Read Al Capone Does My Homework for Free Online Page B

money,” Theresa informs Annie. “She can buy anything she wants.”
    “Is that so, Piper?” Annie asks.
    “Not hardly,” Piper says.
    Theresa nods behind her back.
    We haven’t been down here for a while. I forgot how wet and mildewy it is. Jimmy sneezes
     as we crawl on our hands and knees through the cobwebs to the part of the passageway
     directly under the Caconis’ place.
    One of our secret passageway rules is only whispering is allowed. That way we can
     hear what goes on in Mrs. Caconi’s apartment, but she can’t hear us. Today it sounds
     like Donny Caconi is talking on the phone outside the Caconi apartment.
    “Can anybody hear what he’s saying?” Jimmy asks.
    “That’s not nice. It’s Donny Caconi. He’s our friend,” Theresa says.
    Piper shrugs. “Sounds like maybe he owes somebody money,” she says.
    “He tried to borrow from my dad. He said he had a cash problem at his business,” Annie
     says.
    “What kind of a business does he have?” I ask.
    “Trucking,” Annie says.
    “I heard that too,” Theresa says. “Your dad said:
Sorry buddy, we’re barely scraping by ourselves.
”
    “Annie, how’s your dad’s hand, anyway?” I ask.
    “He says it doesn’t hurt much now.”
    “No chitchat. We have to get started,” Piper announces as if she’s the one who called
     the meeting. We always let her take charge, otherwise she storms off in a huff. “The
     first thing we got to do is find out what Natalie knows.”
    “I’ve asked her a bunch of times. I don’t think she knows anything,” I say.
    “Have you searched your apartment?” Piper asks.
    “No,” I say.
    “Why not?” Piper demands.
    “You’re right. That should be the first step,” Jimmy agrees.
    “Of course I’m right. Then we need to ask the cons,” Piper declares.
    “Why would we ask the cons?” Annie asks.
    “Could be hazing,” Piper suggests.
    “What’s that?” Theresa asks.
    “It’s where people in a club are mean to new members,” Annie says.
    “You think a con did this?” I ask.
    “Of course,” Piper says.
    “I still don’t get it.” Theresa’s bottom lip sticks out.
    “It could be someone’s harassing Moose’s dad because he’s a new warden,” Annie explains.
    “Cons couldn’t set fire to our apartment after they’re locked in for the night,” I
     say.
    “Who knows?” Piper answers.
    “But what’s the point of asking them? Why would a con admit what he did?” I ask.
    “They like to brag. Otherwise, how will they get credit?” Piper answers.
    “But wouldn’t it get them in trouble?” I ask.
    “They’d say
if
they did it . . . not
who
did it,” Jimmy offers.
    “They’re locked up,” Annie insists, sitting back on her heels. “It’s not possible.”
    “They have connections,” Piper explains. “They get things done in their own way. Why
     do you think Chudley got fired?”
    “He was helping the cons?” Jimmy asks. “I thought he was just incompetent.”
    “He was both,” Piper says.
    “Bad combination,” Jimmy says.
    “How would we ask the cons? Put a note in our laundry?” Annie asks.
    Theresa raises her hand, whips it left, then right. “I know.”
    “Theresa,” Piper calls on her.
    “Jimmy’s cockroach messengers.”
    Jimmy smiles like he just got his crystal set working. “I’ve got a few cockroaches
     I’m working with. You know how the cons trade cigarettes like money at night? After
     lockdown, they use cockroaches to get a cigarette from one cell to the next.”
    “That couldn’t be true or I’d know about it,” Piper says.
    “It is true.” Jimmy smiles, his eyes bright. “My dad saw with his own eyes. They tie
     the cigarettes on their backs with thread and then the con who is supposed to get
     the delivery, he puts out a chunk of bread on the floor and the cockroach goes to
     it. Then he unties the cigarette from the cockroach’s back.”
    “So you’re going to tie a message to a cockroach’s back?” I