The Ersatz Elevator

Olaf plans to smuggle the Quagmire triplets away during the auction the next day by hiding them in one of the objects and having his helper place the highest bid. The Baudelaires return to the penthouse, where they heat fire pokers in the oven so they can bring them down to melt away the bars and free the triplets, a process that takes a long time and makes them feel anxious. Finally, the pokers are hot enough to work as welding torches, and the children prepare to climb down the elevator shaft a second time.

When the Baudelaire children climb back down the fake elevator shaft, the triplets are gone. Klaus remembers that Olaf left a copy of the auction catalogue at the penthouse, and the children hurry back up to look at it and work out which object Olaf will hide the triplets in. While Klaus consults the catalogue, Violet and Sunny hide their rope and find a note from Jerome which says Esmé will bring them to the auction at 10:30, only a half hour away. Violet and Sunny hurry to the library, where Klaus turns a page in the catalogue to reveal an object called “V.