9 CAUGHT IN THE ACT!

CHAPTER 9 CAUGHT IN THE ACT! Claire pushed the door all the way open and stepped into another room. Kaz floated in behind her. The room looked familiar. "We're in the control room," Claire said, turning all the way around. Kaz glanced back at the door they'd just come through. "I thought that was a closet," he said. "It is a closet," Claire said. "A closet that has a secret passageway in the back of it. I think this explains how our 'ghost'"—Claire made quote marks in the air—"got in here to turn on the

spotlight when the door was locked." "So you don't think the ghost is really a ghost anymore?" Kaz asked. "No." Claire shook her head. Finally, Kaz thought. "The question is, who is our ghost?" Claire asked. "Amber?" Kaz suggested. "She was wearing a Pete's Paint Shop shirt the other day. Noah said she could get paint at her dad's store. I bet her dad's store is Pete's Paint Shop. Plus, she was

disappointed she didn't get a part in the play. I heard her tell another girl that she never gets a part, and she doesn't think it's fair that she always has to work backstage." "Hmm. That sounds like motive," Claire said as she wandered around the tiny control room. "And—oh!" She nearly tripped over something. "What was that?" She looked down at the floor. "A book," Kaz said. He swam down and stared hard at the cover. Science in Our World. "It should say inside whose book it is," Claire said. Kaz reached for the cover. Concentrate, he told himself. Concentrate and open the book. But his hand passed through it. "I'll get it." Claire picked up the book. "I bet it's Amber's book." She opened the cover and her eyebrows shot up. "Is it Amber's?" Kaz asked. "No." Claire shook her head. "It's Andy Jensen's book."

Kaz was confused. "Does that mean Andy is our 'ghost' instead of Amber?" He remembered that Andy was missing his science book. "I don't know," Claire said. Kaz couldn't think of a reason why Andy would write that message on the wall or turn on the piano or the spotlight. And he couldn't figure out when Andy would have done those things. Andy hadn't been to any of the rehearsals. "Maybe Amber took Andy's science book and put it in here to make it look like he's the ghost instead of her?" Claire suggested. "Or maybe the science book isn't part of this case at all," Kaz said. "Maybe Andy simply left it in the control room that day he was talking to Mr. Hartshorn?" "Maybe," Claire said. She put Andy's book in her bag. "I'll talk to both Andy and Amber tomorrow and see what we can find out." "Sounds like a plan," Kaz said. Claire opened the door, and she and Kaz went

out into the cafetorium. The door to the control room locked behind them. They were close to solving this case. Kaz could feel it. The next morning, Claire waited for Andy before school. Kaz floated safely in the water bottle at her side. "Hey, Andy," Claire called to him, holding the science book out to him. "Is this yours?"

Andy's face brightened. "Yes!" he said, grabbing the book. "Where did you find it? I've been looking all over for it." "It was in the control room," Claire said. "Huh. I must've left it in there when Mr. Hartshorn showed me around." Andy turned to leave, but Claire called him back. "Do you know anything about a secret