It's really unfortunate he has no way to communicate with Sadde here.

Can he get a better look – yes, probably pulling Sadde along with him – at what the boy is writing in the notebook?

He's writing a story about ghosts!

… What happens if Theo goes to just in front of the boy and tries to wrench the book out of his hands?

Well, he succeeds, and the boy cries out in surprise.

Okay now he feels terrible but hopefully this is the right book and now they can leave–?

"Mooommmmyyyyyy!" the boy yells, running from his bedroom.

(Yes, probably.)

Theo sits on the winged staff and waits for Sadde to get on and then they're gone.

And they—well, Sadde, first—turn visible again just before Theo lands.

"I really hope this is it."

Does the book look like it's done-slash-doing anything magical?

It looks like a book. Without a name. And a star on its cover.

"… I somehow doubt that boy was a sorcerer using this, and if his mother was instead of something maybe we should get out of here." Pause. "After I check this is magical."

"You could just try to capture it."

"– Sure."

Staff, meet maybe-a-card, along with ridiculous speech.

Yep, the book's a card.

"… So it was not, in fact, in the hands of some sorcerers with bizarre motives."

"No, and you terrified a five-year-old."

"The five year old terrified me!" Pause. "Okay, it was by accident, but he made ghosts! And a storm! Probably!"

"It was very likely by accident."

"Wow Theo you're so mean, scaring five-year-olds."

"Should we perhaps not be so close to the crime scene anymore?"

"… They didn't actually see me and the book is now a card, but yeah, maybe we should go anyway?"

"Not much point sticking around."

To the car!

Tyler trails along quietly.