Trouble at the Arcade Read Online Free PDF

Frank tried to steer away, but it was too late. Darryl’s car crashed into his so hard that Frank’s car jerked back and bumped into Joe’s car.

    â€œWhoa!” Joe cried.
    Darryl’s car bounced off the wall nearby. As soon as he could, he spun it around and took off for the opposite end of the arena.
    Frank’s car was stuck in the corner between a couple of parked cars. He was having trouble getting it turned around.
    But Joe’s car was still okay. “I’ll go afterhim!” he called. Then he stomped down on the go pedal. He steered after Darryl, dodging parked cars along the way.
    He was almost caught up when Darryl heard him coming. “Leave me alone!” he yelled.
    But Joe didn’t slow down. He ran right into the back of Darryl’s car. That made it bounce forward and get stuck between two parked cars along the wall.
    â€œHey!” Darryl shouted. He managed to spin his car around so it was facing out.
    Joe didn’t want to let him get away again. So he steered his car over to block the way.
    â€œGet out of my way!” Darryl yelled. “Or I’ll hit your stupid car so hard you’ll end up on Mars!”
    â€œI don’t care.” Joe clutched the steering wheel tightly, just in case. “I really need to ask you some questions.”
    By now Frank was steering toward them. “We’rejust trying to help your dad get his money back,” he called.
    Darryl glared at both of them. For a second Joe thought he was going to follow through on his threat to ram them again.
    But then the teenager slumped in his seat. “Whatever,” he muttered. “My dad already thinks it’s my fault the money is gone, and he won’t listen to anything I say. So what do you want to know?”
    â€œWell, to start with, what happened?” Frank asked.
    â€œIt was just like I said. That lady stopped in and offered me big bucks to help her carry some shopping bags out to her car, and I said yes. But, um, on the way out I might have knocked the cash box off the table.”
    â€œMight have?” Joe echoed.
    Darryl glared at him. “Okay, I
did
,” he said. “But it was an accident. I was so psyched to makethat much cash for doing something so easy that I jumped up too fast. That stupid box was so old it smashed when it hit the floor.”
    Frank leaned forward on the steering wheel of his bumper car. “What happened to the money?”
    â€œI didn’t take it, if that’s what you mean,” Darryl said. “The money fell under the table. I was going to get it out from under there and clean up the box pieces as soon as I got back.” He frowned, revving his bumper car. “But it took way longer than I thought to carry all that lady’s stuff, and by the time I got back . . . Well, you know what happened.”
    â€œAnd you and your dad checked under the table, right?” asked Joe.
    Darryl nodded. “The box was still there,” he said. “And the roll of tickets, too. But not the money.”
    Joe was starting to feel impatient. “Come on,” he said, swinging one leg over the edge of his car. “Let’s go question some other people.”
    â€œWait.” Frank steered a little closer to Darryl’s car. “We believe you didn’t take the money. But we need more information so we can figure out who did. How long were you gone, exactly? And what time did you leave to help the lady?”
    Darryl revved his car again. “What do I look like, a stopwatch?” he snapped. “If you want to know that stuff, you should ask that little brat with the blond braids. She was standing right there when the box broke.”
    â€œHuh?” Frank said. “Wait, do you mean Mimi?”
    Darryl shrugged. “I don’t know her name. She’s been pestering me all day about tickets. She finally came back with a grubby dollar bill she wanted to use to buy some, but I