Theodore Boone: The Accomplice

Chapter 19

The troop returned to civilization late Sunday afternoon. As the bus entered Strattenburg, the boys were silent. They were exhausted but also in a somber mood. The returns were always like that. The planning, the anticipation, the sheer fun of being in the woods for the weekend — it all came crashing down as they reentered the real world and life returned to normal. Tomorrow meant school! It was hard to believe. It seemed cruel.

Of Mr. Mount’s sixteen boys in homeroom, seven were Scouts who had gone camping. As soon as the bell rang Monday morning and he took roll — all sixteen were present — he asked Woody to stand before the class and describe the weekend. Being thirteen years old, most of the boys preferred not to speak before a group, though Theo loved to do so. To overcome this shyness, Mr. Mount often selected one at random and asked him to walk to the front of the room and talk. He expected them to have good posture, speak slowly, and be as confident as possible. A few were naturals but most struggled for five long minutes.

Woody began by telling a funny story about a prank they played on the youngest Scout. He got a few laughs, seemed to warm up, and as he was describing the Midnight Hike there was a knock on the door. Mrs. Gladwell interrupted things as she walked in. She nodded at Mr. Mount, then at Woody, and asked them to step into the hall.

Mr. Bob Hawley from Action Bail Bonds was waiting. He introduced himself to Mr. Mount and asked Woody, “Did you leave town last weekend?”

Woody glanced nervously at Mrs. Gladwell and said, “Yes, sir. I went camping with the Scouts to Lake Marlo.”

“That’s what I heard,” Mr. Hawley growled. “You’re not supposed to leave Stratten County, son. You violated the terms of your bail bond.” He whipped out a pair of handcuffs and grabbed Woody’s arm. “You’re coming with me.”

Mr. Mount took a step forward and said, “You can’t do that!”

“Sure I can, do it all the time when the criminals skip bail.”

“Don’t call him a criminal!” Mrs. Gladwell said.

Woody jerked his arm away, but Hawley managed to grab the other arm tightly and slap the cuffs on his right wrist. “Let him go!” Mr. Mount said.

The door was partially open and Theo and the others heard every word.

Hawley was a tough guy who knew his business. “You got no choice, kid, and don’t start trouble.” He poked Mr. Mount in the chest and said, “And if you get in the way I have the authority to arrest you as well. Now back off.”

He grabbed Woody’s left wrist and cuffed it. “Let’s go.”

“Where are we going?” Woody asked loudly.

“To jail, son. That’s where we take all the bail jumpers.”

“He didn’t jump bail,” Mr. Mount said, though he wasn’t sure.

“Knock it off,” Hawley said angrily and seemed ready to throw a punch. Mrs. Gladwell backed away, speechless. Hawley grabbed Woody by the elbow and marched him down the hall. Fortunately, it was empty. The students were still in homeroom and waiting for the bell for first period.

The remaining fifteen boys raced to the windows and watched in disbelief as Woody was led out of the building. Another tough-looking guy was waiting beside a car and opened a rear door. Hawley shoved Woody into the back seat.

Mr. Mount looked dazed when he reentered the classroom. The boys scrambled back to their seats. For a moment, nothing was said. The unbelievable moment spoke for itself. Finally Mr. Mount said, “Theo, did you know Woody was not supposed to leave the county?”

“Of course not. It never crossed my mind, or his, or anyone else’s for that matter. I can’t believe this.”

“I can’t either.”

“How can they do that?” Aaron asked. “That guy’s not a cop is he?”

“No, he’s not,” Mr. Mount said, rubbing his jaw. “But a bail bondsman does have the authority to arrest his own client if the terms of the bond are violated.”

Mrs. Gladwell stepped through the door and said, “Mr. Mount, would you and Theo come to my office?”

As if on cue, the bell for first period rang and the boys slowly picked up their backpacks. Theo and Mr. Mount followed Mrs. Gladwell to her office where she closed the door. She stood beside her desk and looked at them. None of the three knew what to say.

After a pause she said, “Okay, what do we do now? I assume that guy has the right to go virtually anywhere to grab one of his clients, but it does seem as though a school should be off-limits.”

“It’s not,” Mr. Mount said. “The law gives bail bondsmen a lot of power. But the whole idea of Woody jumping bail is just plain stupid. So he left town. He wasn’t trying to run away or skip out. He left, he came back, he showed up here today for school just like he was supposed to. That guy probably hopes the judge will set a new bail so he can write another bond, make another buck off Woody.”

“Woody doesn’t have another buck,” Theo said. “We had to beg and borrow the first time. He’ll be stuck in jail forever.”

“What should we do?” she asked.

Mr. Mount said, “Well, the first thing is to notify his lawyer, Mr. Wall. They’ll take Woody before the judge real soon, I suppose, and his lawyer needs to be there.”

