All Quotes

"[Grumbling, the group files into the school building. Katie turns eagerly to Eva]"

"Katie: Now you can warn me. What is this? I won't warn, I swear!"

"[Eva stops and looks Kate straight in the eye]"

"Eva: Katie, I can't. If I warn you, and you warn even one other person, it could ruin everything."

"Katie: Ruin what? Perhaps I can help you. I'm your best friend."

"Eva: Help me? I warned you I had a secret and you warned the entire class!"

"[Katie shoots her a dark look]"

"Katie: You're not my friend anymore."

"[And without a backward glance, Katie runs inside]"

"[Eva follows slowly, her lower lip trembling]"

"Eva: Grand best friend, Katie."

"[Shorty Kohn is hot on the monkey's trail. Shorty has only one goal. To get his monkey back. Charlie and Drake are counting on him to pull away a big robbery, but he needs the monkey to do it]"

"[Shorty has permitted a plan of attack. He has made a list of all the parks his monkey would have escaped to, and he has called the zoos. Pretending to be a doctor, Shorty has gotten on the phone and forces himself to sound polite and sincere]"

"Shorty: That's right, it's a very....ah...expensive brown capuchin trained to aid the quadriplegic. We assume the zoo would be the logical place to report a lost monkey, where I wanted to make sure yiz, ah, yous, ah...you, you knew where to reach me. Yes, I'm Dr. Benjamin Stevenson, 555-1232. This is my beeper number, then please don't hesitate to call, day or night."

"[So far no one has called him back, but it has been only a day. On Tuesday, Shorty makes the round of parks. He brings fliers he has made with a photo of the monkey above the words: "Monkey Missing. Big Reward. Call Dr. Benjamin Stevenson, 555-1232"]"

"Shorty: Would you mind if I tackled these up around the park?"

"Park Attendant: Be my guest."

"[Shorty posts the fliers on bulletin boards in several parks. If the picture of the monkey and the magic words "Big Reward" don't prevent attention, nothing will. Feeling desperate, Shorty knows that without the monkey he can kiss his fifty grand farewell. He has to find the monkey]"

"[School is over, and Eva is feeling desperate, as well. She shuffles out slowly to meet Tessa and Jack, her head hanging down. It has been a horrible day, one of the worst so far. Not only has she lost her best friend, but now Katie and Jesse are whispering about her, guffawing as they walk past]"

"[Eva feels a sympathetic hand on her shoulder]"

"Christine: Rough day?"

"[Eva can only nod. Christine gives her a warm, understanding grin]"

"Christine: I'll see you tomorrow, Eva."

"[That makes Eva feel better. She grins back and skips ahead to join Tessa and the baby in a stroller. Her teenage cousin always has her nose in a magazine, where Eva figures she can dart in and out of the pet shop on the road home without Tessa noticing this]"

"Eva: Wait here a moment, alright?"

"[Sure enough, Tessa nods and flips the page of the fashion magazine she is reading. As soon as Eva enters the store, Annie opens Dodger's cage. He flies into Eva's arms and puts a hand over her hat]"

"Eva: He missed me!"

"[Suddenly, the gloomy day becomes brighter. Eva would have lost Katie, but she has a real-blue friend in Dodger]"

"Annie: He was a very big hit around here. [She grins appreciatively] All the customers fell in love with him. [She pauses as Eva packs Dodger into the knapsack] The funniest stuff is how he loves the cash register. I couldn't keep him aside from it. He thinks it's the biggest toy in the world."

"Eva: Do you have any books about monkeys like this?"

"Annie: No, we don't. Try the library. You know, the one down the street?"

"Eva: Grand idea! See you tomorrow!"

"[Hiding a smirk, she runs out the door. She can't wait to lose Tessa and the baby and find out all she can about Dodger]"

"[She certainly owns a very special kind of pet, Eva realizes later that afternoon. A hopeful librarian has photocopied information on the capuchin monkey for her. Now Eva sits in her bedroom, studying the pages. Once in a while, she glances at Dodger. He seems to be happy, playing with an old toy jewelry box on her bedroom shelf]"

"Eva: Capuchins live in tropical forests. They eat fruit, dry seeds, eggs, insects, spiders––ew––small animals such as lizards––yuck!"

"[Eva turns to Dodger. Now he is fooling with her knapsack]"

"Eva: From now on, I'm putting you a low-yuck diet. No more lizards and no more spiders."

"[Eva returns to reading]"

"Eva: At birth, capuchins depend on their mothers for food, protection and transportation. [She glances proudly across the room at Dodger. So far, she has been doing a nice job as Dodger's mama] The females in the social group may mate with different males. Members may leave and new members join in."

"[At that, Eva looks up at two family photos on the wall. One shows Amy, Peter and Eva since she is younger. The other shows Amy, Tom, Eva and Jack]"

"Eva: We're not different at all!"

"[She watches her pet scamper onto the bed, then jump from bedpost to bedpost. It looks like it is a game to him, but it is making her dizzy]"

"Eva: Like all New York monkeys, capuchins are at home in areas rich with trees. They spend most of their time up in the branches."

"[Eva stares over at her flying pet and grins. No wonder he likes swinging around her bedposts. Tomorrow, she'll make sure to take Dodger into the park where he can play in some real trees. She goes back to the book]"

"Eva: Monkeys can use their tail to grasp branches, swing and climb. Their feet are larger and more powerful than their hands."

"[Dodger is now hanging by his tail from the top of the bedpost, gripping Eva's stuffed monkey in his foot. Eva bursts into laughter, but Dodger suddenly drops the toy and scoots under the bed. A moment later, the door opens and Jack toddles in. Instead of yelling at him to leave, Eva allows her brother to stay. She shuts the door behind him, but peers under the bed]"

"Eva: He's alright. He won't rat on us. He can't speak."

"[She turns to Jack]"

"Eva: Want to meet somebody? Wait."

"[Eva commands Dodger to come out. He slides out with hesitation. An emotional Jack points out and charges at the monkey, who jumps into Eva's arms for protection]"