As Theo would later learn, after he and Judge Yeck became pals, the judge loved animals and hated to see them destroyed. He looked at a bailiff and said, “Bring that mutt in here.” The bailiff disappeared through a door and within seconds returned with the mutt, the one who was about to be renamed Judge.
Yeck said, “Look at this handsome dude, Theo. Wouldn’t he make a great friend?”
The handsome dude looked directly at Theo, and Theo looked directly at him, and at that moment the friendship was sealed. Judge was knee-high to an adult, weighed forty pounds, had a lot of terrier and thick fur and big brown eyes and was the cutest dog Theo had ever seen.
“He sure would,” Theo managed to say.
“What about it, Woods?” Judge Yeck said.
“Gee, I don’t know.”
“Well, here’s the deal. This guy has been in the shelter for six months, the limit. He’s scheduled to be put down tomorrow morning. If you guys don’t take him, then it’s over. Wouldn’t that be a shame?”
Indeed it would. Theo left with the dog.
His father told him later that Judge Yeck was known to pull that stunt, to bring in some poor dog or cat about to be “destroyed” and shove it off on some unsuspecting person in his courtroom. That was another reason a lot of people avoided Animal Court.
* * *
Around dark, Mrs. Boone said rather sternly it was time for Theo to go home, if only to bathe, brush his teeth, change clothes, and get something to eat. Mr. Boone agreed and they seemed determined to see this happen. Theo, however, wouldn’t budge. “I’m not leaving Judge,” he insisted. A brief family feud was under way when Ike strode through the front door and said, “How’s old Judge?”
“Hanging in there,” Theo said. “Could be a long night.”
“Well, we survived last night,” Ike said with a grin. “I’m sure we can pull Judge through another one.”
“Are you staying?” Theo asked.
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Mr. and Mrs. Boone eventually left. Star returned for the night shift. Dr. Kohl examined the dog around 8:00 p.m., then said his good-byes. As always, he would be waiting by the phone.
Another long night began.
Chapter 16
At dawn on Sunday morning, two deputies knocked on the door of a small brick house in a rural part of Stratten County, near a community called Tuffsburg. The owner finally came to the door and demanded to know what was going on. When asked his name, he replied, “Larry Samson.”
“Then you’re under arrest,” one deputy said as the other unhitched a set of handcuffs from his belt.
“For what?” Samson demanded.
“Assault. Step outside. You’re going with us.”
Samson argued for a few minutes, but soon backed down and surrendered, griping the entire time. The deputies suggested he shut up as they shoved him into the rear of the squad car.
At that same moment, three other men were being arrested at various points around the county. Shorty, as he was known to the boys, was actually Lester Green. The supervisor of the Strategic Surveys crew, the older guy, was Willis Keeth. The fourth guy, the one who tripped Woody, was Gino Gordon. All four were taken to the Stratten County jail, where they were processed, fingerprinted, photographed, and charged with assault and trespassing. After a couple of hours of phone calls and paperwork, they were released on bond and given dates to appear in court.
Once they were in custody, a police officer, a Captain Mulloy, drove to the vet clinic to meet with the Boones. Captain Mulloy had been around for a while and was well-known and respected, especially by the older lawyers in town. He had been monitoring the situation that began on the Quinn farm Friday afternoon and involved a badly wounded dog now fighting for his life. Captain Mulloy was also a member of the church where Hardie’s father was the minister, and thus knew the Quinn family well.
Theo’s father always said life in a small town can be irritating because everyone knows your business, but at the same time, it can be easier and safer because you know the right people. Captain Mull
oy was one of the good guys.
He arrived at Dr. Kohl’s clinic and found Mrs. Boone in the reception area, a quilt over her legs, reading the Sunday newspapers. She explained that she had been there about an hour; that Theo and his uncle Ike were back there in the exam room, where they’d spent a second night in a row; and that Dr. Kohl was expected any moment. There was no change in Judge’s condition.
Captain Mulloy and Mrs. Boone drank coffee for a few minutes as he told her of the arrests. Halfway through the story, Theo and Ike appeared in the reception area. Theo, who hadn’t bathed since Friday morning, looked as though he’d been sleeping on the floor, which he had. And Ike, well Ike always looked rumpled and wrinkled with his long, straggly gray hair pulled into a ponytail. After introductions, Captain Mulloy asked, “So how’s the dog?”
Theo replied, “Hanging in there. A slight heartbeat, but not much else. Still unconscious.”
