Free Al Capone Shines My Shoes by Gennifer Choldenko Page A

it has to happen that way. Seven Fingers gets his chocolate bars. Trixle gets his shoes shined. It’s a dangerous game is all I’m saying.”
    “Yes, sir,” I whisper.
    My father’s face registers concern. “Didn’t mean to scare you, son. I won’t let you get in trouble. Don’t you worry.” He pats my back reassuringly, which only makes me feel ten times worse.
    I’m not the kid he can protect anymore.
    “That was a good thing you did, getting Rocky up there so quick, Moose . . . you know that?”
    I clear my throat, try to get ahold of myself. “Thanks,” I mutter as Theresa comes tearing around the steps that lead to the front entrance of the cell house. “Moose! Mr. Flanagan! Rocky! Is Rocky okay?”
    “He’s okay, sweetie. Just fine,” my father calls back. “Don’t you worry. Your dad will be out in a few minutes.”
    “Are you sure?” Theresa demands, panting hard when she catches up with us.
    My father pats her messy black hair. “I’m sure, little one. I saw him with my own eyes.”
    Theresa nods like she’s taking this all in. “And my dad’s coming?” Her voice gets hoarse.
    “Yes,” my father answers.
    Theresa’s little face screws up with the effort of closing her eyes so tightly. She turns on her heel and runs back down the switchback.
    My father frowns as we watch her run past Piper, who is on her way up. “What was that all about?”
    “I dunno,” I tell him.
    Piper’s taking big angry steps, her hands crossed in front of her. She has a fierce expression like she’s chewing chain link.
    “I think you got another problem here, Moose.” My father nods toward Piper. “She’s a wild one. Think I’ll let you handle her on your own. Good luck with it.” He winks at me and pats my arm, barely concealing his grin as he turns and heads down the hill.
    “You got to go into the cell house, didn’t you?” Piper asks when my father is gone.
    “Sort of.”
    “Sort of? You either did or you didn’t.”
    There’s no way to keep this from Piper. You can’t pick your teeth on this island without everyone knowing exactly what you dug out.
    “C’mon, what did you see?” she demands.
    I bite the inside of my cheek. “Capone,” I whisper.
    “No! NO! I hate you so much! It’s all your fault, too, Jimmy!” Piper shouts down the switchback to Jimmy, who is heading our way.
    Jimmy runs the rest of the way up to us. “What’s my fault?” he asks between breaths. He leans over like he has a side ache.
    “Moose met Capone.” Piper glares at Jimmy. “MOOSE! He’s slow, he’s clumsy . . . he could have dropped him.”
    “He didn’t drop him.” Jimmy’s voice is quiet.
    “Yeah, well he could have,” Piper roars.
    “Yeah, well he didn’t,” Jimmy spits back, “and everything worked out okay.”
    “I’m gonna kill Theresa. She’s the one. I can’t believe you got to meet him.” Piper is standing an inch away from Jimmy, blasting him down.
    Jimmy does not back up. “She didn’t do anything.”
    “Heck she didn’t. She shoved me out of the way,” Piper insists.
    “Look, Piper . . . Rocky’s fine, I didn’t drop him, and they’d never have let you meet Capone anyway. In case you haven’t noticed, you’re a girl,” I tell her as gently as I can.
    “You’re a kid and they let you in,” Piper says.
    “All I did is say hello to Al, so don’t get so burned up.”
    “ Al, is it? You’re his buddy now? What did you say to him?”
    I shrug. “Hello. I said hello.”
    Piper gets up close to me and shouts in my face. “You met Al Capone and all you said was hello?”
    “What would you have said?”
    “Something a lot better than hello.”
    “Piper, nobody planned this, okay? It just happened. The important thing is Rocky’s fine. He could have died ,” I tell her.
    Piper shoves me hard. “Oh, don’t be stupid. Babies don’t die.”
    Jimmy glares at her.
    “What’s the matter with you? Of course they do,” I tell her.
    “The one chance in the