometimes that door opened when Kaz didn't expect it. But as long as he stayed back by the

bench, he would be safe from the Outside wind. They watched and they waited. But nothing happened. Claire opened her bag and pulled out a shiny, red ball. Kaz stared as she put it to her mouth and took a bite out of it. "You want some?" she asked between bites as she held the object out to him. "What is it?" Kaz asked. "An apple. Haven't you ever tasted an apple before?" Kaz had never tasted anything before. Ghosts didn't eat. "How can you throw up if you don't eat?" Claire asked. "What are you throwing up?" Kaz shrugged. "My insides." Claire and Kaz remained in the entryway for the rest of the afternoon. Lots of solids walked through. Some of them, like Grandma Karen, walked through more than once.

But no ghosts wafted through. The next day, Kaz and Claire watched the entryway again. Still no ghosts. But the lady who used to own the house came in. Kaz wasn't sure she saw Claire sitting on the bench, even though Claire wasn't a ghost. The lady held her cane in one hand and a magnifying glass in the other. She hobbled over to the plant and peered through her magnifying glass. Kaz and Claire glanced at each other. What is

that lady doing? Claire cleared her throat. "Good heavens!" the lady said. "You scared me half to death." "Sorry," Claire said. "What are you doing?" "I lost an earring when I was in here the other day," the lady said. "I'm trying to find it. But I'm too old to get down on the floor." "I'm not," Claire said, dropping to her hands and knees. "Maybe I can find it for you." Kaz swam along the floor beside her. "What does your earring look like?" Claire asked. "It's round, with blue and silver jewels in it," the woman said. "Is this it?" Kaz asked, hovering over a small, sparkly object.

Claire grabbed the object. "Found it," she said, handing it to the lady. "Oh, thank you, dear," she said. "Well," Kaz said at the end of the day, "we may not have solved the case of the library ghost, but we solved the case of that lady's missing earring." On the third day, Grandma Karen said, "What are you doing, Claire? Why do you sit here day after day? If you don't want to work in the library, why don't you go outside and play?" "I don't like to play outside," Claire said. "Nonsense. Everyone likes to play outside.

You could use some fresh air." "I'll think about it," Claire said. But she stayed right where she was. Later, Beckett joined Kaz and Claire in the entryway. "Why do you two sit here day after day?" he asked. "Don't you find it dreadfully dull?" "We're waiting for the library ghost to appear," Claire said. "What makes you think that he or she is going to appear while you're sitting here?" "What do you mean?" Claire asked. "Why wouldn't he appear while we're sitting here?" "Because the 'ghost' probably isn't a real ghost like Kaz and me," Beckett said. "It's probably a solid pretending to be a ghost." "You know I hate that word, Beckett," Claire said, glaring at him. "Wait, Claire," Kaz said. "Beckett could be right. What if the 'ghost' isn't really a ghost?" Claire thought about it. "Then he won't come