It Happened One Night

In no time, Josh and Gil came jogging down the hall toward her. “It’s Beau Hacket’s son,” she whispered when they stopped beside her.

“Are you sure?” Josh asked.

She nodded. “The other boys called him Hack and he mentioned his father being on the funding committee.”

“It really doesn’t surprise me,” Gil said, shaking his head. “Hack is a real smart-ass and there isn’t a lot I would put past him.”

Josh nodded. “And Beau has a blind spot when it comes to that kid. He never makes him face the consequences of his actions.”

“Beau isn’t going to have a choice this time,” Gil said, pointing toward the two plainclothes detectives who had just entered the clubhouse.

“We phoned the police right after you called,” Josh explained.

When the detectives joined them, Kiley relayed what she had heard. “They didn’t realize I was eavesdropping,” she finished.

“Do you know the boys’ parents?” the older policeman asked. “They’ll need to be called.”

“From what he said, I think the Hacket boy acted alone,” Kiley said, hoping the other boys weren’t deemed guilty by association. They had sounded as appalled at the Hacket boy’s claims as she had been.

“We need all of their parents present before we question them,” the younger detective advised.

“Since the club has a policy of not allowing anyone underage on the premises without being accompanied by a parent, I’m pretty sure their dads are all here,” Gil said, glancing into the alcove. He walked over to the house phone. “I’ll have them paged.”

While Gil called the switchboard, the police officers walked into the alcove and advised the boys that as soon as their parents arrived, they had some questions they wanted to ask them.

Putting his arm around her shoulders, Josh held Kiley to his side as they walked the short distance to the sitting area. “Are you doing okay, honey?”

“I’m fine,” she said, nodding. “I’m just glad we found out who was behind the vandalism and why, even if it was a little disconcerting to hear him admit everything.”

“I can’t believe he did all that just to make points with his dad in hopes of getting the truck he wanted,” Josh said, shaking his head. He grunted. “That kid needs a reality check.”

“How do you think Beau will react when he finds out his son was behind all of the destruction?” she asked, checking her watch.

“Knowing Beau, he won’t take the news well.” Josh shrugged. “But it looks like we aren’t going to have to wait to find out.”

Looking up, Kiley watched Beau Hacket coming down the hall toward them like a charging bull. “What the hell’s going on?” he demanded. If the scowl on his face was any indication, Josh was right about him not taking the news well.

“We know who was behind vandalizing the day care center,” Josh answered.

“Who was it?” Beau asked, glancing into the sitting area. The blood drained from his face when he spotted his son among the four boys seated in the alcove. “This had better be some kind of joke.”

As the detectives questioned the boys and sorted through the facts, they dismissed all of them but Hack. The teenager didn’t look nearly as confident now as he had when the interrogation started.

“Who are you going to believe, Dad? Me or them?” Hack demanded, looking up at his father defiantly.

“Don’t lie to me, son,” Beau said firmly. “You know I’d never condone you breaking the law.”

“I’m telling you, I didn’t do it,” the boy lied.

“We collected a partial fingerprint when we first investigated the vandalism,” the younger policeman advised. “It’s enough that once we take you down to the station and fingerprint you, we should be able to establish either your innocence or your guilt.”

“I’m going to jail?” Hack asked, looking alarmed for the first time since the detectives arrived. “You’re gonna get me out of this, aren’t you, Dad? I did it for you,” the boy said, unaware that he had just confessed.

“I don’t know if I can, son.” Beau looked from one detective to the other. “Is there any way to make this right without my boy having a criminal record?”

“It’s up to the Texas Cattleman’s Club if they want to press charges,” the older detective advised. “But we’re going to read him his rights and take him down to the station for further questioning. I would suggest you get in touch with your lawyer, Mr. Hacket. Your kid is facing charges of vandalism, criminal mischief and anything else we can think to charge him with.” He gave Beau a pointed look. “Although this is the most serious, I don’t have to tell you, this isn’t the first time he’s been in trouble.”