11 Pizza and the Final Clue

CHAPTER ELEVEN PIZZA AND THE FINAL CLUE MOM AND DAD figured out the next clue before we even got inside. "We're going to make homemade pizza for lunch?" Dad asked. "That's the third prize, right?" "Right. I got all the ingredients ready in the kitchen," I said. I needed to remind them of one memorable pizza-making experience in the past. "Do you guys remember how bad the Great Pizza Dough Catastrophe was?" "Do we?!" Mom exclaimed. Dad laughed and asked, "Why do you think we

named it the Great Pizza Dough Catastrophe?" When I was little, we all made pizzas together. We made the dough with flour, yeast, warm water, salt, and olive oil. It's really easy to make. We made balls with the dough and then used rolling pins to spread our balls out into circles. Mom and Dad both left the kitchen at the same time for a couple of minutes. While they were gone I decided to throw and spin my pizza dough above my head like a professional pizza chef. I didn't catch it right or it was too flimsy or something. And the pizza dough fell over my head. "Mom! Dad!" I yelled through the dough covering my face. "I need some help." Mom and Dad weren't mad. They thought it was

hilarious. They took tons of pictures. When the dough was over my face, Dad said I should eat my way out. It took, like, three hours to get it all out of my hair. We finished making and baking our pizzas. Dad's pizza had sausage and green peppers. Mom made hers with sun-dried tomatoes and mushrooms. Mine had pepperoni. I made sure there was an even number of pepperoni slices (thirty-two) on the whole pizza. There was also an even number of slices (eight). And an even number of pepperoni slices (four) on each piece. "The Great Pizza Dough Catastrophe is one of my all-time favorite family memories," Dad said as he finished eating his final piece of pizza. "Mine too," Mom said. "And it all happened right here," I reminded them.

"In this kitchen." Everything was working out just right. And I think they were thinking about all the nice things and memories. There was only one clue to go. And the timing was perfect. I got the fourth clue out from where I'd hidden it— the microwave oven. And right when I handed it to Dad, the doorbell rang. I knew who it was. It was Rosie and Simon.

clue #4 A. Time for dessert. B. One is salty. C. And one is sweet.