Matthew Burns joined the Schroeder family for a late breakfast of pancakes and sausage. The boys ate quickly and returned to their video games. Dana made more coffee and began clearing the table. They discussed the press conference, Robbie's brilliant presentation of the case, and Roberta's poignant1 remarks. Matthew was curious about Slone, the fires and violence, but Keith had seen little of it. He had felt the tension, smelled the smoke, heard the police helicopter hovering2 overhead, but he had not seen much of the town.
With fresh coffee, the three sat at the table and talked about Keith's improbable journey and the whereabouts of Travis Boyette. Keith, though, was growing weary of the details. He had other issues, and Matthew was prepared for the conversation.
"So, Counselor3, how much trouble could I be in?" Keith asked.
"The law is not real clear. There is no specific prohibition4 against aiding a convicted felon5 in his efforts to violate the terms of his parole. But it's still against the law. The applicable code section deals with obstruction6 of justice, which is a huge net for a lot of behavior that would otherwise be difficult to classify. By driving Boyette out of this jurisdiction7, and with the knowledge that it was a violation8 of his parole, you violated the law."
"How serious?"
Matthew shrugged9, grimaced10, stirred his coffee with a spoon. "It's a felony, but not a serious one. And it's not the type of violation that we get excited about."
"We?" Dana asked.
"As in prosecutors11. The district attorney would have jurisdiction, a different office. I'm with the city."
"A felony?" Keith asked.
"Probably. It appears that your trip to Texas has gone unnoticed here in Topeka. You managed to avoid the cameras, and I have yet to see your name in print."
"But you know about it, Matthew," Dana said.
"I do, and I suppose that, technically13, I'm expected to inform the police, to turn you in. But it doesn't work that way. We can process only so much crime. We're forced to pick and choose. This is not a violation that any prosecutor12 would want to deal with."
"But Boyette is a famous guy right now," Dana said. "It's just a matter of time before a reporter here picks up on the story. He jumped parole, took off to Texas, and we've seen his face for three days now."
"Yes, but who can link Keith to Boyette?"
"Several folks in Texas," Keith said.
"True, but I doubt if they care what happens here. And these folks are on our side, right?"
"I guess."
"So, who can make the link? Did anyone see you with Boyette?"
"What about the guy at the halfway14 house?" Dana asked.
"It's possible," Keith said. "I went there several times looking for Boyette. I signed the register, and there was a guy at the desk, Rudy, I think, who knew my name."
"But he didn't see you drive away with Boyette late Wednesday night?"
"No one saw us. It was after midnight."
Matthew shrugged, satisfied. All three worked on their coffee for a moment, then Keith said, "I can make the link, Matthew. I knew I was violating the law when I left with Boyette because you made things very clear. I made a choice. At the time, I knew I was doing the right thing. I have no regrets now, so long as Boyette is found before he hurts anyone else. But if he's not found, and if someone gets hurt, then I'll have a ton of regrets. I am not going to live with a possible criminal violation hanging over my head. We plan to deal with it now."
Dana and Keith were both looking at Matthew, who said, "That's sort of what I figured."
"I'm not running from this," Keith said. "And we can't live with the threat of an officer knocking on the door. Let's get it over with."
Matthew shook his head and said, "Okay, but you'll need a lawyer."
"What about you?" Dana asked.
"A defense15 lawyer, as in criminal defense. Me? I'm now on the other side of the street, and, frankly16, I can help more over there."
"Could Keith possibly go to jail?" she asked.
"Get right to the point, don't you?" Keith said, with a smile. Dana was not smiling. Her eyes were moist.
Matthew stretched his arms above his head, then leaned forward on his elbows. "Here's my worst-case scenario17. I'm not predicting this; it's just the worst case. If you admit your role in taking him to Texas, get ready for some coverage18. Then, if Boyette rapes19 another woman, all hell breaks loose. I can see the DA playing hardball with you, but I cannot, under any scenario, see you going to jail. You may have to plead guilty, get probation20, pay a small fine, but I doubt it."
"I'd stand in court, in front of a judge, and plead guilty?"
