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“He might have known something about it before. Maybe Ginnie let something slip when she was with him,” Wei said.

“Maybe ...” I wasn’t convinced. “But I don’t think so. Ginnie was careful. I’ve looked all through the book for clues, but there’s nothing except dates, first words, Ginnie’s thoughts about being a mother, doodles, stuff like that. I don’t know if it’s important or not.”

“You know, it could be written in code,” Wei said. “You should let my mom take a look. She’s amazing with codes. She started using them when she was a kid. Media even tried to hire her as a code writer and translator. She turned them down. They were so insistent that she made up some excuse about hitting her head in an accident and how she couldn’t focus on sequences and patterns anymore. They made her take a ton of tests to prove she wasn’t lying. A friend had to give her some kind of synapse interrupter that temporarily rerouted her cognitive skills. It worked, and she got off the hook.”

“Even though my grandparents and Wei’s parents both say my father’s dead ...”—I hoped Wei didn’t take this wrong—“Ginnie was certain he’s alive.”

“My parents thought that, too,” Sal said. “My mom and dad were ... NonCons.”

I cringed at the hesitation in his voice. I bet he was thinking about that night by the river and our argument. He didn’t know my true opinion about NonCons, especially now that I’d found out about my parents and their views. I squeezed his hand, hoping that conveyed my support. He squeezed back. “What about your brother?” I asked. “Is he a NonCon?”

“Yeah, and”—he looked me straight in the eye—“I am, too.”

Sandy gasped. “I don’t believe this.” She struggled to stand up, hobbled by her tight pants and unwieldy boots. “NonCons killed my father. They’re a bunch of lawless—”

“Oh, sit down and shut up,” Derek said. “Anyone with half a brain knows that the Governing Council supplies Media with all sorts of fabricated stories accusing NonCons of being the bad guys. I’m sorry about your dad—but where’s the proof? I’ve read all about that foray and lots of people are sure it was a setup.”

Sandy’s jaw dropped. I was taken aback, too. I didn’t know Derek had that kind of fervor in him for anything except for music. Sandy sat back down and kept quiet. I doubt her reaction would’ve been the same if that speech had come from any of the rest of us.

I could only take so much of the silence that followed Derek’s outburst. “Wei, do you think your dad knows where my dad is but didn’t want to tell me? Didn’t want me looking for him?”

She hesitated a moment. “Maybe. Nina, I don’t know what I should or shouldn’t say.” I could see the conflicted emotions on her face. “My dad’s gone until Sunday. He’s been summoned to an emergency meeting in Amsterdam with his Media bosses. It’s so hush-hush that they’ve blocked all outside communications. I can’t even call him.”

“Do you think your mom would know anything?”

“If Dad knows but didn’t say, then Mom knows and won’t say.”

“Back up a sec,” Sal said. “About Ed. What exactly is he? Government? B.O.S.S.?”

“He’s a Chooser.” Sandy didn’t look at any of us; instead she pawed through her purse, looking for who knows what. “After tonight he’ll never pick me,” she muttered. I hoped I was the only one who heard her. I also hoped that whatever she was hearing she would keep to herself. For the first time since I’d known her, I wasn’t sure I could trust her.

“So he’s government, but not B.O.S.S.,” Sal said.

“I think he used to be an agent, but I’m not sure with who. I remember a big blowup he and Ginnie had when she was pregnant with Dee. It had to do with his job. But I was like five. I don’t remember.”

“Why’d your mother stay with him? Did she love him?” Sal asked gently.

“I don’t think so,” I said. “At least not after he started beating her up. Sometimes she’d swear she was leaving him, but then she always went back. It’s like he had some kind of hold over her.”

“Fear maybe.” Sal’s jaw muscles tensed. “That’s what keeps my brother from leaving his wife. Fear that she knows what he and I are really doing and would expose us.”

