“My mother?” Luke sounds incredulous. “Becky, what have you got up your sleeve?”

“You want to con Corey?” Dad looks anxious.

“You said ‘persuade’!” says Mum. “Conning a man like that is dangerous!”

“Darling, is this wise?” reiterates Dad.

“We’ll only con him a bit,” I say robustly. “If we all work together, we can do it. I know we can.” I look around the table, trying to whip up some enthusiasm. “We can work together, can’t we? We’ve got this far, haven’t we? Everyone will have their own job to do; it’ll be all about timing and planning.”

“How many are we?” says Suze, and starts counting off on her fingers. “You, me, Luke, Tarkie, Jane, Graham, Janice, Danny, Elinor…”

“Can we use Ulla too?” I turn to Danny. “She might be useful.”

“Sure.” Danny nods. “Anything you want.”

“So that makes ten of us.” Suze finishes counting. “Ten of us, conning a businessman in Las Vegas. You realize what this is?” She shoots me a wicked grin. “It’s Becky’s Ten.”

“Ooh, Becky love!” exclaims Janice. “Well done, you!”

“Becky’s Ten?” echoes Dad, looking puzzled.

“The film,” explains Suze. “Ocean’s Eleven. With Brad Pitt in it? And George Clooney?”

“Ah, yes.” Recognition comes to Dad’s face. “Now, I enjoyed that film.”

“This is very cool,” Danny is saying with approval. “I’ll be the billionaire. I can so play that role. ‘Greetings, hotel underling.’ ” He puts on a mittel-European accent. “ ‘I weesh to place a nuclear weapon in your high-security wault.’ ”

“We aren’t placing anything in any high-security ‘waults.’ ” I roll my eyes. “And, actually, it’ll be Becky’s Eleven,” I tell Suze. “There’s someone else we need on the team. Someone crucial.”

“Who?”

But I don’t answer. My mind is buzzing with the plan. I need to write it all down in full, look at it properly, and see if it’ll work.

Except: No, I don’t. I already know it’ll work.

OK, that’s not right either. I don’t know that my plan will work…but I know that it could work. That it ought to work.

As I start writing, there’s a lightness in my heart. An excitement. I’m doing something. I’m achieving something. Derek Smeath is right: Positive action does boost the soul.

“We need a bunch of balloons,” adds Danny, who is getting more and more enthused. “And everyone needs to wear shades, even inside the casinos. In fact, I’m styling all of you,” he announces with animation. “We can’t be Becky’s Eleven and not rock a great look. What’s the plan, anyway, Becky? Drive to Vegas, check in to the Bellagio, pull off the con, and then watch the fountains while the music plays?”

“Pretty much.” I nod.

“Cool.” Danny looks round. “Well, I’m in. Are you in or out, Suze?”

“In,” says Suze emphatically.

“In,” agrees Tarquin.

“In,” chimes in Janice.

Everyone else is nodding around the table, although Dad looks anxious. “Becky, darling, what exactly is your plan?”

“I’ll tell you when I’ve worked it all out properly,” I say, still scribbling. “We need to make some reservations, get back to Vegas, sort a few things out. But, actually, before the plan…” I beam at him. “I think there’s one other crucial thing we should do first.”