“Pizza, anyone?” Sherman dropped two large pizza boxes on the coffee table in Mollie’s living room.
“What took you so long?” Jaime complained.
“I got caught in traffic—behind the guy who delivers for Artie’s,” Sherman said. It was a long-standing joke that anyone could make a pizza faster than they could get it delivered from Artois Pizza.
“Here are plates and napkins,” Mollie said. “Dig in.”
“Who needs plates?” said Roberta. “We ate tropical fish right out of the tank during the earthquake. I think we can manage to eat pizza with our hands.”
Johnny cracked open a can of cola. “Here’s to finding out that Meredith is innocent.”
Everyone drank to the toast, then started to wolf down pizza. Only Mollie didn’t touch her slice. She was too busy thinking.
“Okay, Fox, what is it?” Johnny asked after a minute.
Mollie smiled. Johnny had her figured out pretty well. “I want to find out more about this DeDario guy,” Mollie said. “I don’t think he’s exactly on the up-and-up.”
“No kidding!” Roberta wiped her mouth with a napkin. “He’s not even on the ‘up.’”
“Yeah, but it makes his agency look bad when Meredith gets nabbed on her way back from his shoot,” Jaime pointed out.
“Why do they call it a shoot, anyway?” Sherman said. “It sounds like deer season.”
“Open hunting season is more like it,” Mollie said, “especially with a guy like DeDario around. He probably hits on each of his models at least twice a day.”
“Twice an hour,” Roberta added. “He actually invited us to go out on his boat with him. What does he think we are—hicks from the country? No offense, Mollie.”
“Maybe you should go check out his boat,” Johnny said. “On second thought, I will.”
Mollie looked at him and raised one eyebrow. “Like they’d even let you in the Marina Club parking lot.”
“They probably wouldn’t even let you slow down as you drove past,” Sherman said.
“If you want to find out more about this DeDario guy, I could go in tomorrow and pretend to interview him or something,” Jaime volunteered.
“For what? The Bayside Shopping Mall News?” Johnny scoffed.
“How about if Jaime and I go into the agency, looking for work?” Sherman asked.
“As models? Be serious!” Roberta laughed. “Chelios, maybe; you bozos, not a chance.”
“I resent that. Your weak eyes just haven’t noticed my strong profile,” Sherman said, turning his face to the side. “See.”
“Okay, Sherman,” Mollie agreed. “You and Jaime go talk to DeDario. You might pick up on something Roberta and I missed.”
“Maybe we’ll also pick up on someone,” Sherman said.
“Wake up and smell the rejection,” Johnny said, shaking his head.
“Actually, I know a better way to check up on our pal Aaron,” Roberta said. “We could tap into the police computer bank and see if he has a record.”
“I don’t know,” Mollie said. She wasn’t too thrilled about calling up files from her father’s computer behind his back.
“It’s the only way to find out some real dirt,” Johnny said. “I doubt Aaron will offer much on his own.”
Mollie chewed the straw in her can of soda. “Are you sure he won’t find out?”
“Positive,” Roberta said.
“Let’s do it then,” Mollie said.
“All right!” Sherman grabbed another slice. “Way to be a delinquent, Fox.”
Mollie got up, and so did everyone else. They all trooped into the den and surrounded her father’s desk. Roberta sat down in front of the computer, turned it on, and started to type.
“How do you know how to do all this junk?” Jaime asked.
“I’ve watched my dad work,” Roberta said. “You just have to dial into this modem, which goes to headquarters. The only problem is, you need a password to get into the really good stuff.”
Johnny looked at Mollie. “Any idea what the password is?”
“Maybe it’s Foxman,” Sherman suggested.
“Or foxy lady,” Jaime said. “Is your dad a Jimi Hendrix fan?”
Mollie decided to ignore their jokes. She’d heard them all—and many more—before. She grabbed a cigar box from the top drawer of the file cabinet. Her father hid dark-chocolate nut candy bars in it because he wasn’t supposed to have too many sweets. Mollie’s mom would have killed him if she knew about the stash. Mollie smiled as she opened the box. It was nice to have a father whose secrets weren’t so terrible.
Inside was a slip of paper with the word “Costello” on it. “Try this,” she said, showing it to Roberta.
“As in Abbott and?” Roberta asked.
“As in Elvis,” Mollie said. “Dad’s a big fan.”
A few seconds later, the main police menu came up on the screen. Roberta kept typing until she got to the records section. It took a few minutes for the computer to find anything under the name Aaron DeDario. When it completed its search, it said, simply, NO RECORD.
“He’s clean?” Roberta said. “I don’t believe it.”
“Maybe DeDario isn’t his real name,” Sherman said. “It sounds like the name of a restaurant, not a person.”