Wei tossed a couple of rocks aside. “I’m sure this has something to do with that book. Otherwise, why would she have said you had to get it to your father? With Ed’s connection to the government, they have their ways of getting information. Even if you were alone with Ginnie, the room probably had some kind of surveillance.”

Sal jumped up. “Let’s go look at it. Sounds like that book’s the link between you, your mom, and Ed.”

On the way to my place, I caught up with Derek. “I’m really sorry I messed up your big night. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. And I would never hurt you, ever.”

“It wasn’t totaled. Besides, you’re more important than any old show.“

“Still friends?”

He grinned down at me. “Always.”

“What are you two whispering about?” Sandy’d teetered up alongside us.

“Apologies.”

“Oh.” She did her signature hair toss. “I hope you accepted.” She smiled up at Derek, her blond hair sweeping seductively across her shoulder.

“He did.” I took her firmly by the arm, steering her away from Derek; leaving him to walk with Wei. I figured that was best for everyone. Handing Sandy off to an eager Mike, I joined Sal, hooking my arm in his.

We headed down LaSalle Street like a small army marching into who knew what.

A green trannie whizzed past us. I stopped breathing and clutched Sal’s arm. The transport didn’t slow down, turn, or stop. I watched its lights disappear into the night.

The green trannie was the only thing we saw, between the park and the apartment, that could’ve had anything to do with Ed.

“Why don’t you go up and get the book?” Sal said. “We can take it over to the oasis. That way we won’t disturb Gran and Pops or Dee.”

Sandy and I went upstairs. While we were there, I made her change out of her ridiculous boots so Mike didn’t have to serve as her crutch.

“Listen, Sandy.” I didn’t quite know how to say what needed to be said, so I just said what I felt. “You can’t say anything to anyone about what you heard tonight, okay?”

“Nina, how could you even think that?” She stopped looking through my meager cache of shoes (all three pairs) and stared at me. “You don’t honestly think that I would get you in trouble, do you? You’re the only friend I have, the only person who actually cares what I think or feel about things. Now ... have you got some socks? These shoes are way too big, but if I stuff the toes ...”

I didn’t know what to say, so I just helped her get my low-decks on. It amazed me at how one minute she was a sex-teen queen, and the next, she really was a true friend.

I grabbed Dee’s baby book and we slipped out of the apartment. I tucked the book under my coat.

At the traffic light, I noticed the green trannie again, halfway down the cross street.

“Don’t look,” I whispered to Sal. “That’s Ed’s on Wacker.” I tilted my head in the direction of the street.

Sal pulled me into an embrace. What the ...? I started to protest when, instead of anything romantic, he whispered, “Pretend to trip on the curb. Fall down like you’ve hurt yourself.”

The light changed. I lurched forward, yelped, and then collapsed, clutching my ankle. I didn’t have to pretend; like an idiot, I’d accidentally twisted it for real.

Wei rushed over, kneeling beside me. “What happened?”

“Ed’s across the street. Sal told me to fake it, but I actually twisted it.”

“It’s her ankle. Come on, guys, we’d better get her home.”

Sal and Derek each grabbed an arm and hoisted me to my feet. Sandy retrieved the book, which I’d dropped.

“Don’t forget this.” She waved it in the air.

Wei snatched it from her. “Way to go. Now he’s seen it for sure.”

“’Scuse me?” Sandy planted a hand firmly on one hip.

“If you’d use that head for something besides growing hair ...”

“Stop,” I said. “Somebody just take it, okay? My ankle’s killing me.”

Wei stuck the book in her bag. Sandy gave her a dirty look and stormed back to the building.

I put one arm around Sal’s neck and grabbed Derek’s arm. I hobbled back between them. I felt ridiculous for actually hurting myself.

Wei made small talk, like, “Does it hurt much?” and “Be careful, guys.” I guessed she was doing this in case Ed had a listening device. We didn’t stop the ruse until we were all in the elport.