“We should be there, too,” Theo said, always eager to go to court and avoid class.

“All right,” she said. “I’ll call his mother. Mr. Mount, you call his lawyer.”

Theo suddenly had an idea. He said, “And I’ll call Major Ludwig, our scoutmaster. He and Woody talked about his case during the campout, and the Major has volunteered to act as his Youth Court counselor. He knows the judge pretty well.”

“Great idea,” she said. “Let’s get busy.”

Woody was placed in the same cell he and Tony had once shared with their old pal Jock, and the memories were cold and harsh. He was in a state of disbelief and mumbled to himself as he stretched out on the bottom bunk and tried to make sense of it all. Alone again, he turned to face the wall and fought back tears. For a solid week, he had not only gone to school every day but had done so with all homework completed. He had stayed after school for tutoring. The thought of a beer had never crossed his mind. He had gone camping with his Scout troop. What else could he have done to behave himself? Yet here he was again, in a dingy jail cell all alone.

An hour later, a jailer walked to his cell and informed him that he would be taken before the judge for a one p.m. hearing. He thanked the man, though he had no idea what was about to happen. He managed to convince himself that his mother and Tony and Theo were doing everything possible to get him out again. He was worried sick, though. If the judge imposed bail again, there was no way they could raise any more money. He would probably get stuck in jail for months.

Lunch was a turkey sandwich and a dill pickle, and he ate every bit because he was starving. The same deputy unlocked his cell, handcuffed him, and led him to the front, past the desk, and to a waiting patrol car. A few minutes later, he entered the basement of the courthouse and rode up the service elevator.

Judge Pendergrast was on the bench when Woody was brought in. In the front row were his mother, Theo, and Mr. Mount. His lawyer, Rodney Wall, was waiting by the bench with Bob Hawley, a man he now despised.

For Theo, it was the first time he’d seen the judge since he cross-examined him in Animal Court. He, Theo, assumed there were no hard feelings. He thought he’d done a good job on cross. He thought the judge had handled himself well as a witness. His Honor was certainly a veteran of courtroom warfare and knew that each lawyer had a job to do. When he assumed the bench he had nodded to Theo but didn’t smile. Theo did note that he looked more rested lately. There had been no reports of Rufus rampaging through the neighborhood, no complaints to Animal Control. Theo had bumped into Roger at school and everything was fine with their rabbit.

A fair outcome for all. Who could complain? Theo decided not to worry about any grudge that the judge might carry.

His Honor was reading some paperwork, and when he finished he said, “I’ve looked over the bond written by Action. Did you, Mr. Lambert, leave the county over the weekend?”

Woody stiffened his back, glared at the judge, and said, “Yes, sir. I went camping at Lake Marlo with my Scout troop.”

“And were you aware that you are forbidden from leaving Stratten County?”

“No, sir. I did not know that.”

“Mr. Wall, did you warn your client about leaving the county?”

“No, sir. I assumed he and his mother knew that he was expected to stay home.”

“Well, it looks as though you assumed too much.” Judge Pendergrast seemed irritated at the situation.

The door opened and Major Ludwig walked in. He leaned against the rear wall and nodded at the judge, who noticed him but continued. “Well, I have no choice but to revoke your bond and discuss setting bail.”

The Major stepped forward and said, “Your Honor, may it please the court, I have something to say.”

“Go ahead, Major Ludwig.”

“Woody is one of my Scouts and I’m volunteering as his Youth Court counselor. I take full responsibility for the camping trip and for his leaving the county. It never crossed my mind that he was violating the terms of his bail. It’s my fault, Judge, and I can promise you that he will be right here any time you want.”

The Major moved and spoke like a seasoned lawyer, and it was obvious he had the judge’s respect. He continued.“There is absolutely nothing to be gained by setting bail again. It’s my understanding that the family sacrificed everything to get him out the first time. Release him to my supervision and there will be no more problems. I’ve discussed these charges with Woody, did so last weekend during the campout, and I firmly believe that he is innocent of any serious crime. He has promised me that he will tighten up his study habits, attend school every day, and stay away from the wrong crowd. I’m asking the court to trust me with this matter.”

His words were solemn, and when he said “trust” everyone in the courtroom believed him.

Judge Pendergrast scribbled some notes as he pondered the situation. He looked at Woody and said, “Okay, young man, I believe in second chances. I believe this was an honest oversight on your part. I want you and Major Ludwig to report to me at four o’clock every Monday afternoon and we’ll discuss your class attendance and your grades. In the meantime, your attorney will get to work on the charges filed against you. You are released on personal identification, no bail.”

Woody looked him squarely in the eye and said, “Thank you, Your Honor.”