"I'm on a mission!" I screamed to Becky, who was already waiting on the swings in Evans Park. I had told her to meet me at seven P.M. "You'll never believe what's happening!"

"You have another pair of Trevor's underwear?"

"Trevor who? No, this is way beyond him! Way beyond the city limits. This is totally out of this world!"

"What gives?"

"I have all the dirt on the Mansion family!"

"Oh, the vampires?"

"You know?"

"It's all over town. Some say it's the way they dress. Some say they're just weird. Mr. Mitchell told my father they must be inhuman since they ate at Georgio's and held the garlic."

"But that's the Mitchells. Still, I may have to add that to my journal. Every bit of info is crucial!"

"Is this why we're meeting?"

"Becky, do you...believe in vampires?"

"No."

"No?"

"No!"

"That's it? You're not even going to think about it?"

"You could have asked me that on the phone. I cut out early on a second helping of macaroni and cheese!"

"This is of major importance!" "Are you mad? Do you want me to believe in vampires?"

"Well..."

"Raven, do you believe in them?"

"I've wanted to for years. But who knows? I didn't believe Rock Hudson was gay."

"Who's Rock Hudson?"

I rolled my eyes. "Never mind. I asked you to meet me here to help me out on my mission. See, the answers lie not in rumors, but in truths, and the truth lies in that Mansion. And every Saturday night Creepy Butler Man goes to Wexley's for an hour of grocery shopping. I drove by the Mansion, and they don't seem to have a security system. And if I play my cards right, Gothic Guy will be keeping to himself in his attic room of blaring Marilyn Manson angst. He'll never hear me."

"He'll never hear you doing what?"

"Finding the truth."

"This sounds so way out."

"Thank you."

"So you need me to be at my house waiting by the phone, so when you get safely home, you can call me and share all the details?"

I stared at her hard.

"No, I need you to be my lookout."

"You know this is trespassing? Like really trespassing? Like breaking and entering?"

"Well, if I can find an open window, then I won't be breaking. I'll only be entering. And if it all goes as planned, no one will be the wiser and so then I won't even be entering. I won't even get in trouble for exiting!"

"I shouldn't..."

"You should."

"I can't."

"You can."

"I won't."

"You will!"

The conversation stopped. "You will!" I said, this time sternly. I hated to be bossy, but it had to be done. I got up from my swing. "I won't steal anything. You'll be an accomplice to nothing. But if I do find out something major, colossal, spectacular, totally out of this world, then we can both share the Nobel Prize."

"We have till Saturday, right?"

"Yes. Which gives me plenty of time to gather more info and comb the Mansion grounds. And you have plenty of time to--"

"Think of excuses?"

I smiled. "No, to finish your macaroni and cheese."