it! It’s a legal slam dunk!”
The judge glared across her desk. “When it comes to the law, I’ll keep my own counsel, thank you very much. Now that we’ve heard your theory, maybe you should listen to mine: You concocted this whole thing to learn the value of the stolen Super Bowl ring so you’ll know how much to ask for when you find a buyer.”
Griffin turned pale. “But that’s not true!”
“When the time comes, this court will determine what’s true and what isn’t. Meanwhile, I’m going to put a stop to your ability to engage in this outrageous behavior. As of this moment, you are under house arrest. You may leave your home only for school and medical or court appointments.”
“But how am I going to clear my name?” Griffin blurted.
The judge was sympathetic but firm. “If you are truly innocent, the system will discover it.” She turned to Mrs. Bing. “I’m relying on you to see to it that your son obeys this ruling. I’d rather not have to direct the police to enforce it.”
“You won’t have any more problems with Griffin,” Mrs. Bing promised. “I’ll get him straight home.”
As they left the courthouse, Griffin turned to his mother. “Thanks for not calling Dad.”
“Oh, I called him,” she replied. “He’s on his way back from the big library in New York City. He’s interrupting his vole research to see if he can talk some sense into you. Fat chance.”
“What choice did I have?” Griffin demanded. “Nobody believes I’m innocent!”
“You’re innocent of stealing the ring. Dad and I have faith in that. But this foolishness today? You’re one hundred and ten percent guilty! And God only knows who else you’ve dragged into it. If I call Estelle Slovak, is she going to tell me Ben was in his room doing homework at five thirty?”
Griffin remained silent. That was the one thing that had gone right. The rest of the team had managed to avoid being caught up in this disaster. It had been a classic Code Z — the moment when aplan was broken beyond repair. At least his friends were in the clear.
“Don’t you see?” Mom went on. “When you pull a crazy stunt like this, you make yourself look guilty even if you have an airtight alibi!”
“Well, what am I supposed to do?” Griffin challenged. “Nothing? While they banish me to Jail For Kids? While they threaten me with juvie and a criminal record? While I pay for somebody else’s crime?”
“What we expect you to do,” his mother said sternly, “is trust your parents to look out for your interests. And trust our lawyer to do the right thing for you. Mostly, we expect you to obey the judge and stay out of trouble until this horrible ordeal is behind us.”
That was the most devastating blow of all. Slammed with house arrest, unable to prove his innocence, Griffin was at the mercy of the justice system. And everybody knew that the justice system didn’t always work. There were guiltless people rotting in prison, and even on death row, because they’d been framed, just like him.
The Man With The Plan believed in planning, but mostly he believed in action. To stand idlewhile his entire future went down the drain was the ultimate torture for a guy like Griffin Bing.
The cafeteria at Cedarville Middle School was a crowded, boisterous place. At one corner table, however, the tone could not have been more subdued. All eyes were on Ben Slovak as he made his way from the food line to join them.
“Well?” Pitch prompted. “Did you see him?”
“If you could call it that,” Ben replied tragically. “I was down on the corner and I waved at him when he came out to catch the bus to Jail For Kids.”
“You didn’t even talk to him?” Melissa barely whispered.
“Just on the phone over the weekend. I’m supposed to stay away from him. My mother read Celia White’s new column and hit the roof.”
“Yeah, did you see that?” Logan breathed. “It’s a good thing she can’t print kids’ names, because
The judge glared across her desk. “When it comes to the law, I’ll keep my own counsel, thank you very much. Now that we’ve heard your theory, maybe you should listen to mine: You concocted this whole thing to learn the value of the stolen Super Bowl ring so you’ll know how much to ask for when you find a buyer.”
Griffin turned pale. “But that’s not true!”
“When the time comes, this court will determine what’s true and what isn’t. Meanwhile, I’m going to put a stop to your ability to engage in this outrageous behavior. As of this moment, you are under house arrest. You may leave your home only for school and medical or court appointments.”
“But how am I going to clear my name?” Griffin blurted.
The judge was sympathetic but firm. “If you are truly innocent, the system will discover it.” She turned to Mrs. Bing. “I’m relying on you to see to it that your son obeys this ruling. I’d rather not have to direct the police to enforce it.”
“You won’t have any more problems with Griffin,” Mrs. Bing promised. “I’ll get him straight home.”
As they left the courthouse, Griffin turned to his mother. “Thanks for not calling Dad.”
“Oh, I called him,” she replied. “He’s on his way back from the big library in New York City. He’s interrupting his vole research to see if he can talk some sense into you. Fat chance.”
“What choice did I have?” Griffin demanded. “Nobody believes I’m innocent!”
“You’re innocent of stealing the ring. Dad and I have faith in that. But this foolishness today? You’re one hundred and ten percent guilty! And God only knows who else you’ve dragged into it. If I call Estelle Slovak, is she going to tell me Ben was in his room doing homework at five thirty?”
Griffin remained silent. That was the one thing that had gone right. The rest of the team had managed to avoid being caught up in this disaster. It had been a classic Code Z — the moment when aplan was broken beyond repair. At least his friends were in the clear.
“Don’t you see?” Mom went on. “When you pull a crazy stunt like this, you make yourself look guilty even if you have an airtight alibi!”
“Well, what am I supposed to do?” Griffin challenged. “Nothing? While they banish me to Jail For Kids? While they threaten me with juvie and a criminal record? While I pay for somebody else’s crime?”
“What we expect you to do,” his mother said sternly, “is trust your parents to look out for your interests. And trust our lawyer to do the right thing for you. Mostly, we expect you to obey the judge and stay out of trouble until this horrible ordeal is behind us.”
That was the most devastating blow of all. Slammed with house arrest, unable to prove his innocence, Griffin was at the mercy of the justice system. And everybody knew that the justice system didn’t always work. There were guiltless people rotting in prison, and even on death row, because they’d been framed, just like him.
The Man With The Plan believed in planning, but mostly he believed in action. To stand idlewhile his entire future went down the drain was the ultimate torture for a guy like Griffin Bing.
The cafeteria at Cedarville Middle School was a crowded, boisterous place. At one corner table, however, the tone could not have been more subdued. All eyes were on Ben Slovak as he made his way from the food line to join them.
“Well?” Pitch prompted. “Did you see him?”
“If you could call it that,” Ben replied tragically. “I was down on the corner and I waved at him when he came out to catch the bus to Jail For Kids.”
“You didn’t even talk to him?” Melissa barely whispered.
“Just on the phone over the weekend. I’m supposed to stay away from him. My mother read Celia White’s new column and hit the roof.”
“Yeah, did you see that?” Logan breathed. “It’s a good thing she can’t print kids’ names, because
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