Island of Thieves Read Online Free PDF Page A

broad shoulders. The only other exit was the door onto the terrace, and I didn’t like that: a long drop followed by falling facefirst into the biggest ocean on the planet.
    â€œGive me my money,” said Otto. His voice was lower, deeper, darker. He sounded like a gangster in a movie. I wondered if he’d learned his English from watching
The Godfather
and
The Sopranos,
and then I wondered if the actors in
The Godfather
and
The Sopranos
had learned their parts by watching men like him.
    Uncle Harvey didn’t seem too bothered. He was still managing to look calm and relaxed, smiling as if he didn’t have a care in the world. I wondered what he knew that I didn’t, or if he was just really good at bluffing. “I’m terribly sorry,” he said. “I wish I could give you back all your money, but I simply can’t.”
    â€œWhy not?” growled Otto.
    â€œI don’t have it.”
    â€œYou better get it. I want one hundred thousand dollars.”
    â€œI really don’t have access to that kind of cash at the moment. If you could hang on for five or six months, I might be able to—”
    â€œI’m not gonna wait six months. I want my money now.”
    â€œI’ll tell you what,” said Uncle Harvey. “I’m a businessman. I don’t like unhappy customers. If you really don’t want this picture, I’ll buy it back from you. Of course, I’ll need a little time to raise the cash. Why don’t you give me a couple of weeks and I’ll see what I can do?”
    â€œYou got twenty-four hours,” said Otto.
    â€œThat’s simply not possible,” said Uncle Harvey.
    â€œEverything is possible.”
    There was something ominous about the way Otto said those words. What happened next was even worse. He ordered his wife to leave the room. She sulkily gathered up her coffee and her newspaper and stalked out. Once she had gone and the door was closed, Otto told two of his men to take hold of Uncle Harvey’s arms. No one touched me; they seemed to have forgotten that I even existed.
    Otto walked to the sideboard, opened a drawer, and pulled out a long carving knife. Uncle Harvey struggled, but the thugs were too strong for him. They sat him in a chair and spread his hand out on the table.
    As soon as I realized what was happening, I threw myself toward my uncle, trying to dislodge the men who were holding him. But I wasn’t quick enough. One of the thugs grabbed me and held me back.
    Otto was smiling. He ran his finger slowly along the blade.
    â€œWhich finger you wanna lose?” he said to my uncle. “If it is me, I say the little one. But you can choose. The left hand? The right hand? The big finger? The little finger? Which you want?”
    Uncle Harvey thought for a moment. I could see him considering it: The left or the right? Which would be less useful? What could he live without more easily? And then he said, “I might be able to get your money a bit quicker.”
    â€œYou see?” said Otto. “Like I say before. Everything is possible.”
    â€œGive me a week.”
    Otto shook his head. “One day. Twenty-four hours. Starting now.” He glanced at the clock. “You better get going, Harvey. Tick-tock. Tick-tock. Tick-tock.”
    â€œVery well,” said Uncle Harvey. “I’ll have the money for you in twenty-four hours. But you’re going to have to let me go. I can’t do it from here. I have to make some calls and meet some people.”
    â€œSure, no problem.”
    Otto nodded to his men, who stepped back, letting my uncle go.
    He stood up, rubbing his wrist.
    â€œYou come back here,” said Otto. “Same time tomorrow. You have my money. And you take away your picture.”
    â€œIt’s a deal,” my uncle said, and then nodded to me. “Let’s go, Tom.”
    Before I could move, Otto said, “He stays here.”
    â€œThat wasn’t