The Big Dip by Melanie Jackson

gained strength. “Last night I heard Dad telling Mom about the gallery thefts. He said something about the Margaret Rose, and I remembered what Jake gasped out to you. I wasn’t sure what the rose was, but I knew it had to be worth a bundle.”
    I didn’t think it was possible to loathe anyone as much as I did Skip at that moment. “Go on,” I said.
    Skip’s voice grew almost cheerful. He was so sure that good old, not-too-bright Joe would forgive him. Skip could clever-talk his way out of anything.
    He said, “I thought, what if I could get hold of the Margaret Rose? I wasn’t sure how I’d manage it, but I knew I didn’t want to go to the Okanagan. I told Dad and Mom that I wanted to sign up for an advanced-math summer course. They went for that, easy— they love it when I show initiative. They’re always saying I’m too lazy.”
    Skip chuckled. “If they only knew! The deal was, my aunt would come to stay with me. But as soon as Mom and Dad drove off, I told Auntie I was visiting you for a few days. She didn’t need to come till later in the week.
    â€œWhen you phoned, I pretended to be heading to the Okanagan. But all the time I was at home, right across the street.
    â€œAfter our conversation, the old brain kicked in. If I pretended to kidnap Ellie, you’d tear the planet apart to find a Margaret Rose. Like I always tell you, Mojo, you’ve got this intense ability to concentrate, even if you don’t realize it.”
    Skip grinned—and even now, hating him, I felt the old infectious encouragement. The guy had charisma. That’s what made him so dangerous.
    I clenched my teeth. “Talk.”
    Skip explained, “When I knew you’d be busy talking to the cops, I slipped across the street. I tapped quietly on your front door and told Ellie to go over to my house right away. We were going to plan a surprise party for you, I said. She skipped ahead like an excited puppy. The kid loves me, Joe.”
    â€œAll the girls do,” I said bitterly.
    â€œThen I twisted your front lock off with a screwdriver so you’d think a stranger had forced his way in.
    â€œAt my place, Ellie started to whine about her dumb backpack, so I gave her hot chocolate laced with Mom’s sleeping pills.
    â€œKnow how I got Ellie here?” Skip’s tone was warm, confident. “I drove her in Mom’s car, the one we keep the wheelchair in for my gran. Once I parked, I simply wheeled Ellie into the fairgrounds.”
    Skip paused. I think he was waiting for congratulations on his brilliance.
    Good thing he couldn’t see my face. I wanted more information from him. “Who were the other guys?” I demanded. “The guy with the baseball cap, and the bulky guy I saw a while ago.”
    â€œNever saw any baseball-capped guy.” Then Skip chuckled. “But the bulky guy is one of the attendants. I paid him to unlock the control booth after everyone left. I pretended I wanted a free ride. Instead, he got a free crack on the skull. He’s over there”—Skip jerked his head toward the trees—“sleeping it off.”
    â€œI saw Baseball Cap by VanDusen Gardens,” I said. “I thought he paged me. But it was you.”
    â€œYou bet.” I could hear the smugness in Skip’s voice. “I followed you to VanDusen.”
    I could have pointed out that Skip wasn’t as brilliant as he thought. He’d been thinking of the wrong Margaret Rose all along. But I felt very, very tired. I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t hold Skip down for hours on end, and I couldn’t pummel him into unconsciousness either—tempting as that was.
    He was weak. He wouldn’t have any fight left in him. I figured I could let Skip up while still holding on to him.
    Then something totally unexpected happened.
    Skip’s grin wavered. His face crumpled. Tears poured down his