Theo knocked on the door but no one answered. He peeked into the backyard, then hopped on his bike and continued down the street. Some boys were playing a pickup game of soccer in a small park and a lot of people were watching and milling about. Almost all appeared to be Hispanic. Julio was with a group of kids, including his twin siblings, Hector and Rita, behind a goal, kicking a soccer ball and killing time. Theo inched closer until Julio saw him. He smiled, walked over, and said, “Theo, what are you doing here?”

“Nothing really, just out riding my bike.”

When the Pena family lived at the shelter, Theo had taught English to Hector and Rita, and when the two kids saw him talking to their brother they ran over to say hello. Judge soon got their attention, and they took the leash and went for a walk. A lot of kids noticed Judge and wanted to pat him on the head and say things to him. It was a proud moment for the dog.

Theo and Julio chatted about this and that, and when the time was right Theo asked, “Say, Julio, how’s Bobby doing? Is he still living with you guys?”

Julio frowned and glanced at the soccer game not far away. “He stays with us some, and then he’ll go back to his old place. He’s still pretty scared, you know? Plus, Bobby and my mother don’t always get along.”

“That’s too bad.”

“Yeah, they fight a lot. Bobby likes to drink beer and he brings it home, and this upsets my mother. She doesn’t want that stuff in the house, says it’s her house, and he has to live by the rules. And I think he might be doing some other bad stuff, you know?”

“I know,” Theo said, though he really didn’t. “Doesn’t sound too good. Is he still working at the golf course?”

Julio nodded.

“Look, Julio, there’s something Bobby needs to know. They just found Pete Duffy and arrested him. He’s coming back to town for another trial.”

“The guy who killed his wife?”

“Yep, and Bobby is about to be a very important person. Has he talked to the police lately?”

“I don’t know. I don’t see him every day.”

“Well, I think you need to talk to Bobby just so he’ll know. I’m sure the police will be around shortly to have a chat.” Theo wanted to say something about Omar Cheepe and Paco and the other tough guys who were still around, and probably still worked for Pete Duffy, but he didn’t want to frighten anyone. If Bobby got scared, he would vanish into the night.

Julio said, “He’s thinking about going home. His mother is dying and he’s very homesick.”

“Your mother’s sister?”

“Yes.”

“I’m so sorry. But my parents are trying to help him get a work permit. He really shouldn’t leave anytime soon, Julio. Can you tell him this?”

“It’s his mother, Theo. If your mother were dying wouldn’t you want to go home?”

“Sure.”

“Plus, he’s still pretty nervous about getting involved. Just last week some of his friends who worked in an apple orchard not far from here got arrested because they didn’t have the papers, you know, and now they’re in jail somewhere, waiting to be sent back to El Salvador. It’s not easy living like this, Theo. It may be hard for you to understand, but Bobby doesn’t want to be involved. He doesn’t trust everyone like you do.”

“Okay. I get it.”

Hector and Rita were back with Judge, bored with him now and ready to hand over the leash. Judge was tired of the attention and wanted to leave. Theo said good-bye to the Penas and pedaled away.

Chapter 11

Theo’s favorite teacher was Mr. Mount, his homeroom teacher and faculty adviser for the Debate Team. He was in his mid-thirties, still single, and prone to flirting with the young female teachers, and he had a happy, laid-back attitude about life that the boys adored. His family was full of lawyers and he himself had finished law school and worked for one less than pleasant year with a big firm in Chicago. He loved teaching, enjoyed being around kids, and had decided that he belonged in a classroom and not a courtroom. He taught Government at third period, and was often inclined to let the boys discuss whatever they wanted as long as it was remotely related to politics, history, or the law. Also, he gave easy tests.

With Duffy all over the news, there was little doubt about what the class would dwell on Monday morning.

“I have a question,” Darren said not long after Mr. Mount called the class to order.

“What is it, Darren?”

“The newspaper said that Pete Duffy might fight extradition back to Strattenburg. What does that mean?”

Mr. Mount glanced at Theo, but chose to handle it himself. Theo knew more about the law than anyone in the room, except Mr. Mount, but Theo was often reluctant to dominate the discussions. He didn’t want to appear to be a know-it-all.

Mr. Mount said, “Good question. Extradition is a legal process whereby a person who is arrested in one state is sent back to the state where the crime occurred. Obviously, this person does not want to return to the place where he’s in trouble, so he often tries to block the transfer. It’s always a waste of time because eventually the courts see to it that he gets shipped back. The only time it gets sticky is where one state has the death penalty and the other state does not. But even then, the defendant loses. It’s more of a problem between countries because the United States does not have extradition treaties with all other countries. You guys ever see the movie The Great Train Robbery?”

A few hands went up.

“It’s the true story of a train robbery in England, around nineteen sixty or so. This gang stopped a train loaded with money and made a clean escape. Eventually they all got caught, with the exception of one guy who made it down to Brazil, the same place Duffy was headed. At the time, Brazil did not have an extradition treaty with the United Kingdom, and so this guy was able to live a pretty good life down there and the British police couldn’t touch him.”

“What happened to him?” Darren asked.

“He eventually got homesick and returned to London. I think he died in prison.”

“I have another question,” Woody said. “My dad says it’s unheard of for a guy charged with murder to be able to post a bond and stay out of jail while he’s waiting on his trial. Somehow Pete Duffy got around this, and look what happened. He was rich, so he got a special deal, right? My dad says anyone else would’ve been locked up and not able to run away. I don’t understand this bond thing.”

Mr. Mount looked at Theo again. Theo said, “Well, your dad is right. Most judges will not even consider a bond in a murder case. For other cases, say for example embezzlement, say you got caught stealing money from your boss, a serious crime but nothing violent, then, your lawyer would ask the judge to set a reasonable bond. The prosecutor always wants a high bond, the defendant a low one. Say the judge sets the bond at fifty thousand dollars. You would then go to a bail bondsman and put up ten percent in cash. He writes the bond, you get out while you wait for your trial, and everybody’s happy. If you don’t show up in court, the bail bondsman has the right to track you down and bring you back.”

“What’s the difference between bail and bond?” Woody asked.

“Nothing really. Lawyers use either word. They say ‘My client’s bond is five thousand dollars,’ and they say, ‘My client’s bail is five thousand dollars.’ They mean the same thing.”

“So how did Duffy get a bond?”

“He had money. His bail was set at a million dollars, and he put up some land worth that much. He didn’t go through a bail bondsman, but his lawyer arranged the deal with the court.”

“What happened when he disappeared?”

“The county took his land. Just like that.”

“Does he get it back now that he’s been found?”

“No. He lost it forever. According to my dad, the county plans to sell the land and keep the cash.”