At 5:00 p.m. sharp, the Major said the meeting was over. When they gathered for the next meeting, he expected all assignments to be in perfect order. As the Scouts said their good-byes, he waited until they were almost out of the door when he said, “Say, Theo, could I have a word with you?”

“Sure, Major,” Theo said. The other Scouts got on their bikes and left. Theo and the Major stood near the door.

“None of my business,” the Major said, “but I hear things are not going too well, some kind of problem with the police involving a burglary. I’m not being nosy, Theo, I’m just concerned.”

Theo nodded and for a second thought it would be wiser to reveal nothing. However, with his face plastered all over the Internet, his name linked to the crime, and his guilt already determined, it seemed silly acting as though he couldn’t talk about it. “Yes, sir,” he said. “It looks like I’m the number one suspect.”

“So you’ve met with the police?”

“Several times.” In fact, Theo could not remember how many times. “They don’t believe me, and they seem determined to charge me with the crime.”

“That’s absurd, Theo.”

“I sure think so.”

“Look, Theo, I do some volunteer work in Youth Court. If a kid in trouble needs a volunteer, someone to listen to him and give him advice, the Court will appoint me to lend a hand. The kid has a lawyer, of course, but you know how busy lawyers are. I work with the lawyer to do what’s best for the kid. My point is that I know both of the Youth Court judges very well. I’ll be happy to get involved on your behalf if you would like, not as a volunteer because you don’t need one, but as someone who can talk to the judges off the record. The idea of accusing you of a burglary is ridiculous.”

Theo felt himself getting choked up, but managed to say, “Thanks, Major.”

“I know you’re innocent, Theo, and I’ll do everything I can to help.”

“Thanks,” Theo said, trying to hide his emotions.

Chapter 18

The Major shook hands with Theo, gave him a pat on the back, and closed the door behind him. When Theo was outside he walked to his bike and got on it. He pushed off, felt something strange, and realized his front tire was flat.

A sharp pain hit low in his stomach, and Theo wasn’t sure if it was anger or fear, or both. He looked around to see if anyone was watching, then he stared at the tire and thought about what he should do next. Nothing came to mind. He was so angry and confused his brain was a jumbled mess. Slowly, he got off his bike and looked at the front tire. The small gash looked familiar.

He decided not to bother the Major, so he began pushing his bike through the parking lot of the VFW and onto the sidewalk. The more he walked, the clearer he could think. How many people knew he would be at a merit badge meeting on Friday afternoon at 4:00 p.m.? He suddenly had five suspects—the other Scouts. Brian and Edward from his homeroom, and Bart, Isaac, and Sam from the seventh grade. They had parked their bikes in the same rack Theo had parked his, and when his departure was delayed by the Major, there was the split-second opportunity for one of them to stick a knife in his front tire.

The law office was about ten blocks away, and Theo was tired. He called his father’s cell phone, and, surprisingly, he answered. Woods Boone despised his cell phone and usually ignored it.

“Dad, it’s me,” Theo said.

“Yes, Theo, I can read the words on my little screen here. What’s up?”

“My front tire has been slashed again. Flat as a pancake. It happened outside the VFW while I was meeting with the Major.”

“Where are you?”

“On Bennington Street, near Fourteenth.”

“Stay where you are. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

Theo sat on a bus bench with his disabled bike nearby, and thought about Brian and Edward. Both were nice kids from good families. Both had lockers very close to Theo’s, and neither had a reason to slash his tires, throw rocks through his window, break into a computer store, or plant stolen loot in his locker. Theo considered both of them to be friends. He did not know the seventh graders as well, though every Scout in the troop got along just fine. The Major insisted on it. Sam’s father was a doctor and his mother was a dentist. Theo could not imagine him behaving like a hoodlum. Bart was a straight A student and perhaps the nicest kid in the world. Of the five, the only real suspect could be Isaac Scheer, a quiet kid who seemed moody, often troubled, and who wore his hair a bit too long and listened to heavy metal. The Scheer family had issues. An older sister had been arrested for drugs. The father was usually unemployed and rumored to prefer living off his wife’s income.

Most importantly, Isaac had an older brother in high school. Since the Boone detective team believed the attacks on Theo were the work of at least two people, Isaac and his brother fit in nicely. As always, though, when picking suspects, Theo was stopped cold by the question of motive. Why would Isaac and his brother, or anyone else for that matter, go to such trouble to ruin his life? It made no sense.

Mr. Boone arrived in his SUV. He opened the rear hatch, lifted Theo’s bike, and shoved it inside, on top of his golf clubs. Judge, who had arrived riding shotgun, was demoted to the backseat. Theo sat in the front, arms crossed, eyes fixed straight ahead as they drove away. Nothing was said until Theo realized they were not headed in the direction of the Boone home. “Where are we going, Dad?” he asked.

“To the police station.”

“Okay. Why?”

“Because I want the detectives to see firsthand what we’ve been telling them. Someone is stalking you and trying to frame you for a crime you did not commit.”

Theo liked the idea. They parked on the street next to the police station. “Wait here,” Mr. Boone said, and he slammed his door and marched into the building. Minutes passed as Theo talked to Judge and explained what was happening. Judge seemed to be confused. Detective Vorman appeared with Mr. Boone, who popped the hatch and slid the bike onto the rear bumper. Theo got out of the SUV and walked around to join the conversation.

“Look at this,” Mr. Boone said firmly as he lifted the front tire and pointed to the hole in the sidewall. “This is the third one this week.”

Vorman looked closer, touched the tire, and said, “It’s definitely a deliberate puncture.”

“It certainly is,” Mr. Boone replied.

“And where did this happen?” Vorman asked.

“Outside the VFW, same place the rear tire was punctured last Tuesday,” Theo said.

“What am I supposed to do with this?” Vorman asked.

Mr. Boone shoved the bike back into the SUV and slammed the hatch. “You’re supposed to realize that whoever is slashing these bike tires and throwing rocks through our office windows is the same person who is trying to frame my son for the burglary. That’s what you’re supposed to do with this. You’re supposed to realize you’re wasting your time investigating, and accusing, Theo of a crime.”

Go get him, Dad, Theo almost said.

“How can you be so sure these crimes are related?” Vorman asked with his usual sneer.

“I guarantee you they’re related, and until you understand that they are, you’re not going to figure out who broke into the computer store. While you waste your time, though, lay off my son. He’s not guilty.”

“Of course he’s not, but you’re the father, right?” Vorman said, his voice rising, his irritation apparent. “I wish I had a dollar for every mother and father who’ve sworn to me that their precious loved ones were innocent. We’ll handle the investigation, Mr. Boone, with no help from you. And, as of now, and until we find something to the contrary, your son is still the leading suspect. All evidence points to him.” Vorman pointed an angry finger at Theo, then turned and walked away.