That hideous old ghost … I never had a chance to warn Polly about him. Maybe I could scare the ghost away. Maybe I could use the evil of the Haunted Mask to chase the ghost from the closet. That would be an act of kindness for Polly and her mother, right? That would be an act of unbelievable kindness. The kind Marcus’s dad was talking about. My hand trembled as I reached for the closet door. But before I could pull it open, I heard a sound. I turned and saw Polly at the top of the steps. She gazed around the long room until she found me. “Lu-Ann, hear those sirens?” she said. “Those are the police. Coming for you.” Yes. I could hear them. Very faint. Far away. But getting closer. I didn’t have much time. I squeezed the handle to the closet door. Polly came running toward me. “What are you doing? Lu-Ann, get away from there. The police will be here in minutes. You can’t hide in that closet.” “I … don’t want to hide,” I murmured. “I’m going to do you a big favor.
