"Well, she did manage to swallow some of the chocolate pudding we had for dessert," admitted Mal. "Once I coaxed her into it." She giggled a little. "Now, if only I could get her to sleep — "

"Try Charlotte's Web," I suggested. "Read a chapter aloud to her. That always works." I spoke quickly. I was a little impatient with all this talk about Becca. I mean, I did care how she was doing, but I had more important things on my mind. It was time to change the subject. "Mal," I said, "listen to what happened." I told her what Quint and I had seen and heard. I didn't leave out any details, either. It made a good story.

"Wow," breathed Mal when I'd finished. "This is awesome! You actually saw two guys planning a jewel heist. I can't believe it."

"Me neither," I said. "But it really happened. It's just like a movie, isn't it?"

"Yeah," answered Mal. "Except for one thing. When you watch a movie, you get to go home later on and forget about it. But this is as if you and Quint are in the movie! Jessi, those guys might be after you. What are you going to do?"

I heard the fear in Mal's voice, and somehow it made me want to pretend I wasn't scared at all. "We're going to crack the case, that's

what we're going to do. We'll take care of the thieves before they can do anything to us. All we need is a little concrete evidence, and then the police can take it from there." I sounded so confident that I almost convinced myself.

"Well," replied Mal, "all I can say is good luck. And be careful! Those guys could be dangerous." She paused for a second. "Jessi?" she said. "Becca's calling me. She's supposed to be sleeping on a cot in Vanessa's and my room, but she's saying she can't get to sleep. I better go."

"Okay. Good luck, yourself. Remember, Charlotte's Web usually does the trick: Try the chapter where Wilbur first meets Charlotte."

Mal told me later that her conversation with me was a real bright spot in her evening. It was good, she said, to talk over the "Becca problem" with someone who knew Becca well. It was also good to be distracted by my news about the jewel thieves. Ever since I'd left, Mal had been thinking about nothing but Becca and her needs, and she was beginning to get tired of the subject. Especially since, no matter what Mal did, Becca refused to cheer up.