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With a b ?” Trixie asked. “As in a one followed by nine zeros?”
    “My sibling has a clearer concept of numerals than I had previously supposed,” Mart said.
    “One billion it is,” Brian told her. “I read that sidebar, too. Another source quoted says that almost forty percent of the fires that occur in this country are set deliberately.”
    “But why?” Trixie demanded. “Why would anyone want to destroy property and risk lives? Even if the buildings are insured, it’s stupid to burn them down.”
    “The perceived wisdom lies precisely in the protection afforded by insurance,” Mart said, “as you must surely realize if you ponder your prattle for a moment.”
    “Oh,” Trixie said, realizing that her statement had sounded very silly. “You mean that people would set their buildings on fire to claim the insurance on them.”
    “That’s one of the biggest reasons for arson,” Brian said. “Sometimes people over-insure a rundown building and burn it so that they get more money than they could by selling it. Sometimes people want to keep the building but remodel it. Setting a small fire in the room they want to remodel is a good way of raising the money, they think.”
    “Not all arsonists have monetary aspirations,” Mart added. “Vengeance is a motivator, as well.” Trixie shuddered. “Can you imagine hating someone so much that you’d burn down his house or his store to get even with him?”
    “I can’t imagine it,” Brian admitted. “But according to the article, people do it. Or they hire professionals to do it for them. There’s a third reason for arson, too. In spite of what Dad said the other night, some people really do love to set fires and watch them burn.”
    “Ugh!” Trixie said, shuddering again and wrinkling her nose in disgust. “That’s even worse than setting a fire for revenge! Don’t tell me any more. I think I’ve heard as much about arson as I want to know!”
    “The coverage was admirably complete,” Mart said, with a wink at his brother that Trixie didn’t see.
    “I thought so,” Brian said. “Don’t you agree, Trixie? You may not like all the information we just gave you, but you have to admit it’s pretty complete on such short notice.”
    “That is true, I suppose,” Trixie said absent-mindedly, her attention already on the comic strips.
    “Yes,” Brian continued casually, “I knew you’d agree that Jane Dix-Strauss did a first-rate job.” Trixie’s head jerked up so fast that her curls had to hurry to catch up. “Jane Dix-Strauss! Is that where you got all that stuff?” She grabbed the front page out of Mart’s hands and looked at the article on arson. Sure enough, the young reporter’s name was prominently displayed above the story. “Ugh!” With an expression of distaste, she shoved the paper back at her “almost twin” brother.
    “But, Trixie, you said you thought the coverage was excellent!” Brian said in mock-innocence.
    “You tricked me into saying the story was good,” Trixie retorted. “Before that, what I said on my own was that I didn’t want to hear another word about arson. I don’t understand why Jane Dix-Strauss keeps writing all those depressing news articles. Does she just enjoy spoiling people’s breakfasts?”
    The teasing smile faded from Brian’s face, and he told his sister seriously, “You don’t know that Jane Dix-Strauss enjoys writing about fires, Trix. She may hate them as much as you do — worse, even. But as a top-notch reporter, she has to give the facts.”
    “‘Top-notch’ doesn’t have to be rude,” Trixie retorted.
    Just then the phone started to ring, and Trixie, relieved at the interruption, jumped up to answer it.
    All thoughts of Jane Dix-Strauss were pushed out of her mind when she recognized the distraught voice of Nick Roberts.
    “They’ve arrested my father!” he told her.



5 * A Trip to Jail

    “ARRESTED!” Trixie’s voice was barely a squeak. “Why? When?”
    “They