"Actually," I said, when the job at the Papadakises' had been arranged, "I've been thinking that maybe I should just quit the production. I love that role, but it's not worth risking my life for it." Mallory gasped. "Give up the production!" she said. "You're nuts, Jessi. That may be the best part you've ever gotten. You can't let them scare you out of it." "Mal's right," said Claud. "You can't quit. I've already bought a new outfit to wear to your opening night." She laughed. "I'm only kidding. But really, we'll help you figure out what to do," she added.

    Dawn leaned forward. "Hey, Jessi, do you still have the notes you got?" I nodded. "They're right here," I said, digging into my new high-security dance bag.

    "Let's see them," she said. I handed them over, and she started to examine each one closely. "Boy, I can see why you're feeling scared," she said, after she'd read each one. She passed them around to the others. There was a pause while everybody read them - and while Stacey answered a couple of job calls.

    "Still, Jessi," said Kristy after a few minutes. "The idea was to scare you. You can't give this person the satisfaction." "I've got an idea," said Mallory suddenly. "What if we came to watch one of your rehearsals? We could be - what d'you call it? Objective observers? And maybe we could finger the suspect." I thought about it for a minute. "Our next rehearsal is on the stage where the performance is going to be held," I said slowly, figuring it out. "If you sat in the back of the theater, maybe no one would notice you." "It sounds like fun," said Stacey. "But that's in Stamford, too, right? How are we going to get there?" "No problem," said Kristy. "I bet Charlie would drive us." Just then the phone rang, and Kristy jumped to answer it. By the time the job had been assigned, I had decided that the plan sounded good. I agreed not to drop out of the production, at least not until my friends could observe a rehearsal.