“That really did hurt.” I rubbed my ankle. “If that’s Ed out there, we can’t use the oasis. We’ll have to look at the book in my room. If we’re really quiet, we shouldn’t disturb anybody.”

“Not a good idea,” Sal said. “You know ... listening ...”

“It’ll be fine,” I replied, winking at him.

When we got into the apartment, they all went down the hall to my room while I hobbled to the kitchen. Several minutes later, I returned with the scrambler and plugged it in.

“Is that what I think it is?” Wei said. “Those are illegal.”

“They are. But if you knew Pops ...” I grinned. “It’s lucky they didn’t find this during the break-in, but Pops has his hiding places.”

Wei pulled the book out of her bag and handed it to me. “I hope Ed didn’t see exactly what it was,” she said.

“Look, he was all the way across the street and it was dark. It’s not like I did anything wrong.” Sandy plopped down on the inflato-mat and started plucking at the blanket, obviously still upset. I figured it had a lot more to do with Derek and Wei than with the book.

“You also shouted at full voice. And he could’ve had some kind of nightscope,” Wei retorted. She shot a withering look at Sandy, who fortunately was so busy looking at Derek that she didn’t see it.

“Give her a break,” Mike said. “If he saw it, he saw it. We already know he knows that Ginnie gave something to Nina and he wants it. And has been looking for it.”

Sal, Derek, Wei, and I congregated in a circle on the floor. Mike perched on the edge of the bed close to Sandy and leaned over Sal’s shoulder. Sandy was lying on her back, staring at the ceiling. I’d definitely have to be smoothing things over later.

On the page that contained all the pertinent information, Wei noticed the same things I did. “I wonder why Ed’s name isn’t written in after ‘Father.’”

“I don’t know,” I said. “I wondered the same thing. Maybe Ginnie just wanted this book to be about her and Dee.”

Following that was information about the hospital, how much Dee weighed, and all the normal baby statistics. The next page with writing on it said Mother’s Thoughts at the top.

Ginnie had written how beautiful her new baby was and how much she loved her. How she hoped I would love my little sister and watch out for her. Then she’d signed her name and put a little squiggle after it.

“What’s that funny mark after your mother’s name?” Wei asked. “Is it just part of her signature? Like the way some girls dot their
i’s
with hearts?”

“I’ve never seen her sign her name like that before. Although she did doodle all the time.”

“It looks like a flower,” Derek finally said.

“You’re right,” I agreed. “Unfortunately, that doesn’t make it mean anything.”

The next page, Father’s Thoughts, was blank. As I flipped through the book, I noticed a photograph of me holding Dee when she came home from the hospital.

“Weren’t you adorable,” Sal teased.

I could feel the blush starting up my neck.

“Little-kid pictures are the worst,” Wei said. “My mother is always ... what’s that?”

A quiet beeping emanated from the scrambler, and the light was blinking red.

“It must have a timer,” Sal said. “Do you know how to reset it?”

“No.” What if I’d broken it? Would Gran be furious?

“When the light stops blinking, if it stays red, I bet it won’t be scrambling anymore,” Sal said.

The beeping stopped, and sure enough, the light burned a steady red. We were already deep in discussion about zydeco music, hurricanes, and guitars. Well, everyone else was. I was silent, picturing Ed, hunkered down in his car, listening to everything we said.

Sandy had fallen asleep while we were all still talking. I covered her with a blanket and shortly after that, everyone left. I went to sleep on the sofa. Next morning, when Gran got up, I knew I had to tell her about the baby book. She had to know that I wasn’t the only person who suspected my father was alive. But Sandy appeared and I didn’t want to go into it while she was there. I was glad to see her snit from the night before was over.

“Hi, Mrs. Oberon.” She gave Gran a hug. “Can I help with breakfast?”

“No. I’m sure you and Nina still have a lot of catching up to do. I’ll let you know when it’s ready.”

Sandy and I went back to my room. We sat down cross-legged on the inflato-mat.

“I don’t think your friend Wei likes me.”