Chapter 9

Chapter 9 Dink invited Josh and Ruth Rose to spend the night. They unrolled their sleeping bags in front of Dink's Christmas tree. Pal crawled inside Josh's bag and started snoring. While it snowed outside, the kids tried to figure out how to prove that Dot Calm had stolen Lucky's lottery ticket. "If only we had a witness," Ruth Rose said from her sleeping bag. "Too bad she didn't drop something with her name on it," Josh offered, warming his feet on Pal's body. "That would be too easy," Dink mumbled. He crawled into his sleeping bag and closed his eyes.

Then Dink was dreaming. But it wasn't a happy, the-night-before-Christmas-Eve kind of dream. This was a nightmare. Dink was outside somewhere, floundering in the snow. He was barefoot, without gloves, and freezing. His tracks crisscrossed each other as he tried to find his way home. Dink yelled and sat up. From inside Josh's sleeping bag, Pal whimpered. "It's okay," Dink whispered. He sat and thought for a minute, then crawled out of his bag. He tiptoed up the stairs and came down with his alarm clock. In the hall, Dink made a phone call, left a quiet message, and returned to the living room. He set the alarm for six o'clock and put the clock in the foot of his sleeping bag. Then Dink climbed back in and went to sleep. When the alarm buzzed, Dink pressed the off button with his toes. He slipped out of his bag and shook Josh and Ruth Rose. "Wake up," he whispered. "And be quiet!"

Josh yawned and Ruth Rose blinked her eyes. Silently, they watched Dink pull on his boots. Dink grinned. "Come on, you guys," he said. "Meet me in the kitchen." "There better be breakfast," Josh mumbled. Within minutes, the three kids were drinking orange juice and eating toast. Josh shared his bread with Pal, who then went back to Josh's warm sleeping bag. Dink told Josh and Ruth Rose about his nightmare. "All I could see was my footprints in the snow," he said. "When I woke up, I thought about what Josh said about wishing Dot had left something with her name on it." He grinned. "I know how we can prove Lucky's grandfather really did buy that ticket." "How?" Josh said. "And why'd you have to tell us this in the middle of the night?" "Fingerprints," Dink said. "Whose fingerprints would be on that stolen ticket?" "Dot's would be, if she stole it," Ruth Rose said. "But her prints would be on the ticket anyway, since she sold it to Lucky's grandfather," Josh said. "So what does that prove?"

"Nothing," Dink said. "But Dot's fingerprints aren't the only ones on that ticket…" Josh and Ruth Rose stared at him. "You're right!" Ruth Rose said. "Hector's fingerprints are on the ticket, too!" "Um, can they get prints off lottery tickets?" Josh asked. Dink nodded. "I think so. I saw a program about fingerprints on TV," he said. "Fingers are oily, and the oil stains paper when we touch it." "We should tell Officer Fallon," Ruth Rose said. Dink nodded. "I left a message on his voice mail asking him to meet us at the lottery headquarters in Blue Hills." "But that's two miles from here!" Josh said. He glanced out the window. "And it's still dark out." "We can get there fast on skis," Dink said. "And by that time, the sun will be up." "Are they even open?" Ruth Rose asked. "I bet a lot of places are closed today because of the snow." "I thought of that," Dink said, setting the glasses in the sink. "If the place is closed, Dot

Calm won't be able to cash in the ticket. But if it's open, we'll catch her in the act!" "Then Lucky will be a millionaire!" Josh said. "Times seven!" "Let's get going," Dink said. "We can get to Blue Hills fastest if we ski along the river." Dink scribbled a note to his parents, and then the kids went back to the living room and finished dressing. Suddenly, Josh's sleeping bag moved. A big bump wriggled toward the opening, and Pal poked his nose out. He looked at Josh and woofed. "He wants to come with us," Josh whispered, rubbing Pal's silky ears. The kids grabbed their skis and poles and stepped outside. A full moon hung over Green Lawn, turning the snow to silver. The kids saw their breath as they skied out of Dink's yard and past Ruth Rose's house. They followed River Road south toward Blue Hills.

Once they found their rhythm, the kids zipped along. Over the river, the sun slowly appeared. Silver became gold as night turned to day. Pal trotted happily along, his breath making small clouds.