guard?"
"This is a boys' dorm," said Frank. "Just nod your head at the guard and look like you know where you're going!"
They both did just that, and the guard woke up from a catnap to nod back. They went up the stairs to the fourth floor.
"You'd think one of these buildings would have an elevator," Joe grumbled.
Frank ignored him and went ahead to find C-42. His eyes widened as he read the names on the door: "Goldman, Farnsworth, and Pierce."
"The three honchos at my tribunal!" Frank whispered as Joe read the names. "No wonder they wanted to expel me! They're doing the thefts!"
Muffled, agitated voices could be heard through the door. Frank and Joe put their ears against it to listen.
At first they had a hard time sorting out the sounds — hurried voices, computer noises, the sound of a phone hanging up — a modem — the closing of a window. But soon the voices became more distinct, and the brothers could make out snatches of whispered conversation: "Let them get away?"
"I couldn't help it. They're more — "
"Found out where we are!"
"I knew we should never have gotten involved! We're all going to be expelled!"
"Where's our money?"
"Haven't we transferred enough by now — "
"No! We need a million — we're almost there!"
Joe turned to Frank and said, "Let's throw some excitement into their lives." He knocked on the door.
All at once the voices stopped. Joe knocked again. There was frantic shuffling inside.
"Who is it?" a very polite voice sang out.
"Subscription boys for the Prison Gazette!" Joe answered.
He was met by silence once again.
"Open up, fellas, unless you want to pay for a new door!" Joe said.
The door opened halfway. Ty Farnsworth peeked out. "Frank! I didn't recognize your voice!" he said. "That's a crazy sense of humor you have." He looked at Joe. "I don't believe we've met."
"We'll all have plenty of time to get to know each other," said Frank. "Mind if we step in?"
"Of course not," said Ty. He opened the door all the way. Frank and Joe walked in to see Lloyd and Stu lying casually on their beds, reading textbooks.
"Studying awfully late, aren't you?" said Frank. "I guess you have to squeeze your work in around bank swindles."
Lloyd rose calmly to his feet and gave Frank a puzzled smile. "That's a very strange joke, Frank. Are you feeling all right?" he asked.
"He's feeling a lot better than you'll be feeling behind bars!" said Joe.
Lloyd looked at his roommates, who both shrugged their shoulders. "I'm afraid you're making no sense. I'll have to ask you to — "
"Why don't I just spell it out for you, Pierce?" said Frank. "The three of you have learned that playing with computers can be profitable. For the past couple of weeks you've been using this computer to loot the Bayport Bank and Trust for hundreds of thousands of dollars, transferring them to some secret account. I admire you for catching on to me early. You tried to expel me, set my room on fire, forge my English exam, and then — "
"This is totally ridiculous!" said Lloyd.
"Is it? You told me you'd read my admissions essay, Lloyd—and you're in my English class. Who else would know what my handwriting looked like?"
All three roommates laughed. "And you, Goldman," Frank said, "you went after me with that oar, pretending it was because you were jealous. You probably couldn't care less about Sarah." Then he turned to Ty. "And was it you, Farnsworth, who took my roommate Arnie's key at the Young Turk the night of the fire?"
Stu and Ty both started to protest, but Frank cut them off. "And then, when the going was getting really rough, one of you put on a mask and tried to kill us off—as well as Dwight Trilby! I think you'll have a lot of explaining to do when the police get here. And you'd be wise not to try anything — assault and battery will just make it easier to convict you!"
Lloyd folded his arms thoughtfully. "I think the stress here at Chartwell has gotten to you and your friend, Frank. Maybe you should
"This is a boys' dorm," said Frank. "Just nod your head at the guard and look like you know where you're going!"
They both did just that, and the guard woke up from a catnap to nod back. They went up the stairs to the fourth floor.
"You'd think one of these buildings would have an elevator," Joe grumbled.
Frank ignored him and went ahead to find C-42. His eyes widened as he read the names on the door: "Goldman, Farnsworth, and Pierce."
"The three honchos at my tribunal!" Frank whispered as Joe read the names. "No wonder they wanted to expel me! They're doing the thefts!"
Muffled, agitated voices could be heard through the door. Frank and Joe put their ears against it to listen.
At first they had a hard time sorting out the sounds — hurried voices, computer noises, the sound of a phone hanging up — a modem — the closing of a window. But soon the voices became more distinct, and the brothers could make out snatches of whispered conversation: "Let them get away?"
"I couldn't help it. They're more — "
"Found out where we are!"
"I knew we should never have gotten involved! We're all going to be expelled!"
"Where's our money?"
"Haven't we transferred enough by now — "
"No! We need a million — we're almost there!"
Joe turned to Frank and said, "Let's throw some excitement into their lives." He knocked on the door.
All at once the voices stopped. Joe knocked again. There was frantic shuffling inside.
"Who is it?" a very polite voice sang out.
"Subscription boys for the Prison Gazette!" Joe answered.
He was met by silence once again.
"Open up, fellas, unless you want to pay for a new door!" Joe said.
The door opened halfway. Ty Farnsworth peeked out. "Frank! I didn't recognize your voice!" he said. "That's a crazy sense of humor you have." He looked at Joe. "I don't believe we've met."
"We'll all have plenty of time to get to know each other," said Frank. "Mind if we step in?"
"Of course not," said Ty. He opened the door all the way. Frank and Joe walked in to see Lloyd and Stu lying casually on their beds, reading textbooks.
"Studying awfully late, aren't you?" said Frank. "I guess you have to squeeze your work in around bank swindles."
Lloyd rose calmly to his feet and gave Frank a puzzled smile. "That's a very strange joke, Frank. Are you feeling all right?" he asked.
"He's feeling a lot better than you'll be feeling behind bars!" said Joe.
Lloyd looked at his roommates, who both shrugged their shoulders. "I'm afraid you're making no sense. I'll have to ask you to — "
"Why don't I just spell it out for you, Pierce?" said Frank. "The three of you have learned that playing with computers can be profitable. For the past couple of weeks you've been using this computer to loot the Bayport Bank and Trust for hundreds of thousands of dollars, transferring them to some secret account. I admire you for catching on to me early. You tried to expel me, set my room on fire, forge my English exam, and then — "
"This is totally ridiculous!" said Lloyd.
"Is it? You told me you'd read my admissions essay, Lloyd—and you're in my English class. Who else would know what my handwriting looked like?"
All three roommates laughed. "And you, Goldman," Frank said, "you went after me with that oar, pretending it was because you were jealous. You probably couldn't care less about Sarah." Then he turned to Ty. "And was it you, Farnsworth, who took my roommate Arnie's key at the Young Turk the night of the fire?"
Stu and Ty both started to protest, but Frank cut them off. "And then, when the going was getting really rough, one of you put on a mask and tried to kill us off—as well as Dwight Trilby! I think you'll have a lot of explaining to do when the police get here. And you'd be wise not to try anything — assault and battery will just make it easier to convict you!"
Lloyd folded his arms thoughtfully. "I think the stress here at Chartwell has gotten to you and your friend, Frank. Maybe you should
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