On our end of the hallway, the two rooms we hadn't yet searched were locked.
"Leave them to me," Travis whispered. "I always come to our Crime Club meetings prepared." He whipped out his lock-picking kit from his pocket with a too-excited gleam in his hazel eyes. "I've been waiting my whole life for this."
"Calm down there, Hairy Houdini." I patted his cheek near his new mustache and then turned to face the other end of the hallway. "We'll go haunt this direction."
"Okay." Travis squatted in front of one of the doors. "Just make Parker scream if you need me."
Cass and I crept toward the open doorway where Parker lurked. Past that room was another darkened one at the very end.
A loud creak under our feet pulled us both up short. Parker, too, because his box-flinging stopped.
"Anyone there?" he called, his clown voice shaking even more than usual. "I've got a weapon, and I'm not afraid to use it."