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Rising Action
George attends his first spy club meeting. We find out that the boy's name is Safer. Safer tell George about all the surveillance that he has done on someone who lives in the building, he is referred to as Mr. X. “Mr. X wears black all the time, Safer tells me: All. The. Time. Black pants, black shirt, black shorts in the summer. He’s always moving these suitcases in and out of the building. And they look heavy.”(pg.22) -
Introduction
George and his family move from his childhood home to an apartment on the other side of Brooklyn. Upon arrival to his new home George sees a boy that he thinks may be his age running with dogs down to the basement. Later that day George and his dad are taking trash down to the basement and see a sign reading “Spy Club meeting today” his dad writes “what time on the sign” -
Climax
Safer and George see that Mr. X has clothes in the dryer of the apartment laundry room. Safer convinces George to be the lookout while Safer looks through the laundry for clues. “He holds up a little gold-colored key. Seriously? That was in the dryer? Pants pocket, he says. Now we just have to figure out what it opens.” (pg.86)
Safer breaks into Mr. X’s apartment, he later reports that he found a hacksaw on the table. George wonders if Mr. X is actually a murderer. -
Falling Action
George is watching the lobby through his lobby camera. He sees Mr. X coming and realizes that he has to distract him so that Safer can make his escape. “On the lobbycam, the tall man is getting into the elevator, dragging his suitcase behind him." (pg.141) George then realizes that Safer is not actually in Mr. X’s apartment.Safer confesses that it was just a game, the man he calls Mr. X is actually a man whose dog he walks when he is out of town. -
Resolution
George realizes that Safer is the first real friend that he has had in some time and decided to give Safer a second chance. George learns that Safer actually has a lot of fear and together they start to overcome them. “Safer is considering school himself. He says that Candy is his scout, that if she reports that school is okay and confirms where all the exits are, he might start eighth grade with me and Bob in September.” (pg.179)