mustâve been super busy. âDid you get what you need?â
âI think so,â I said. âIt was really nice of you to help us. Thanks.â
âNo problem,â she said. âWould you like me to e-mail you the links? Then you can watch the stories on your own if you want to.â
âE-mail them to me,â Nate said. âIâm the only one with a computer in my room.â
Tessa said, âMust be
nice
,â and stuck out her tongue when he wasnât looking.
Nobody talked as we left the West Wing. Malik was concentrating on finding a route out of the maze. Nate, Tessa and I were putting together what the video had told us. We now knew for sure that Hooligan himself had disappeared for a few minutes. And so had Mr. Bryant. Did the diamond just fall off the collar? Or did somebody take it?
Tessa said we should flat out ask Mr. Bryant.
Nate said that was crazy. âIf he took it, heâll lie and say he didnât. If he didnât, heâll be mad we accused him.â
âHe might confess,â Tessa said.
âLame,â Nate said.
âMaybe we need a break,â I said.
Nate said fine. He was going to find Jeremy and shoot some hoops.
Tessa said, âI knowâhow âbout if we dress Hooligan up in outfits and take pictures?â
This was not my first-choice idea. But I knew if I said no, sheâd want to play Barbiesâand thatâs worse.
We found Mr. Bryant and Hooligan in the West Sitting Hall.
âBe my guest,â Mr. Bryant told us. âBut you must promise to keep him under control. Iâll just get myself a cup of coffee and check back.â
Hooligan absolutely refused to step into Tessaâs flamingo rain boots. But he didnât seem to mind the pink kimono, or the plastic pearls.
âPretty puppy!â said Tessa, clicking the camera in his face.
âHeâs totally embarrassed,â I said.
âHe likes it!â Tessa said. âHey, we can send these pictures to the Empress Pu-Chi! She of all dogs would appreciate them.â
âWe can put them in with the thank-you note,â I said.
Tessa shook her head. âIâm pretty sureâand Aunt Jen will back me upâthat when the giftâs been stolen, you donât have to write a thank-you note.â
âReally? High five!â I guess itâs true thereâs always a bright side.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
MOM had to eat dinner with her advisers in the Oval Office. At bedtime, Dad came in to give us our kisses. Nothing against Dad, but I was really missing my mom.
The next morning, I woke up even before Granny came in. So did Tessa. âIâve got a really good name for the canary,â she announced.
Oh, fine. My momâs gone AWOL. Bad guys are threatening. Diamonds are missing. And my sisterâs all happy because sheâs got a name for the canary! Was this supposed to brighten my day?
When we got to the kitchen, Nate was already there. And so was Ms. Kootoor. I guess one thing about getting up early is you get used to getting up early.
âThis is your moment, Tessa,â I said. âWhatâs the âreally goodâ name?â
âGhanamamma!â she cried.
I had been expecting to hate it, but instead I cracked upâNate, too. Then we heard a thump. Ms. Kootoor had been standing by the breakfast table. When I turned, Isaw she had dropped her Blueberry Bagâ
thump
âto the floor. Her face looked whiter than usual, too.
âAre you okay?â Granny asked.
Ms. Kootoor smiled weakly. âGot out of bed too fast, I guess. Uh . . . what was that name, Tessa?â
âGhanamamma. Itâs the name of somebodyââ Tessa didnât finish her sentence. I guess she suddenly remembered how we werenât going to advertise that weâd phoned a certain nearby nation.
âSomebody?â Ms. Kootoor prompted.
âA singer my dad used to