Roberta kept typing. “What does that mean?” Mollie asked, pointing to the screen.
“I don’t know what I did, but we just accessed the San Francisco Police Department records,” Roberta answered.
“That’s enough,” Mollie said. “They could trace this to my dad. We shouldn’t even be in here.”
“How about if we just check out Detective Benjamin?” Johnny asked. “We could read the file he’s keeping on the case. That might help. You said you didn’t trust him, right?”
“Okay. But hurry. My parents are going to be home in half an hour.”
“Here it is,” Roberta said. “It just lists the evidence we know about. Here’s something new.” She pointed to a column marked Sources? Underneath it was a phone number.
Johnny picked up the telephone on the desk and dialed. “Hello, is this customer service? Yeah, I have a question about my bill. There’s a number I don’t recognize. Uh-huh. It’s 5559375. Thanks.” He put his hand over the receiver. “He’s checking.”
“I never heard you sound so polite in your entire life,” Roberta said.
“Hey, it’s a very important skill—yes?” Johnny asked. “Well, thank you very much. Good-bye.” He hung up. “It’s a pay phone at eight fifty Park Street in Oakland.”
“The person who tipped him off about Meredith called from Oakland?” Mollie said. “That’s weird, considering she was coming from New York.” She heard a familiar sound in the driveway. “They’re here! Hurry, get back in the living room.”
Roberta exited the system, Mollie shoved the cigar box back into the file cabinet, and they made it into the living room just as the front door opened.
“Hello, everybody,” Mollie’s mother greeted the crowd.
Everyone’s mouths were full of pizza. Sherman and Jaime nodded hello as they chewed, and Johnny waved. “Hello,” Mollie said, leaning back into the couch. “How was dinner?”
“Very nice,” her father replied. “How’s yours going?”
“Just fine,” Mollie said. She was waiting for her parents to leave and go upstairs. Instead, they were taking their coats off slowly, looking around at everyone and smiling.
“Well, I think we’ll go upstairs and watch a movie,” Mollie’s mother finally said. “Since you all are down here.”
“Okay.” Mollie tried not to sound too eager. “Have fun.”
“Don’t turn this into a late night,” her father said. “You all have school tomorrow.” He glanced at Johnny. “Well, almost all.”
“Actually, I have to get up early for work,” Johnny replied.
“Okay, Dad, good night,” Mollie called out. The last thing she wanted was for him and Johnny to get into an argument. Mr. and Mrs. Fox slowly walked over to the stairs and went up to their bedroom.
“I thought they’d never leave,” Roberta said. “I forgot to turn off the monitor.” She tiptoed back into the den and returned a moment later.
“I’ll go by that pay phone tomorrow sometime,” Johnny said. “See what the deal is.”
“Mollie, didn’t you say you snagged some airline tickets at the agency?” Jaime asked.
Mollie nodded.
“And they thought you were that model’s sister, Bootsy, remember?” Roberta said.
“Bitsy,” Mollie said. “Yeah, I know. I’ve been thinking that maybe I should go to New York before the sisters shoot is over and see what I can find out.”
“You’d have to go this weekend,” Roberta said. “Or else do a lot of explaining at school.”
Mollie nodded. “The tickets are for Friday night.”
“Hey, I have a cousin who lives in Staten Island,” Johnny said.
“Oh, this I have to see. Mollie telling her parents that she’s going to New York City for the weekend with Johnny Chelios,” Sherman said. “They’ll flip. They’ll call the airline and cancel the flight. Sorry, Johnny, but I didn’t exactly get good vibes between you and the Foxman.”
Mollie threw a crumpled napkin at Sherman. “I won’t tell them where I’m really going, stupid.”
“Ooh … the plot thickens,” Jaime teased.
“Don’t you and Jordan have some big date this weekend, too?” Roberta asked.
“Ooh … the plot turns into an extra-double-thick milk shake from Dino’s,” Sherman said.
Mollie felt her face turn pink. “I’ll tell them I’m …”
“Going off to join the convent?” Johnny suggested.
“Either that, or the circus,” Mollie said. “I’m sure you guys can come up with a good alibi for me. Like, doesn’t one of you want to have a big party at a condo up in the mountains?”
“No,” Roberta said, “but Meredith could.”
Johnny nodded. “Nice idea—but do you think Mom and Dad want Mollie hanging out with someone who’s been accused of cocaine possession?”
“Point taken,” Mollie said. “But just so you know, I can take care of myself. My parents know that, too.”
“So if they call me, I should tell them exactly where you are?” Roberta asked.
“I didn’t say that.” Mollie looked over at Johnny and smiled. “What’s the weather like in New York in October, anyway?”