The Plan
- Gram, Gramps, and Sal drive through the windy, steep Rocky Mountains. Sal is terrified that they are going to crash, so it comes as a relief, and no great surprise, when Gram asks Sal to keep the story coming.
- At school, everyone is still really upset that Mr. Birkway read their journals aloud. They all are eager to know who wrote about the murderer. Mr. Birkway apologizes to his students for reading their journals.
- At the library that day, Ben tries to kiss Sal several times, but she keeps skittering away. Near-miss kisses abound! Geez, kissing is tricky.
- After school, Sal and Phoebe bolt home and look up all of the Bickles in the phone book. They call each of the numbers they can find under that name. At first, it doesn't look like their plan to find Sergeant Bickle's number will work. But then, at the very last minute, they get through to Sergeant Bickle's house. The person on the other line tells them that Sergeant Bickle is at work, so they decide to call later on when he is home.
- That night, Sal calls Sergeant Bickle's number. She is very nervous but totally determined. She pretends to be a friend of Sergeant Bickle's son (the lunatic) and asks for his address, explaining that she needs to return a book to him.
- Sergeant Bickle gives her his son's address, not suspecting a thing.
- After this, Sal feels like pretty much the coolest person ever. Because she totally is.