"That's what usually happens."
Keith took Dana's hand on the table. There was a long moment of reflection, then she said, "What would you do, Matthew?"
"Hire a lawyer, and pray Boyette is either dead or too ill to attack someone."
At noon, the forty-one white members of the Slone High football team met in the parking lot of a small elementary school on the edge of town. There, they quickly boarded a chartered bus and left town. Their equipment was in a rental21 van behind the bus. An hour later, they arrived at Mount Pleasant, population fifteen thousand. From there, the bus followed a police car to the high school football field. The players dressed quickly and hustled22 to the field for their pregame routines. It was odd, warming up with no lights and no fans. Security was tight; police cars blocked every possible route to the field. The Lobos of Longview High took the field minutes later. There were no cheerleaders, no band, national anthem23, pregame prayer, or public address announcer. As the coin was tossed, the Slone coach looked across the field at the Lobos and wondered how bad the slaughter24 might be. They had eighty players on a roster25 that was at least 70 percent black. Slone had not beaten Longview since the days of Donte Drumm, and the Warriors26 had no chance today.
What was happening in Slone was being felt throughout East Texas, if not far beyond.
Slone won the toss and elected to receive. It really didn't matter, but the Slone coach wanted to avoid a long kickoff return and a quick seven points. His receiving team took the field, and the Lobos lined up to kick. Ten black kids and a white kicker. At the whistle, the player closest to the ball suddenly stepped forward and grabbed it. It was a move that had never been seen before, and for a second everyone was startled. The ten black members of the kickoff team then yanked off their helmets and laid them on the turf. The referees27 blew their whistles, the coaches yelled, and for a few seconds there was total confusion. On cue, the other black Longview players walked onto the field dropping their helmets and jerseys29 as they went. The Slone players on the field backed away in disbelief. The game was over before it began.
The black players formed a tight circle and sat together at midfield, the modern-day version of a sit-in. The officials, four white and two black, huddled30 briefly31 and kept their cool. None of the six volunteered to attempt to get the football. The Longview coach walked to midfield and said, "What the hell is going on here?"
"Game's over, Coach," said Number 71, a 330-pound tackle and co-captain.
"We ain't playing," said Number 2, the other co-captain.
"Why not?"
"It's a protest," said Number 71. "We're solid with our brothers in Slone."
The coach kicked the turf and weighed his options. It was clear that this situation was not about to change, not anytime soon. "Well, just so you understand what you are doing here, this means we'll have to forfeit32, which knocks us out of the play-offs, and they'll probably find some kind of probation for us. That what you guys want?"
All sixty or so said "Yes!" in unison33.
The coach threw up his hands, walked off the field, and sat on the bench. The Slone coach called his players off the field. From both sidelines, the white players stared at the black players. Green Lobo jerseys and helmets littered the field. The officials retreated to an end zone and watched; their day was done.
Minutes passed as reality set in. Then from the Longview sideline, Number 35, a white backup fullback, stepped onto the field, removed his helmet and jersey28, and took a seat on the forty-yard line, near his black teammates. One by one the other players followed, until only the coaches were left on the sideline.
The Slone coach wasn't sure what to do. He was thinking that perhaps he had just been handed a victory, snatched by a miracle from certain defeat. He was about to tell his players to leave the field when Number 88, Denny Weeks, the starting tight end and the son of a Slone police officer, stepped onto the field, dropped his helmet, and pulled off his jersey. He sat on the field with the Longview players, one of whom reached over and shook his hand. One by one the Warriors followed, until all forty-one had left the sideline.
At 3:00 p.m., the governor's office issued a statement for the press. Drafted by Barry Ringfield and rewritten by Wayne Wallcott and the governor himself, its final version read:
Governor Gill Newton is deeply concerned about recent events in the matter of Donte Drumm. The allegations that this office received a videotape of a confession34 by the alleged35 killer36, just before the execution, are simply false. The governor first saw the video yesterday, Friday, approximately sixteen hours after the execution. The governor will be available on Monday for additional comments.
