The next day was Monday, so Charlie and Ty had to get back to school. Charlie had a load of homework he hadn’t done over the weekend, so for the next two days, he was stuck at home after school. He didn’t get back to the hotel until Wednesday afternoon.

“Have you figured anything out?” Charlie asked Ty when he arrived at the Abracadabra.

“Of course not,” Ty said. He was lounging on the couch nearest the front desk. He nodded toward the elevators.

Charlie turned to look. There was Brack—back in his elevator operator uniform—sitting in his chair in the lobby right by the elevators. He didn’t look happy.

“He’s been like that since the party, pretty much,” Ty said. “I think he’s just hoping Theopolis will let him stay on as elevator operator when he gives him the hotel.”

Charlie shook his head sadly. “He’s really given up already?” he asked.

“Can you blame him?” Ty said.

Just then, the front doors of the hotel swung open and Theopolis entered.

And so did a lot of other people.

Charlie recognized some of the assistants from the party. They trailed close behind him. There were a few magicians from the party too, including Mr. Thursday, the juggling expert.

And behind the whole group of magic people were reporters. They barked questions and took photos and shot video.

Theopolis led the little parade, his face full of pride. When he reached the center of the lobby—where he could be easily seen by everyone, including Brack—he stopped.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Theopolis said, smiling smugly, “I will answer all your questions. Now, who is first?”

Joey Bingham stepped up and held out his microphone. “What are your plans for the hotel when you take it over?” he asked.

“See?” said Ty quietly to Charlie. “Everyone’s acting like Brack’s already lost.”

Theopolis made a big show of looking up and around the lobby. “So much wasted space,” he said. Then he ran a finger along the back of a nearby lobby chair. “And everything is so old.”

He pretended his finger was dirty just from having rubbed the chair. The reporters gathered around him chuckled.

Charlie glanced at Brack. The old magician hung his head.

“My plan is a full reboot, if you follow me,” Theopolis said. He walked toward the elevators as he spoke. “I will modernize everything. There will be projectors and flat-panel screens all over the lobby. There will be a complete staff change, naturally.”

“Naturally,” grunted Ty sarcastically.

“We’ll start by tearing up the old theater,” Theopolis said, just as he and his group reached the elevators. “Now excuse me. I will go up to my room.”

Without even looking at Brack, he barked out, “Thirteenth floor, please, old man.” Then he stepped into the elevator with his two hobbled assistants. Brack got up with a sigh and stepped into the elevator too. The doors closed.

Charlie gritted his teeth. “It’s time for us to get to work,” he said.

Ty nodded. “Where do we start?”

“First, we talk to Rocky,” Charlie said.

“He’s in the office,” Ty said, slipping behind the front desk. “Come on.”

Charlie followed. Soon the two boys were sitting in the main office. Rocky, the hotel’s bellhop, leaned on a file cabinet in the corner.

“So,” Charlie said, “are you with us?”

“Sure,” said Rocky. “I don’t want Brack to lose the hotel either. Can you imagine working for that nut Theopolis? No way. So, how can I help?”

“Give us a list of every magician who checked into the hotel since Brack’s press conference,” Charlie said.

“Why do we want that?” Ty asked.

“They were all at the party,” Charlie said, “and they’re all experts in magic, to some degree. Maybe one of them can help us.”

“Coming right up,” Rocky said. He went to the front desk and started tapping at the computer.

“What if they won’t help us?” Ty said.

Charlie thought about it. “I don’t know,” he said, “but right now, what else can we do?”