CHAPTER XVII—SUSPENSE
That was the worst morning I ever spent. I didn’t know what to do or what to say. But one thing I was sure of, and that was that I wasn’t going to break my word no matter what happened. Because what’s the use of having any law one if it doesn’t mean what it says?
I kept wishing that those men would hurry up and come so the thing would be over with. I went out and sat on the steps of our garage and talked with James; he’s our chauffeur. And all the while I kept looking off down the road to see if those men were coming. I felt awful funny. No matter what I did I couldn’t stick to it. I felt kind of the same way as I feel just before examinations in school. I started picking dandelions on the lawn just so as to keep busy. Then I went around to the porch and sat in the swing seat and tried to read, but I couldn’t.
After a while I saw a car coming up the hill and I knew it was the police car. I guess there wasn’t much left of Mr. Slausen’s car. I saw Chief O’Day in the car—I could tell him on account of his uniform—and there were several others, too. Now that I saw them I wasn’t so nervous as I was before, because I knew it would soon be over with.
When they got out I saw there were five people—Chief O’Day, Mr. Slausen, another man, Westy and his father. I was kind of nervous when I saw them coming up the gravel walk, but, anyway, it kind of helped me to feel sure of myself.
Chief O’Day said, “Well, sir, your father home?”
I gave one look at Westy and then I didn’t feel afraid any more at all. I knew he thought the same as I did, and I said to myself that no matter what happened we’d stick together.
My father took us all in the library and I stood in front of the mantelpiece.
Chief O’Day said, “Mr. Blakeley, your boy and this other boy seem to be mixed up in the fire that destroyed Mr. Slausen’s shop last night.”
My father just said, “Indeed?”
The chief said, “These two boys were seen climbing out of a window of the shop after dark last night. They were anxious to have the shop out of their way——”
My father just said, “Oh, yes, I know all about that. We’d like to have a good many things out of our way. Let us get down to facts. Who saw these boys? That’s the point.”
Mr. Slausen said, “This young man is a friend of mine, Mr. Blakeley. He has worked for me. His name is Conroy. He saw your boy and this other youngster climb out of the side window of my place last night. This other youngster refuses to say anything.”
The chief said, “Of course you realize these boys have to give an account of themselves, Mr. Blakeley. Maybe this young fellow here is mistaken about seeing them, but——”
“He isn’t mistaken,” I said. I could just hear my own voice as if I was speaking all alone in the world, and I was awful nervous. “Westy and I climbed out of that window after dark last night, but we didn’t set fire to the place and we never thought about such a thing.”
“You were there?” my father said. Gee, he seemed to be all flustered. “What do you mean? You mean you were in Mr. Slausen’s shop after the place had been closed up and came out through a side window?”
I just said, “Yes, sir.”
For about half a minute nobody spoke at all, only Mr. Slausen kept drumming with his fingers on the arm of the chair.
Then the chief said, “What were you doing there?”
“I won’t tell you,” I said.
My father said, very sober like, “What do you mean, Roy? You won’t tell? This is a very serious matter. Tell Mr. O’Day what you went there for.”
I didn’t say anything; I just stood there.
My father just said, very anxious, “Well?”
The chief said, “You don’t want to rub up against the law, my boy.”
I said, “If you think you can scare me, you can’t. There are different laws. Maybe there are some that you don’t know anything about——”
Just then I heard footsteps on the porch and then the doorbell rang.