The Dangerous Days of Daniel X Read Free Page A

said. “Charade’s over.”
    Charade,
I thought, nodding.
What a good idea.
    Chapter 5
    NOW PAY ATTENTION, because this is important, and also way out of the ordinary. I suspect you’ve never seen, or heard about, or read anything like this before.
    The older patrolman was fingering the cuffs hanging off his Sam Browne belt when a loud clatter of pots and pans came from the kitchen.
    The game was on! Here goes . . .
    “Daniel, who’s there?” a woman’s voice called. “I’ll be out in a minute, after I flip these pancakes. Daniel? I’m talking to you!”
    The look of surprise on the cops’ faces was priceless, actually, almost worth the stress of the moment.
    “Want to join us for a late breakfast, gentlemen?
Pancakes?
” I said, with a “you know how moms are” look.
    A door opened down the hall and a groggy-looking man in his forties stepped out wearing a ratty bathrobe, baggy pajama bottoms, flip-flops, and a Portland Trail Blazers T-shirt.
    “Hey, what’s all the noise about?” he said. “Hey, guys, what’s up? Awful early for visitors.”
    “Officer Wirtschafter, Portland PD,” the older cop said.
    “Hey, Dad,” I said. “Sorry to wake you. The police think—
I’m a runaway?
”
    “A runaway?” My dad yawned and grabbed the edge of the door. “Well, I guess not. I’m Daniel’s dad. Harold Hopper.”
    “Okay, Mr. Hopper, but I’m afraid there’s another problem,” Officer Wirtschafter said sourly. “Portland has a truancy reduction ordinance. All kids between seven and eighteen are required to attend school. It’s nine-thirty now. Your son obviously isn’t in school.”
    “Maybe he has the German measles,” my dad said. “What kind of school does he have to attend?”
    The cops exchanged a “we got a live one” look. Actually, quite the opposite was true.
    “That would be, uh, high school,” the older gentleman answered.
    “High school, sure. Well, that would be a real waste of time,” my dad said and began to laugh. I laughed along with him as he put his arm around my shoulder.
    My mom came in then, wiping her hands on her apron. My mom is blond and tall and, if I do say so myself, quite the looker. In a very dignified, mom sort of way.
    “Oh, I’m so sorry, officers. My husband is a jokester sometimes. And slow to get to the point. Daniel doesn’t need to go to school anymore.”
    Chapter 6
    “MA’AM, EVERYBODY NEEDS to go to school,” the cop said.
    My mom continued. “Daniel went to high school—when he was ten. He has an IQ, oh, somewhere in the 190s. He graduated from MIT last year. Our Danny has a degree in molecular engineering. We’re very proud of him.”
    “Is that so?” the cop said, dubious. “In that case, if you would just go and get his diploma. College
or
high school would be fine.”
    “No problem,” my dad said, crossing his arms as he stood in front of me. “Right after we see yours. That sound fair to you?”
    “You’re a funny guy,” the cop said. “You should be on Comedy Central. But I’m not joking about the diploma.”
    “You’ll see his diploma when we see a warrant,” my dad said with a winky smile. “Now you and Silent Bob there can leave. Wouldn’t want you to catch the measles.”
    “It’ll actually be fun hauling you, your wife, and your ‘genius’ son in when we come back with that warrant,” the cop snarled.
    He and his partner turned around and left in a huffy hurry.
    “I don’t think he was kidding,” my dad said to me as we stood in the doorway and watched the Portland PD car squeal away from our building.
    “I know, Dad. I’ll be out of here before they get to the end of our street. I’m going after Number 6 next. Ergent Seth.”
    My mom winced. “Oh Daniel, are you sure about that? Number 6 might be way too much, way too soon.”
    I stared at her sadly. She looked real pretty in her apron. There was even a dab of pancake batter on her cheek. “Trust me, I’ve studied The List carefully, Mom. He’s