A few days had passed since the cruise, and Mason was sitting in his room, still grounded for sneaking out. Eventually, he noticed someone moving into the house next door. 

“Oh, look! It seems someone is finally moving in next door,” Mackenzie remarked as she walked into the room. 

“What are you doing here?” Mason asked. 

“I just wanted to check on you and see how you were holding up,” said Mackenzie. 

“Other than being grounded? I'm fine,” Mason replied.

“You do realize it’s your own fault you got grounded, right?” Mackenzie pointed out. 

“I know, I know. I’m sorry,” Mason admitted. 

“Do you find anything strange about our new neighbor?” he asked. 

“I think it's rude to spy on people,” Mackenzie replied. 

“I don’t know, Mackenzie. I have a feeling this guy is hiding something,” Mason insisted. 

Mackenzie raised an eyebrow, “Do you remember the number one rule of being a detective?” 

“Never jump to conclusions, yeah, I know,” Mason acknowledged. “But I can’t shake this feeling that something isn’t right. It’s like how you felt before we boarded the cruise.” 

“Fine,” Mackenzie relented. “If I go over and talk to him, will that make you feel better?” 

“Probably not,” Mason said. 

Determined to alleviate Mason’s concerns, Mackenzie headed downstairs to meet the new neighbor. 

“Hey, sweetheart,” their mother greeted. 

“Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad,” Mackenzie replied. 

“Where are you off to in such a hurry?” their father asked. 

“Mason thinks our new neighbor is hiding something,” Mackenzie explained. 

“Oh, we have new neighbors? How nice!” their mother exclaimed. “We should go over and introduce ourselves.” 

“All of us?” their father queried. 

“Yes, all of us, because that’s what normal families do,” their mother insisted. 

“I wouldn’t exactly call us normal,” their father muttered, “but if you say so.” 

“Mason, honey, come downstairs. We’re going to meet the new neighbors,” their mother called up. 

“Um, I’d rather not,” Mason replied. 

“See what I mean?” Mackenzie said. 

“Mason Barnes, get down here immediately. We’re going to meet the neighbors. Do not make me come up there, young man,” their mother warned. 

“Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll handle this,” Mackenzie said, then headed upstairs. “What is your problem?” she asked Mason. “How can you be so terrified of someone you don’t even know?” 

“I’m not scared; I’m being cautious,” Mason replied. “I don’t know what this guy is capable of.” 

“So I take it you’re not going over there unless you know it’s safe?” Mackenzie asked. 

“Yep,” Mason confirmed. 

“Fine,” Mackenzie said, turning to head downstairs. “He’s not coming down until he knows it’s safe, which means we’re going over there without him.” 

With that, Mackenzie and her parents made their way to the neighbor's house to say hello. 

“Hello, neighbor!” Melissa greeted. “My name is Melissa, this is my husband David, and our daughter Mackenzie. Our son is at home, refusing to come down because he’s grounded right now,” she explained. “Actually, he thinks you’re dangerous and hiding something, so I came over to prove him wrong,” Mackenzie admitted. 

“Mackenzie!” her parents exclaimed in unison. “That’s a very rude thing to say.” 

“Why don’t you come inside? I’ll show you that I have nothing to hide,” said the neighbor warmly. “I’m Robert, by the way. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” 

“It’s lovely to meet you too, Robert,” Melissa replied. “We’d love to come in.” 

“Can I get you anything to drink?” Robert offered. 

“No, thank you,” said Melissa. “So, what brings you to Michigan?” 

“My job, actually. I’m a traveling makeup artist,” Robert explained. 

“How interesting! Can we see some of your work?” Melissa asked. 

“I usually don’t show my work, but I suppose I could make an exception just this once,” Robert said. 

“No, that’s okay,” Mackenzie interjected. “If it’s a rule, we wouldn’t want you to break it. In fact, I think it’s time we head home.” 

“Really? So soon? But you just got here!” Robert protested. 

“Mackenzie, what’s gotten into you?” David chided. 

“I apologize for my daughter, Robert. She usually knows better than to act this way,” David said. 

“It’s no big deal. Meeting new people can be tough,” Robert reassured them as the Barnes family departed. 

“Mackenzie, you were quite rude back there, and I think you owe our new neighbor an apology,” David said as Mackenzie made her way upstairs to talk to Mason. 

“Well?” he prompted. 

