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Young lady!”
    Bobby hesitated. But Samantha grabbed his hand and tugged on it.
    â€œYoung lady! Stop! Stop!”
    Bobby glanced back to see two salespeople racing toward them.
    Samantha pulled him out the door. “Bobby,
run!
” she cried.

chapter 8
Caught
    â€œ
R un!” Samantha screamed.
    She let go of Bobby’s hand and darted into the crowded mall.
    Bobby uttered a single gasp, then took off after her.
    â€œStop them!”
    â€œHey—stop!”
    Angry shouts rose over the voices of the crowd. Glancing back over his shoulder, Bobby saw a middle-aged man and a young woman running full-speed after them.
    â€œLook out!”
    Bobby nearly collided with a wide double stroller with two sleeping toddlers. He stopped short, dodging to his left.
    â€œWatch where you’re going!” the woman behind the stroller snapped.
    â€œSorry!” Bobby called back, and started running again.
    He lost Samantha for a moment, then spotted her magenta top in a crowd in front of a CD store.
    â€œStop them! Hey—stop them!” The two salespeople were still in pursuit.
    â€œSamantha!” Bobby called breathlessly.
    She didn’t seem to hear. He watched her disappear around a corner.
    Bobby stopped short to avoid stumbling over two little girls carrying ice-cream cones. Then he plunged around the corner.
    He felt a sharp stab of pain in his side as he caught up with Samantha. “Ow. Wait up!”
    To his surprise, she was laughing. Laughing excitedly, gleefully.
    They cut across the near end of the food court, ducked through a line at the McDonald’s, ran between two rows of yellow plastic tables.
    The pain in Bobby’s side grew sharper. He took a deep breath and tried to
will
it away.
    â€œWhoa—Samantha! Wait!”
    Past a Gap store. Then a Waldenbooks.
    The pain in his side faded. He was breathing hard. Running fast. Right behind her now.
    Her black hair flew out behind her like a pennant on a windy day. He caught up, passed her, saw her green eyes glowing with excitement. She was still laughing.
    He glanced behind them. No sign of the salespeople.
    Had he and Samantha managed to lose them? Had they gotten away safely?
    â€œWhoa! Samantha—why?” he asked breathlessly. “Why’d you do it?”
    â€œFor fun!” she shouted.
    She kept running, her dark hair flying behind her, and he ran with her.
    People backed out of their way. Bobby ignored their angry, surprised shouts.
    They turned a corner past a doughnut shop. They darted in front of a group of teenagers heading into Pete’s Pizza.
    Bobby gasped as a gray-uniformed security guard stepped forward. The man blocked their path, his eyes narrowed in anger.
    â€œOh, no. We’re caught!” Bobby murmured aloud.

chapter 9
“Don’t Hurt Her”
    B obby stopped so quickly, he bumped into Samantha. He was breathing hard, and his side ached again. Then he realized he still had the two gold hoops in his fist.
    â€œNot so fast,” the security guard said. He pushed his gray cap back on his head and stared from one to the other with bloodshot eyes.
    Caught, Bobby thought. We’re caught.
    Of all the dumb stunts, he told himself, still struggling to catch his breath. Why did Samantha do that? And why did she drag me into it?
    â€œWhat’s your hurry?” the guard asked in a slow drawl.
    â€œWe-we’re late,” Samantha managed to stammer.
    Pretty lame, Bobby thought.
    The guard narrowed his eyes at Samantha.
    Bobby squeezed the gold hoops in his fist. He saw that Samantha’s hair was hanging around her face.
    He heard shouting behind him. The salespeople from the Gold Barn?
    He glanced back to see. No. Just a bickering middle-aged couple.
    Then he turned back to face the stern security guard. Would Samantha confess she had taken the earrings? he wondered. Did she have an excuse ready for the guard?
    â€œYou really shouldn’t run,” the guard told