The train station finally closed Saturday afternoon. Aaron Rey placed two armed guards on the landing, with orders to threaten anyone who came near. The Flak firm gathered at Robbie's house for an impromptu37 party. Everyone was there, along with spouses38. DeDe hired a caterer39 who specialized40 in barbecue, and the rich smell of ribs41 on the grill42 wafted43 over the patio44. Fred Pryor manned the bar and the drinks flowed. Everyone lounged in the pool house and tried to relax. The Longhorns were playing football and the television drew some interest. Robbie tried to prohibit any discussion of the Drumm case, but the conversation drifted there anyway. They couldn't help themselves. They were exhausted45, drained, and defeated, but managed to unwind. The booze helped a lot.
The Longview game was making the rounds, and they tipped a glass in honor of the sit-in.
Fred Pryor, while bartending, monitored the police chatter46 on his radio. The streets of Slone were remarkably47 calm, which they attributed to Roberta Drumm's emotional plea. They had also heard that Roberta, Marvin, Cedric, and Andrea had gone to Washington Park and pleaded with the people to go home, to stop the violence.
Though Robbie had ordered all cell phones turned off, the call came through anyway. Carlos received it and relayed the news to a hushed audience. The authorities in Joplin had expedited their examination and had some interesting news. On Nicole's underwear, they had found a significant semen sample. DNA48 testing matched it to Travis Boyette. His DNA sample was in the Missouri data bank due to a previous conviction there.
There was reason to celebrate, and reason to weep. With emotions torn both ways, they decided49 to have another drink.
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poignant
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| adj.令人痛苦的，辛酸的，惨痛的 | |
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hovering
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| 鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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counselor
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| n.顾问，法律顾问 | |
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prohibition
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| n.禁止；禁令，禁律 | |
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felon
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| n.重罪犯；adj.残忍的 | |
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obstruction
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| n.阻塞，堵塞；障碍物 | |
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jurisdiction
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| n.司法权，审判权，管辖权，控制权 | |
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violation
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| n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯 | |
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shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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grimaced
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| v.扮鬼相，做鬼脸( grimace的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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prosecutors
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| 检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人 | |
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prosecutor
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| n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人 | |
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technically
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| adv.专门地，技术上地 | |
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halfway
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| adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途 | |
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defense
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| n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩 | |
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frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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scenario
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| n.剧本，脚本；概要 | |
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coverage
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| n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖 | |
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rapes
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| n.芸苔( rape的名词复数 )；强奸罪；强奸案；肆意损坏v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的第三人称单数 )；强奸 | |
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probation
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| n.缓刑(期)，(以观后效的)察看；试用(期) | |
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rental
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| n.租赁，出租，出租业 | |
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hustled
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| 催促（hustle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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anthem
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| n.圣歌，赞美诗，颂歌 | |
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slaughter
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| n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀 | |
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roster
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| n.值勤表，花名册 | |
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warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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referees
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| n.裁判员( referee的名词复数 )；证明人；公断人；（专业性强的文章的）审阅人 | |
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jersey
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| n.运动衫 | |
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jerseys
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| n.运动衫( jersey的名词复数 ) | |
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huddled
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| 挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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forfeit
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| vt.丧失；n.罚金，罚款，没收物 | |
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unison
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| n.步调一致，行动一致 | |
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confession
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| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
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alleged
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| a.被指控的，嫌疑的 | |
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killer
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| n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者 | |
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impromptu
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| adj.即席的，即兴的；adv.即兴的(地)，无准备的(地) | |
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spouses
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| n.配偶，夫或妻( spouse的名词复数 ) | |
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caterer
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| n. 备办食物者，备办宴席者 | |
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specialized
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| adj.专门的，专业化的 | |
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ribs
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| n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹 | |
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grill
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| n.烤架，铁格子，烤肉；v.烧，烤，严加盘问 | |
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wafted
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| v.吹送，飘送，（使）浮动( waft的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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patio
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| n.庭院，平台 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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chatter
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| vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战 | |
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remarkably
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| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
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DNA
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| (缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸 | |
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49
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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