Goldie jumped into the laundry chute first. She slid on her bottom all the way to the basement. She tumbled into a basket of dusty rags. Then Ruby landed on her. They got out of the way before Li and Val could crash on top of them.

The laundry room was small and bare. Still no Zeek or Nacho. But a faint light glowed under the door that led to the rest of the basement. Goldie quietly pushed it open.

Zeek sat at a laptop with Butler Phone hovering right behind him. Nacho slept in the corner in a laundry basket. An empty box of maple-flavored dog biscuits lay next to him. But what surprised Goldie was that Zeek, Butler Phone, and Nacho were not alone. Someone was standing next to Zeek.

“Mayor Zander, what are you doing here?” she asked in her loudest voice.

Mayor Zander and Zeek both jumped.

“I’m just…I wanted to make sure…um, there was no funny business.” The mayor straightened his bow tie.

“Funny business?” Li asked. “You mean all the tricks that Zeek has been up to?”

“I didn’t do anything!” Zeek yelled.

“The oven? The sounds? The toilet? We know it’s you,” Val said. “Goldie figured it all out.”

Zeek pointed a finger at Goldie. “And you were behind the slime and the screechy noises.”

“We needed to convince you the inn was haunted,” Goldie said.

“And we needed to convince you that the inn was haunted,” Zeek shot back.

“But why?” Val asked.

“This doesn’t make any sense,” Ruby added. “It’s like we’re on the same team.”

Mayor Zander adjusted his bow tie again and then cleaned his glasses. He seemed to be stalling.

Goldie stared at the bow tie. She knew she was missing something.

“You’ve all made a mess of things,” the mayor said, still pulling on his bow tie.

“I got it!” Goldie yelled. “I know why you want us to think the inn is haunted. You don’t want this place destroyed either. It means something to you. That boy in the picture with his lemonade stand was you. You were wearing that big bow tie!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he grumbled.

Li, Val, and Ruby squinted hard at the mayor.

“It’s him,” Li agreed. “You’re right, G.”

“No…I…It’s not…,” the mayor stammered.

“Give up, Dad,” Zeek said. “It’s over.”

“Fine,” Mayor Zander admitted. “I made my first buck selling lemonade on the front porch. That was my first business. Zander’s Lemonade. By the end of that summer, I had three locations and six kids working for me. So yes, this place means something to me.”

“It’s also where he met my mother,” Zeek added.

“That, too.” The mayor shrugged.

“Why didn’t you just tell the town board that they can’t destroy the inn?” Ruby asked. “It would have saved us a lot of trouble.”

“I don’t want them thinking I’m emotional and caring. I’m a businessman and the mayor.” He puffed out his chest. “And no one is going to tell them otherwise.”

“So what do we do now?” Ruby asked. “Do we all lie and say we’ve seen the ghosts of the inn?”

“I have a better idea,” Goldie said.

“What?” asked Zeek.

Goldie smiled. “Think of it as a business opportunity.” She explained her plan to the Zanders and the Gearheads. They all liked it and agreed to share it with the town board on Monday.

Li yawned. Then everyone else did, too. The sun peeked through the cloudy windows of the basement.

“We stayed up all night,” Ruby said.

“Yep. Except Nacho.” Goldie nudged her dog awake. “Time to go home and take a nap.”

Zeek and Mayor Zander went up the stairs first. Li and Ruby followed. Only Val, Goldie, and Nacho were left.

“I’m sorry we didn’t see any ghosts,” Goldie said to her friend. “I don’t believe in them, but that doesn’t mean I don’t believe in you. If you ever want to go ghost hunting again, I’ll be there with you. Haunted mansions. Haunted caves. Haunted factories. Haunted playgrounds. Anywhere. I’ll go.”

“I know, Goldie.” Val smiled. “That’s what makes you an awesome friend. You’re always willing to look for trouble.”

They laughed.

“But I don’t think I’ll be hunting for ghosts again,” Val continued.

“You don’t believe anymore?” Goldie asked.

Val shook her head. “I didn’t say that.”

Goldie raised her eyebrows and hoped Val would explain. But she didn’t. Goldie carried Nacho up the stairs.

“You coming?” she asked Val.

“Be there in a second.”

Goldie stood at the top of the stairs.

“Where’s Val?” Ruby asked. “She didn’t disappear. Did she?”

“No.” Goldie leaned her head toward the basement. She could hear Val’s voice, but she couldn’t make out the words. Two minutes later, Val walked up the steps.

“Who were you talking to?” Goldie asked.

Val shrugged. “No one you would know.”

A cold breeze blew through Goldie’s hair. Goose bumps covered her skin.

It’s just the autumn wind, she thought.