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Now that Marge had finally returned to her post, there was no sense in Johnny hanging around, so he returned to the basement. Of Jerry there was no trace, so he stepped through the large hole they’d dug into the back wall and called out, “Yoo-hoo, Jer! Are you there?”

“Over here!” his brother in crime called out.

Johnny continued along into the tunnel, until he found Jerry, staring at what looked like a steel wall.

“This is it, buddy,” said Jerry, his eyes glittering. “This is the treasure trove.”

“Nice,” said Johnny, only mildly interested. “Look, Jerry, I’ve been thinking, and I want to be a librarian.”

Jerry looked up as if stung.“What are you talking about?”

“I like being a librarian, and I think I want to give it a shot. Marge said she’ll help me fill out my application, and she seems to think I’ve got a good chance. If you want to try too, we could be working at the library together, Jer. Wouldn’t that be great?”

“Are you nuts? We’re about to pull off the biggest heist of our careers and you’re yapping on about some library job? Once we empty these safes we’re going to have to flee to Mexico, you do realize that, don’t you? With all the loot we steal here they’ll never let us get away clean.”

“So maybe we shouldn’t do it?”

“Maybe we shouldn’t do it? Are you crazy? There’s easily millions in there, in gold and jewels and cash! We’re pulling this off, Johnny, whether you like it or not. We’ve come too far to turn back now. Look at it!” he said, tapping that wall of steel again. “Isn’t this the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen!”

“But… the library…”

“Who cares! The only reason we took this lousy job is because the library is conveniently located right next to the bank!”

“I know, but—”

“Don’t you go soft on me now, Johnny. Don’t you dare!”

“But…”

“Millions in cash and gold! We’ll never have to work again! We’ll be able to lie on some beach somewhere in Mexico, sipping pi?a coladas, and dipping our toes in the warm ocean water and having the time of our lives!”

Johnny thought about the library, then about the beach and the lapping warm water and the pi?a coladas. “Well, if you put it that way.”

“Cheer up, partner! Tonight we’ll be rich! Rich!”

He smiled.“Rich is good, right?”

“Rich is the best!”

“Okay,” he finally said. “As long as you promise we won’t get caught. I don’t like to get caught, Jerry.”

“We’re not going to get caught. This plan is fool-proof.”

“That’s what you said the last time. Before that nice judge sent us to prison.”

“Last time there were unforeseen circumstances. This time I’ve considered every angle and every possible contingency. This plan can’t go wrong, brother. No frickin way!”

Chapter 21

It was a long walk back to town, and since cats have much shorter legs than humans, it takes us even longer. So we decided to be smart about this and hitch a ride with Uncle Alec and Chase instead.

We could have gotten into the car with Abe Cornwall, but the last time we’d done that we’d ended up in the big freezer at Abe’s morgue, and I didn’t feel like a repetition of that particularly harrowing experience.

So we simply made our way to Uncle Alec’s squad car, jumped on top of the hood, which was nice and warm, and waited for Odelia’s uncle and Chase to show up.

And as we sat there, patiently waiting, we suddenly saw none other than the mayor of Hampton Cove arrive, and park his car right next to Alec’s.

He glanced at the squad car and frowned, then grumbled something under his breath that didn’t sound very nice. He clearly wasn’t happy to see us—or was it the car?

He then took out his phone and picked up. I hadn’t even heard it chime, but then he might have put it on vibrate.

“Dunham,” he grunted into the device, and listened for a moment.

“Look, either you do as I say or there will be consequences, you understand, Winkle? No, I’ve heard all the arguments, and we’re going ahead with the plan as-is. It’s good for Hampton Cove, and it’s good for us. Now get off my back and do as you’re told, you whiny loser.” And with these words he disconnected and shoved the device back into his pocket.

He stared up at the house for a moment, back at Uncle Alec’s squad car, and finally seemed to make up his mind and proceeded to the front door.

“Who was that, Max?” asked Dooley.

“The mayor of Hampton Cove,” I said.

“The one who wants to get rid of Uncle Alec and make Chase take his job?”

“One and the same.”

“He’s not a very nice man, is he, Max?”

“No, I guess he’s not.”

I wondered for a moment what the Mayor had been discussing just now, and who this‘whiny loser’ Winkle was, but decided it was none of my business. A man like Mayor Dunham probably has a thousand important things on his mind, and none of them had any bearing on the issue we were facing: the disappearance of this old friend of Marge’s.

A few moments after the Mayor had entered the house, Uncle Alec and Chase came walking out. They both looked worried, and not at all happy.

When they saw us lying on the hood of the car, they smiled.