Theo was suddenly starving. His mouth was watering. His stomach was aching. He could almost smell the delicious aromas that hit him every Monday night when he walked in the door of Robilio’s. But he managed to say, “You got it.”

“Don’t be silly, Theo,” his mother said.

His father said, “Think of the cash we’ll save. Ice water is free at Robilio’s. And all that lunch money.”

Judge reached up with a paw and raked it across Theo’s leg as if to say, “Hey, buddy. I’m not on strike.”

Theo slowly got up and opened the refrigerator. He pulled out a bottle of whole milk — neither he nor Judge could stand skim — and got the Cheerios from the pantry. As he was pouring the cereal into a bowl, he saw something important. His father lowered the newspaper just an inch or so, just enough to make eye contact with his mother, and gave her a wicked grin.

The fix was in. They were playing games.

Theo placed the bowl on the floor and resumed his seat at the table, starving. Things were too quiet, and he decided to start another serious discussion. What did he have to lose? “So, again, I don’t see any harm in allowing me to watch the opening day of the trial. Both of you know it’s the biggest trial in the history of Strattenburg, probably the biggest trial we’ll ever see, and it’s just not fair to make me skip it. The way I see things, I’m sort of involved in this case because if it weren’t for me, we wouldn’t even be talking about a trial. Pete Duffy would be in South America and the police would never find him. An accused murderer gone free. But no, thanks to me and my keen powers of observation, and my amazing ability to recognize fugitives, not once but twice, we, the people of this town and of Stratten County, are about to witness our judicial system in action. Thanks to me. Plus, I know more about this case than almost anybody. I tracked down Bobby Escobar, the prosecution’s star witness.” His throat tightened and for a split second his lip quivered. He would not, however, give them the satisfaction of watching him crack up. “It’s just not fair. That’s all I can say. I really think you guys should reconsider.”

He folded his hands and stared at the table. They were lost in the newspaper and seemed not to hear him. Finally, his mother said, “Woods, do you think we should reconsider?”

“Fine by me.”

She looked at Theo and gave him one of those big, motherly smiles that made everything warm and happy. “Okay, Theo, we’ve reconsidered. But only for today. Deal?”

Theo was thrilled, but he had the presence of mind not to agree to any deal. He knew he would be in the courtroom later in the week when Bobby Escobar testified, but he hadn’t figured out how exactly. He jumped to his feet, hugged his mother, said thanks a dozen times, and went for the Cheerios.

“I assume the hunger strike is over,” his father said.

“You got it,” Theo said. And it had worked. He had never used the threat of a hunger strike to outflank his parents, but he had just added it to his bag of tricks. One of the great advantages of being an only child was that his parents didn’t have to worry about making a bunch of silly rules for the other kids to follow. They could be more flexible, and Theo knew how to work them.

At eight thirty, Theo was sitting at his desk in Mr. Mount’s homeroom, staring at the clock, watching the second hand slowly sweep through its rotation, waiting for the bell that would begin the day. He had arrived early and had tried unsuccessfully to convince Mr. Mount that he should march into Mrs. Gladwell’s office and demand that Theodore Boone be allowed to skip homeroom and hustle on over to the courthouse where the courtroom was undoubtedly already packed. Mr. Mount was of the opinion that they had bothered Mrs. Gladwell enough already. Just cool it, Theo.

The bell finally rang and the class came to order. Aaron raised a hand and said, “I don’t think it’s fair that Theo gets to go watch the trial today and we don’t. What’s the deal?”

Mr. Mount was in no mood to quarrel. “There’s no deal, Aaron,” he said. “Theo will watch the trial today and give us a recap tomorrow in Government. If you don’t like that, then you can write a three-page paper tonight on the presumption of innocence and deliver it tomorrow.”

Aaron had no further questions or comments.

Mr. Mount said, “Theo, you’d better take off. Miss Gloria has your pass.”

Woody and a couple of other clowns booed and hissed as Theo sprinted from the room. Miss Gloria worked the front desk and thought she controlled the entire school. In spite of the fact that she had a thankless job, one that involved dealing with sick students, and students who were not sick but trying their best to fake it, and angry parents, and frazzled teachers, and a tough boss (Mrs. Gladwell), and all manner of stressed-out people, she managed to keep a smile on her face. Twice Theo had given her free legal advice, and he would gladly do so again because Miss Gloria had the power to let him sneak out of school. He might need her later in the week, but for today his early exit had been cleared. She handed him an official pass, one that would protect him from the pesky truant officers who often roamed the city looking for kids skipping school. They had caught Theo twice, but both times he managed to talk his way out of trouble.

He jumped on his bike and raced away, headed for downtown. The trial would start promptly at nine a.m., and Judge Gantry ran a tight courtroom. Theo was sure all seats had already been taken. Two television news crews had set up cameras in front of the courthouse and a small crowd milled about. Theo parked well away from them and chained his bike to a rack. He entered through a side door and bounded up a narrow stairwell that was seldom used. He said hello to a clerk in an office where they kept the property deeds but did not slow down. He zigzagged through some smaller offices, spoke to another clerk, and found a dark corridor that led to a landing near the room where the jury deliberated. He held his breath and opened a larger door that opened into the courtroom. As expected, a crowd was already there, and the courtroom buzzed with great anticipation. Ike waved him over, and Theo managed to squeeze into a tight spot next to his uncle. They were in the third row behind the table where Mr. Jack Hogan and his team of prosecutors were going about the busy work of preparing for the start of the trial.

Across the courtroom, Pete Duffy sat at the defense table with Clifford Nance and another lawyer. While waiting in jail, the hair he had dyed blond had returned to its normal color — black with a lot more gray than the last time. He wore a dark suit with a white shirt and tie, and he could have easily passed for just another lawyer.

“Any trouble?” Ike asked.

“No. My parents changed their minds this morning.”

“No surprise there.”

“Did you talk to them?”

Ike just smiled and said nothing. Theo suspected his uncle had made a phone call during the night and convinced Woods and Marcella Boone that he belonged in court.

At exactly nine a.m., according to the large clock on the wall above the judge’s bench, a bailiff stood and bellowed, “All rise for the Court.” Everyone immediately stood as a few stragglers scrambled for their seats. Judge Gantry appeared through a door behind the bench, and the bailiff continued: “Hear ye, hear ye, the Criminal Court for the Tenth District is now in session, the Honorable Henry Gantry presiding. Let all who have matters come forth. May God bless this Court.”

Judge Gantry, with his long black robe flowing behind him, took his place behind the elevated bench and said, “Please be seated.” Theo glanced around. There was not an empty seat anywhere, including the balcony where he and his classmates had been sitting during the opening of the first trial.