“Sorry to hear that,” Captain Mulloy said as he reached for a file. “Let me show you something.” He removed four large color photos, each of a different face, and laid them on a coffee table covered with magazines. “Look at these guys, Theo. Ever seen them before?”
Theo leaned down, and within seconds said, “That’s them. All four of them.” He pointed to Lester (Shorty) Green and said, “He’s the guy who grabbed my phone and knocked me down.” He pointed to Larry Samson and said, “This is the thug who kept hitting Judge with a stick.” He pointed to Willis Keeth and said, “He’s the older guy, the boss.” And about Gino Gordon, he said, “This is the guy who tripped Woody and was cussing at us so bad.”
Captain Mulloy smiled and said, “Thought so. At this moment, these guys are downtown, under arrest and getting booked. They’ll probably post a bond this morning and get out. Do you understand all this, Theo?”
Theo certainly did. He nodded and said, “Yes, sir.”
Ike picked up the photo of Larry Samson and said, “This is the bad boy who tried to kill Judge?”
“That’s him,” Theo said, no doubt.
“So when does this jerk face a judge?”
“Not sure,” Captain Mulloy said.
“He looks guilty,” Ike said, spitting contempt.
“He is guilty,” Theo said. “There are witnesses.”
“Where do these guys live?” Mrs. Boone asked.
“Around here. They work for a survey company that was hired by the state to do some early work on the bypass. It appears as though they were a bit too eager and entered some private land without permission.”
“They’re gonna serve time in jail,” Ike said as if he were the judge. “Mark my word, these clowns are serving time. Plus, we’ll sue them for damages.” Ike looked as though he was ready for a fistfight.
Mr. Boone walked through the front door with a dozen doughnuts and another stack of Sunday newspapers. Theo was always amazed at the volume of newsprint consumed by his parents on a typical Sunday. Often there were four thick newspapers scattered from the kitchen table to the den and even on the back porch in good weather. One of Theo’s household chores was to organize the recycling program. In one corner of the garage he kept four large plastic bins, one each for glass, plastic, aluminum, and paper. The paper bin was always full, always overflowing with stacks of old newspapers. On several occasions he had asked his parents why they simply didn’t read the news online. They owned laptops and used them for business and personal e-mails. Why not get the news online and save all that paper? Their answers were vague and unsatisfactory, at least to Theo.
He stared at the stack of Sunday newspapers and thought, What a waste. Then he flashed back to the present and wondered why he, Theo Boone, a boy whose dog was practically dead and a boy who’d just slept two nights on the floor in a vet clinic, was worrying about recycling old news-papers. He grabbed a doughnut and downed it in three bites.
Mr. Boone was saying hello and asking about Judge when Dr. Kohl appeared from the rear. He was wearing a suit and tie and said he was on the way to early church. The group passed around the photos of the four freshly arrested men and, with frowns, silently condemned them. Dr. Kohl said something like, “Rough bunch.”
Theo had an idea. He looked at Captain Mulloy and said, “Can I borrow that photo of Larry Samson?” Captain Mulloy handed it to him. The adults watched Theo as he disappeared into the rear of the clinic.
The exam room was dark and deserted; only Judge was there, still motionless on the table where he had been for so long. Theo turned on a light and hovered over his dog. “Hey buddy,” he said softly into his ear. “Got something for you.” Theo held the photo of Larry Samson close for Judge to see. “This is the outlaw who did this to you, Judge. His name is Larry, and right now Larry is sitting in jail. They’re gonna bust him, Judge, and make him pay. Look at him, Judge, big bad Larry, the guy with the stick who thought he was so tough, whipping a little dog, is now behind bars. We won, Judge, and we’re not finished.”
Theo held the photo, but Judge did not look. Theo fought back tears. The photo was shaking. Theo closed his eyes and asked God to look down on this poor little dog who’d never harmed anyone, who was the best friend in the world, who’d been badly injured trying to protect Theo. Please, God.
Minutes passed, and Theo was ready to give up.
There was a sound, sort of a weak grunt, as if Judge was trying to clear his throat. Theo opened his eyes, and at about the same time Judge opened his. Not wide, just two narrow slits, but Theo could see the dark brown irises of Judge’s eyes. “Judge, you’re awake!” he gushed, and leaned even lower so that his nose was about two inches from his dog’s.
Judge opened his eyes wider. He seemed to look at the photo of Larry Samson, to stare at it, then he opened his mouth and licked his lips. Theo placed the photo on a table, then with both hands began rubbing along Judge’s back, talking nonstop.