Al Capone Does My Homework by Gennifer Choldenko

Author:Gennifer Choldenko [Choldenko, Gennifer]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, pdf
Tags: Social Issues, Law & Crime, Juvenile Fiction, United States, Historical, Friendship, 20th Century
ISBN: 9781101590362
Google: 8aNm_1_eUKIC
Publisher: Penguin
Published: 2013-08-20T04:00:00+00:00

18

Flickering Lights

Thursday, January 30, 1936

The next day I’m on the late ferry after my baseball game when I see Mr. Mattaman and Mr. Bomini come up the gangway. Normally I wouldn’t eavesdrop, but I don’t have any leads on the fire, and even if the note was somehow involved, it’s washed away now. I walk all the way around the ferry to the other side, where I can hear their conversation without them knowing I’m there. It will probably be nothing, but you never can tell.

I hold on to the railings as the boat picks up speed. I’m only half paying attention when Mr. Mattaman says: “How’s that hand healing anyway?”

“Doin’ fine. Probably have some scarring, but it’s not like I’m all that pretty anyway.” Bomini laughs.

“Task force sure is taking their sweet time,” Mattaman says.

“Bureaucracy in action.”

“Been nearly two weeks, hasn’t it? When’s it supposed to come out?”

“I have no idea,” Mr. Bomini says.

“Having it up in the air like this isn’t helping matters.”

“Tell me about it.”

“Trixle’s dead sure it was Natalie and he’s got a lot of folks nodding their heads right alongside him. Bit of a witch hunt, it seems to me,” Mattaman says.

“I know it’s possible, but I sure hope it isn’t true.”

“Sure puts Cam in a bad spot. And Trixle is milking that for all it’s worth.”

“People pointing fingers … it’s bound to get ugly,” Mr. Mattaman says.

“I heard they’re going to haul Capone in there. Give him the third degree.”

“They give him too much credit. He thinks he knows everything as it is.”

“It does make them seem desperate,” Bomini says.

“Reports for the bureau always got to have all the i’s dotted and the t’s crossed.”

“Better safe than sorry,” Mr. Bomini says as the ferry pitches in the wake of a steamer ship.

“Had an incident in the laundry yesterday that was mighty curious. I caught the Count giving Lizard five bucks.”

“Five bucks. How’d he get that?”

“Beats me. But when I called him on it—”

“Don’t tell me … he swallowed it.”

“How’d you know?”

“That guy will eat anything. I’ve seen him eat a book. Cover and all.”

“You don’t think he’s going to be watching for the fiver out the other end … do you?”

“Not much else to do in those cells.” Bo Bomini laughs as the Coxe approaches the dock, cutting across the white foam, which looks like a giant glob of spit on the water.

“Probably something simple started that fire. A busted circuit maybe. We get the task force report, everything will settle down.”

“I dunno,” Mattaman says as the bosun wraps the line around the cleat. “Something doesn’t smell right and it’s not only this fire business.”

My shoulders hunch forward, the good mood drained right out of me. I keep trying to push the idea that Nat could have started the fire out of my mind and it keeps coming back again.

I wait until Bomini and Mattaman are off the boat before I cross the swaying gangplank. Annie is waiting on the other side. She takes one look at me and knows something’s wrong.

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