scratched the top of his head. He walked over to the squad car, opened it, and pulled something off the front seat. “You’ll probably want toexplain this when you get there,” he said, holding up a hat inside a plastic bag.
“That’s mine,” Tim said. “My dad gave it to me. Where’d you find it?”
Officer Dunham put the bag back into the car. “Inside the building. Near where the explosion happened.”
Tim’s mouth dropped open, and he looked like he was computing things in his head. Jamie felt bad for him. All the evidence pointed to his guilt, but she couldn’t imagine him setting fire to Butch Devalon’s palace of a garage.
“Oh,” the officer said as he got inside his car, “you’ll want to explain the surveillance video we have of you there too.” He drove away.
Kellen came up beside Tim and put an arm on his shoulder. “They’re not sending him to prison, are they, Dad?”
“Nobody’s going to prison. There’s a good explanation for this. I just don’t know what it is.”
Chapter 17
Dale and Tim
TIM SAT ON HIS BED and stared at the ceiling. Dale leaned against the wall, his arms crossed.
“So this is basically you being in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Dale said.
“Big-time,” Tim said.
Dale scratched the back of his neck. “I want to believe you. And I think you told the truth to that officer, and that must have been hard. But I also think you’re holding back something important. Is there anything you want to tell me about what happened?”
“Like what?”
“Like, I don’t know, that you just got so mad at the whole Devalon thing and you went into a rage and . . .”
“How would I have gotten into thatlocked building?” Tim said. “Wouldn’t they have found a broken window or something?”
“There was a broken window,” Dale said. “On the other side of the garage. That set off an alarm, and a company called the building manager, who lives across the street. He saw the fire and called the fire department.”
It’s the hat, Tim thought. If I can figure out who got my hat . . .
“What are you thinking, Tim? I can’t help you if you don’t let me.”
Tim had been in this situation a few times before when he’d had problems with the authorities. Once a police officer came to Tyson’s place after Tim had smashed the mailbox of some people who were giving him trouble. Tim finally admitted he did it and agreed to buy and install a new mailbox after school the next day. He had done it, though he hadn’t liked standing in front of the other trailer, listening to the people inside say mean things about him. And then there was his run-in with Jeff and the slashing of tires in the church parking lot that turned out to be the pastor’s car.
Now Tim had to make a choice. Either let Dale inside or try to handle the whole thing himself. Tim could tell there was a part of Dale that didn’t believe him, but it seemed like there was a part of him that did.
“You’ve got enough on your mind with the Chase,” Tim said. “I don’t want to drag you into this.”
“You’re not dragging me into anything. I’m already in. And I want to be in. There’s nothing more important than helping you get on the right track. Talk to me.”
Tim wished Mrs. Maxwell were here. He could make a face and she would just melt. She always felt so sorry for him, but Dale was a lot stronger and wouldn’t be moved by a whimper or hangdog look. The guy had a lot of compassion, but he had backbone too.
“Who called you on your cell?” Dale said.
“I don’t know who it was, but I thought it was . . . somebody else.”
“Male? Female?”
“Female. Kind of older sounding. Or somebody trying to sound older.”
“What did she say?”
“That I was supposed to come over to that address and meet her.”
Dale thought a minute and squatted next to the wall. “This isn’t about your mother, is it?”
Tim was surprised he’d put it together so fast. He
“That’s mine,” Tim said. “My dad gave it to me. Where’d you find it?”
Officer Dunham put the bag back into the car. “Inside the building. Near where the explosion happened.”
Tim’s mouth dropped open, and he looked like he was computing things in his head. Jamie felt bad for him. All the evidence pointed to his guilt, but she couldn’t imagine him setting fire to Butch Devalon’s palace of a garage.
“Oh,” the officer said as he got inside his car, “you’ll want to explain the surveillance video we have of you there too.” He drove away.
Kellen came up beside Tim and put an arm on his shoulder. “They’re not sending him to prison, are they, Dad?”
“Nobody’s going to prison. There’s a good explanation for this. I just don’t know what it is.”
Chapter 17
Dale and Tim
TIM SAT ON HIS BED and stared at the ceiling. Dale leaned against the wall, his arms crossed.
“So this is basically you being in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Dale said.
“Big-time,” Tim said.
Dale scratched the back of his neck. “I want to believe you. And I think you told the truth to that officer, and that must have been hard. But I also think you’re holding back something important. Is there anything you want to tell me about what happened?”
“Like what?”
“Like, I don’t know, that you just got so mad at the whole Devalon thing and you went into a rage and . . .”
“How would I have gotten into thatlocked building?” Tim said. “Wouldn’t they have found a broken window or something?”
“There was a broken window,” Dale said. “On the other side of the garage. That set off an alarm, and a company called the building manager, who lives across the street. He saw the fire and called the fire department.”
It’s the hat, Tim thought. If I can figure out who got my hat . . .
“What are you thinking, Tim? I can’t help you if you don’t let me.”
Tim had been in this situation a few times before when he’d had problems with the authorities. Once a police officer came to Tyson’s place after Tim had smashed the mailbox of some people who were giving him trouble. Tim finally admitted he did it and agreed to buy and install a new mailbox after school the next day. He had done it, though he hadn’t liked standing in front of the other trailer, listening to the people inside say mean things about him. And then there was his run-in with Jeff and the slashing of tires in the church parking lot that turned out to be the pastor’s car.
Now Tim had to make a choice. Either let Dale inside or try to handle the whole thing himself. Tim could tell there was a part of Dale that didn’t believe him, but it seemed like there was a part of him that did.
“You’ve got enough on your mind with the Chase,” Tim said. “I don’t want to drag you into this.”
“You’re not dragging me into anything. I’m already in. And I want to be in. There’s nothing more important than helping you get on the right track. Talk to me.”
Tim wished Mrs. Maxwell were here. He could make a face and she would just melt. She always felt so sorry for him, but Dale was a lot stronger and wouldn’t be moved by a whimper or hangdog look. The guy had a lot of compassion, but he had backbone too.
“Who called you on your cell?” Dale said.
“I don’t know who it was, but I thought it was . . . somebody else.”
“Male? Female?”
“Female. Kind of older sounding. Or somebody trying to sound older.”
“What did she say?”
“That I was supposed to come over to that address and meet her.”
Dale thought a minute and squatted next to the wall. “This isn’t about your mother, is it?”
Tim was surprised he’d put it together so fast. He
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