The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp Read Online Free PDF Page B

reminding me I should keep mine, although I couldn’t remember actually making any promises. “So the only question left is . . . are you going to help me?”
    When I didn’t answer right away, he leaned in close and whispered, “You think I won’t do it? You think I won’t send you back to foster care?”
    I wiped my cheek with my napkin, which was sticky with syrup, and I felt the stickiness on my cheek.
    â€œMaybe if you try, I’ll tell the police you stole the sword.”
    â€œKeep your voice down, will ya? I’m not stealing anything. I’m recovering it for the victim. I’m doing a good deed, Al. Now, last time I’m going to ask. Are you going to help me?”
    I dabbed my cheeks again with my sticky napkin, and for some reason I thought about Amy Pouchard and the fact that Barry Lancaster was probably going to kill me when he found out she was tutoring me in math, and then I thought about my mom who died and the dad I never knew. The only person I had left was sitting across the table from me, slugging down coffee, nervously wetting his lips and drumming his fingers on the table.
    â€œOkay,” I said. “But I’m a minor, so whatever happens up there they’ll blame you for it.”
    â€œWhatever happens up there,” he said, “it’s gonna change both our lives forever.”
    I would remember those words when Uncle Farrell turned to me and whispered my name, Alfred, right before he died.

5
    In the car on the way to the Towers, I asked him, “Uncle Farrell, have you thought about how you’re gonna do this?”
    â€œDo what?”
    â€œGet the sword. What about all the security cameras?”
    â€œWe’re going to cut the power.”
    â€œTo the whole building?”
    â€œNo, just the power to the security system. Power goes out every now and then.”
    â€œThere’s no backup?”
    â€œYou can override it. If it stays down over ten minutes, though, a call automatically goes to police headquarters.”
    I thought about it. “Okay, so we have ten minutes from the time you cut the power till the cops know.”
    â€œYeah. But it’s maybe another five, ten minutes before a cop gets there.”
    â€œHow do you know?”
    â€œWe’ve run drills before, Alfred.” He sighed, and his head went shake-shake-shake again.
    â€œOkay. Let’s say a terminal window of no more than fifteen minutes.”
    â€œ ‘Terminal window’? You’ve been watching too many movies, Alfred.”
    â€œWhat if someone shows up downstairs while we’re in Mr. Samson’s office?”
    â€œWhile you’re in Samson’s office.”
    â€œMe?”
    â€œWell, I can’t do it, Alfred. Why do you think you’re here? I’ve got to provide cover downstairs. I’ll get you in, you get the sword, and then we get out. Then I call Myers and we swap the sword for another cool half-mil.”
    We drove in silence for a while. Samson Towers loomed ahead, silhouetted against the night sky.
    Uncle Farrell said, “Now, stay right here in the car, Alfred.” He pulled into the underground parking lot. “I’ll come back and get you once the shift’s changed.”
    So he left me there, hunkered in the front seat. My watch read 10:45. I have to admit, even though this deal seemed awfully fishy to me, I was excited. It was kind of like a spy movie, only we weren’t spies and this wasn’t a movie. So maybe it wasn’t like a spy movie but more like a fifteen-year-old kid and his uncle trying to steal a sword that may or may not belong to a guy who was paying them a truckload of money to steal it.
    Uncle Farrell came back downstairs and I got out of the car.
    â€œAll clear,” he whispered. “I’ve already cut the power to the system. Hurry, Alfred!”
    He popped the trunk and pulled out a beat-up old duffel bag.
    â€œWhat’s