Tell you what, we'll call it even. :)
The question seemed odd, odd enough to warrant some thought, but Richard was far too distracted by Max's seemingly offhand comment to answer it. "Wait," he said, waving his hand and frowning thoughfully at the younger man, "what do you mean 'I haven't heard?' Haven't heard what?" A train of possibilities ran through his head, running from the usual crime-novel scandals to some really ridiculous things like hallucinogenic gas. It seemed almost too good to hope that there was some widely known yet strange part of the building that could explain Halloween (which he was not going to think about, damn it.) Still, if there were other things going on in the apartment building...
And it certainly seemed there were. Max's question seemed too intent, and Richard found himself wondering exactly what it was that had led the boy to ask. He would have to follow up on that, just as soon as he had heard whatever it was Max was thinking of.