41

“Remember the reward on the poster?” I said to my dad as we rode up in the elevator to our apartment. I knew I might be pushing my luck, but after finding Rupert I was feeling kind of lucky.

“What about it?” he said.

“Who’s getting it?”

“What do you mean?” he said.

“Me or Sam? I’m just wondering.”

“YOU or SAM?” he said, making a face. “The reward money wasn’t meant for either of you. It was meant to give people in the neighborhood a reason to keep their eyes open for Rupert.”

“Are you serious?” I said, hardly able to believe that Dad would try to wiggle his way out of paying the reward.

“Listen,” he said, as we got off the elevator and walked down the hall. “Sam is the one who figured out Rupert was at Poppy’s. You’re the one who figured out what Sam was trying to tell us. We all went and found Rupert together.”

“So?” I said. “Should we share it between Sam and me?”

“We’ll see,” he said.

“What does that mean?” I said.

“It means we’ll see,” said Dad, opening the apartment door.

The sound of Rupert’s nails clicking on the floor was like music to my ears. He went straight to his bowl. I filled it up with fresh water, and he slurped and splashed until all the water was gone. Then I filled it up again.

“You must be hungry, too,” I said.

I got some of his food and filled his other bowl. I also got one of his treats. Rupert took it and brought it into the hallway.

“Woopah good boy,” said Sam, watching Rupert chew away on his treat.

“Rupert is a dingus,” I said.

Rupert was acting like nothing had happened. He probably didn’t care that we’d been freaking out and worrying about him. He just wanted his treat. I thought about what it would be like to have my own dog. It would be better than dog-sitting. I’d have a new best friend. I could teach my dog to do tricks. I could teach it to never run away. I could go for walks with my dog the way Gretchen Thorn goes for walks with Dijon.

“Woopahdinkth!” said Sam.

“Do you want a dog, Sam?” I asked.

“Doggy!” said Sam.

“What would you call it?” I asked.

“Dinkth!” said Sam.

“Dingus?”

“Dinkth.”

Dad came into the hallway and watched us watching Rupert.

“I think I know what our reward should be,” I said. “It’s not money.”

“What is it?” he asked.

I took a breath, smiled my best smile and told him about how every kid needs a best friend.