Bystander

Eric calls Griffin and asks if they can talk the next day—which he only does to confirm the latter’s absence. Griffin confirms his and Cody’s outing, and Eric says that what he has to say can wait. Griffin insists that Eric tell him why he called, and the latter says he won’t steal from Mrs. Rosen.

Eric also says he knows about the break-ins and that Griffin should stop before he gets caught. Griffin replies “Nope, I don’t think so” (202), which confirms Eric’s suspicions about the burglaries in the community (mentioned by Officer Goldsworthy).

With Mary’s help, Eric devises a plan to break into Griffin’s house and retrieve his CD and the money stolen from his brother. They confirm the driveway is empty, and Eric slips into the house through an open back door (mentioned by Griffin).

As Eric walks up the steps to Griffin’s room, he hears a loud snore and realizes that Griffin’s father is in the house. Eric steps into Griffin’s room and takes off his sneakers to avoid making noise. He finds Griffin’s souvenir collection and retrieves his stolen items. He writes “NOW WE’RE EVEN” (208) on a piece of paper and places it in the box. As he is about to leave, Eric notices the snoring has stopped.