“Not by any fault of mine, I assure you,” he said flatly. “The telescope was stolen. I’ve been searching for it for years, and it was recently revealed to me . . . No, no, Abigail, don’t ask how! These are the wrong questions. That the thief buried it in this time capsule is what we should be focusing on. The telescope is mine. I want it back. And you’re the only one who can help me.”

I just stared at him. An MIT professor with one of the most-viewed TED Talks on YouTube, begging me for help.

“Why can’t we just ask someone where exactly on the grounds it’s buried?” I said. “All of these people were there. Someone should know.”

“Because it might seem a tad suspicious when a week later, it turns out the thing was dug up,” said Simone.

“But how would they even know it was taken?” I asked.

“This isn’t some tiny thing. It’s large. We’d have to dig a significant hole. The fresh mound of dirt wouldn’t tip people off?” said Simone pointedly.

“I mean . . . I doubt it. It’s not like we have a shortage of dirt around here,” I said.

“We can’t take chances,” said Dr. Lacamoire firmly. “We need to know exactly where the capsule is buried—”

“And we need to make sure we don’t get in trouble for digging it up,” Simone finished for him. “So. Our best shot is metal detectors. They sell them at the hardware place in town. We need to go to the library one night and figure out where exactly the thing is buried, and then you’d need to return another night to dig it up.”

“It’s going to be tricky,” said Dr. Lacamoire. “You’ll have to go at a time when I’m somewhere else, for a solid alibi, but also during hours when nobody in town would be driving past.”

I knew the perfect time. But I had a question first.

“So, what’s in it for me?” I asked.

Simone looked surprised, but Dr. Lacamoire simply looked at me.

“I’m just saying,” I continued. “This is probably illegal. If nothing else, I’d get the grounding of my life if I got busted. So what are you planning on doing for me?”

“It seems as if you have something in mind,” said Dr. Lacamoire.

I did.

“Listen, Abigail,” Dr. Lacamoire started.

“Abby.”

“This telescope was the most important item I owned,” he said, his voice quiet. “It means everything to me. I will do anything—anything—to get it back. I’ll give you whatever you want. But I am begging you to help me.”

Maybe I could help two people at once.

“I need an introduction,” I said.

“Done,” said Dr. Lacamoire instantly. But Simone held a hand up.

“Wait a second. God, Leo. To who?” She seemed suspicious.

“To your book editor,” I said.

That surprised both of them.

“Joanna?” asked Simone. “What on earth for?”

So that she could turn Planet Pirates into a real book that went to real libraries.