Free Finders Keepers by Shelley Tougas Page B

kids didn’t play with Alex and Billy. The other kids called them annoying and weird. I knew this because it’s what happened to me at my school. The girls in my class traded bracelets made from rubber bands, and somehow I was the weird one. Playtime at school was messed up. The cabin was simple.
    â€œOh,” I said. “I know what that’s like. Annoying and weird kids, I mean.”
    â€œWho cares? I don’t.”
    â€œMe, either.”
    I was glad Alex understood, but it also felt like one of those awkward moments. We’d admitted we were too weird to have lots of friends, basically. Who wants to admit that? So I changed the subject. “Alex, why won’t Grumpa tell us the whole story? What happened after his father got the loot? How’d it end up in a wall?”
    â€œHe just doesn’t talk much. Dad says he’s been like that since my grandma died.”
    â€œI don’t understand why he wouldn’t just finish the story. What’s a few more words?”
    â€œHe must be extra tired. I can tell. He forgot a bunch of stuff today, like we were supposed to have carrots with our sandwiches. And he forgot we’re supposed to stay inside and watch a movie this afternoon.”
    â€œThat’s stupid. Why would we stay inside? We never stay inside unless it’s storming.”
    Alex’s eyes got all big. I knew that big-eyed look. It’s the look people get when they almost blow a secret.
    â€œWhat? Why are we supposed to stay inside, Alex?”
    Alex picked up another rock and threw it harder. Still, he missed Olivia Stanger’s sign. “Pretend I didn’t tell you, but people are coming to look at your cabin later today.”
    I froze. My parents were keeping a secret from me, the most important secret of my life. The cabin sale was happening so fast. Grumpa hadn’t even finished the whole Capone story. I needed that story. If there was gangster money hidden in Hayward and the gangsters were dead, then it was finders keepers. There might be enough money to pay my parents’ bills and keep the cabin—maybe enough to do all that and buy Nan’s Bait and Tackle. But the important thing was saving the cabin.
    â€œWhen are they coming? Are you sure?”
    â€œEven Grandpa doesn’t want people looking at your cabin,” Alex said. “He thinks you’re a pain, but he says new people will be worse. They’ll probably be from a big city and so stupid they’ll need expensive fishing radars to catch anything.”
    I blinked away the eye sweats. “I hate that kids don’t get to make any decisions. My parents decided all by themselves to sell the cabin. Didn’t even ask what I thought. They aren’t even sorry.”
    â€œParents are never sorry. They never apologize for nothing. They think they’re right about everything. My parents didn’t even ask if I wanted to move. They just announced it one day like it was the best thing in the world.”
    â€œAt least you got to move here,” I said. “And you get to have babysitting by a grandpa instead of a stupid summer program.”
    â€œWell, he’s an old grandpa and sometimes a scary one.”
    â€œHe gave you an ATV.”
    â€œYeah, and my dad took it away. Dad’s being the mean one. Grandpa’s not half as bad as he says.”
    I stared at the cabin and wondered about Capone’s fortune. Al Capone could have enough money hiding in northern Wisconsin to save hundreds of cabins, and Grumpa might be the only person still alive with information. I needed more time.
    â€œAren’t you going to do something?” Alex asked.
    I felt tired, so tired I could probably only run three miles. That was not like me at all.
    Alex poked me. “Well?”
    â€œI’m thinking! Here’s your chance to be the idea person, Alex.”
    He thought for a few minutes, then grinned. “What if they don’t want