On Tuesday morning, you fake being sick. Your Mom takes your temperature and tells you that you can stay home. She sets out an instant oatmeal mix and some leftovers from last night’s dinner in case you get hungry later. As she busies herself getting ready for work, you sneak out to the car and manage to hide yourself under a blanket in the back seat. The night before you stealthily packed all of the items you need for a good recognizance mission:

• One pair of binoculars.
• One pair of heavy duty work gloves. These are too big for your hands, but still should be the thing for handling evidence.
• One notebook and pencil set for interviewing suspicious types.
• One thermos with hot coffee (in this case Hi-C).
• One snack bar of chewy granola.
• One tiny disposable camera. You were given this in your Christmas stocking and have been waiting for this use. Obviously instant film would be better, but you didn’t have the money for new film, so this will do.
• One plastic whistle for alerting police.
• One pair of extra socks and extra underwear, just in case.
• One pair of scissors for self-defense.
• One choose your own adventure book, in case you get bored while waiting.

Sooner than later, you hear your mom’s footsteps on the gravel driveway. She gets in the car without seeing you. Soon you are out on what you think is a highway. You can only see the landmark-less blue of the sky from the floor of backseat of the car. The mission is underway.