“You were right, Mason. He is hiding something. I could see it in his face,” Mackenzie replied. 

“I knew it!” Mason exclaimed. “What did he tell you?” 

“He claims to be a traveling makeup artist, but I didn’t buy it for a second,” Mackenzie said. “What kind of makeup artist doesn’t like to show their work?”

"So, how can we prove that he’s hiding something?" Mason asked. "That’s a good question," Mackenzie replied. "I think we need to sneak back into his house, but we must do it when he’s not there to avoid getting caught. Any ideas on how we can manage that?" 

"By any chance, did you notice if he left a spare key somewhere?" Mackenzie inquired. "Because that would give us access." 

"I think I saw him leave a key under the doormat," Mason said. 

"Great! Now we just need to wait for him to leave," Mackenzie said eagerly. 

"Actually, he's leaving right now," Mason reported. 

"Perfect. I'm heading over there," Mackenzie said. 

"Can I come with you?" Mason asked. 

"Oh, so now you want to join me?" Mackenzie replied, recalling how Mason had refused to leave his room last time. "Sorry, but I need you here to keep watch. You're the only one I can trust." 

"Fine," Mason acquiesced. "Besides, if Mom and Dad find out you sneaked out while grounded, you’ll be in even deeper trouble. Trust me, it’s best for you to stay here." 

"Yeah, you’re right," Mason conceded. "I’m counting on you to be my eyes and ears inside the house." Handing over a radio, he added, "Take this so we can stay in contact." 

Mackenzie made her way to Robert's house, determined to investigate. However, she didn’t consider that an alarm might be set to trigger if anyone entered the premises. 

"Mason, we have a problem. There’s an alarm code, and if I enter it incorrectly, I'll be locked out. What should I do?" 

"See if you can find a way into the garage. There might be a code there," Mason suggested. 

"Wait, there’s a fake rock here. I wonder..." she trailed off, then exclaimed, "Score!" 

"Did you find the code?" Mason asked eagerly. 

"Yeah, it’s 246813," Mackenzie reported confidently. "I’m in!" 

"Hurry up and start looking around. I don’t know when he’ll be back," Mason urged. 

As Mackenzie entered the house and began her search, she didn’t uncover much at first. 

"Mackenzie, he’s coming back. You need to get out now or find a place to hide!" Mason warned anxiously. 

With no time to spare, Mackenzie hid in the basement until it was safe to leave. While she was down there, she noticed several unopened boxes that didn’t appear to contain makeup supplies. However, when she heard Robert descending the stairs, she quickly concealed herself and overheard him on the phone discussing a shipment of some sort. 

Before long, however, she was discovered. 

"Would you care to explain what you’re doing in my house, young lady?" Robert demanded. 

"I’m so sorry, sir. I didn’t mean to be rude or disrespectful, but I really need to go," Mackenzie stammered, fear evident in her voice. 

"Hey, wait!" Robert called out as Mackenzie dashed toward the exit. She made it home safely, but not before Robert knocked on their door.

"Robert, how can I assist you?" David asked, sensing the tension in the air. 

"I just caught your daughter sneaking around my property," Robert replied firmly. "I’ve tried to be as accommodating as possible, but let me be clear: if I see her or either of your children on my premises again, I will call the police."

"Robert, I'm truly sorry. I assure you it won’t happen again," David responded urgently. "Kids, get down here immediately!" 

"Yes, Dad," Mackenzie called out as she and her brother appeared. 

"Do you two have something to say to Robert about trespassing on his property?" 

"You have a lovely home, Robert. I really admire the changes you've made," Mackenzie quipped, attempting to lighten the mood. 

"Young lady, this is not the time for jokes," David admonished. "Now, apologize to Robert for your actions." 

"I'm sorry for trespassing, Robert," Mackenzie said sheepishly. With that, Robert departed.

The twins began to head back upstairs, but David halted them. "Not so fast! We need to have a serious discussion. What on earth were you doing inside Robert's house? Don’t even think about using the excuse that he’s hiding something."

"But he is hiding something, Dad! I could see it in his expression when we visited his house the first time," Mackenzie argued. "Isn't it strange that a makeup artist doesn't showcase his work?" 

"There could be several reasons why he chooses not to display his talent. You should know better than to jump to conclusions," David lectured. "You’re fortunate it hasn't escalated to a police matter. And for all you know, those unopened boxes in his basement could contain anything." 

"Perhaps, but they didn't look like makeup supplies to me," Mackenzie countered. 

"Enough! Now, please head to your rooms and stay there. If I hear about you two sneaking over to Robert's again or anything else suspicious involving him, you’ll be grounded. Understood?" David said firmly. 

"Yes, Dad," the twins replied in unison. 

"I'm already grounded, though," Mason chimed in.

"And you should be thankful that I’m not extending your punishment," David said tersely.

Once in Mason's room, the twins strategized. "What do we do now?" Mason asked.

"We need to investigate what's in those boxes," Mackenzie insisted.

"Look! He’s leaving again," Mason said, peering out the window. 

"Now I’m convinced he’s up to something. Where is he off to in such a hurry?" Mackenzie pondered. "Maybe I should go this time since I'm already grounded." Said Mason 

"Mom and Dad will definitely extend your grounding if you get caught," Mason replied.

"If you go over there again, you’ll be grounded too, and that would be a bigger mess," Mackenzie cautioned. "If I go, I can take the blame for both of us."

"You’re right. This time, you go, and I'll keep watch," Mason agreed reluctantly.

Mason stealthily made his way back to Robert’s house, determined to uncover the secrets hidden in the basement boxes. First, though, he decided to check the garage for anything suspicious. 

"Mason, what are you doing in the garage? You need to be in the basement!" Mackenzie urged.

"There's something in here you should see," Mason replied, sending her a photo of what appeared to be a second vehicle. 

"What on earth is an unmarried man doing with an extra car?" Mackenzie asked incredulously.

"Maybe one is for work and the other for leisure?" Mason speculated. 

"That’s possible, but hurry to the basement before he returns!" Mackenzie urged.

Once in the basement, Mason noticed a suspicious door at the back. "Mackenzie, you need to see this. I'm sending you a picture. What’s behind that door?" he asked.

"Can you open it? There has to be a key around," Mackenzie responded. 

Mason began searching the basement and soon exclaimed, "Bingo!" as he found a key. He opened the door and was stunned to discover a woman tied up inside. Quickly, he snapped a picture and sent it to Mackenzie.

"This guy's not a makeup artist; he's a kidnapper!" she replied, shocked. 

"Should I free her?" Mason asked anxiously. 

"No! I have a plan, but it will require you to get caught. Make sure to take a few more pictures of the hostage for evidence, just in case he tries something," Mackenzie advised. 

Mason complied, taking additional pictures of the woman. Before long, Robert returned and found him in the basement. 

"What are you doing here, kid? Didn’t your father tell you to stay away?" Robert growled.

"I’m calling the police," Mason said defiantly.

"Good idea," Robert sneered. "I’m sure they’d love to hear all about the hostage you have locked up down here." 

Just before Robert could react, Mason bolted from the house and raced home, where he collided with his father.

"Dad, before you get angry, there's something important you need to see regarding Robert," Mason said urgently, as he proceeded to explain the hostage situation in Robert’s basement.

It wasn't long before Robert returned to voice his complaints about the twins being in his house. "Do you want to explain yourself, Robert?" David asked. "I'm starting to think my kids were right all along, and you're not the one who should be calling the police. In fact, my daughter should be making that call right now. Isn't that right, Mackenzie?" 

"Right, Dad, the police are already on their way," she confirmed.

Once the police took Robert away, David seized the opportunity to have a moment with the twins. "Kids, come here; I need to talk to you," he said. 

"Yeah, Dad?" they replied.

"I want to apologize for doubting you both. You were correct about Robert, and I should have listened. However, that doesn’t excuse the fact that you broke into his house after being told to stay away, even if it was to prove a point. Your mother and I have discussed the situation, and we’ve decided to ground both of you for a month. Mason, consider this an extension of your current grounding. Now, why don’t you head upstairs and get ready for bed? It’s been a long day."

"Okay, Dad, goodnight," they responded in unison.

As they settled in upstairs, they had one last conversation before sleep. "Hey," Mason began, "I’m sorry I indirectly got you grounded too. That wasn’t my intention."

"Don’t worry about it," Mackenzie reassured him. "I know you didn’t mean for this to happen. Besides, we managed to take down another dangerous criminal. I’d say that’s a win."

"See you tomorrow," Mason replied, and with that, the twins went to bed, ready to rise early for school the next day.