Chapter 19

After golf, Theo and his father stopped by the Highland Street Shelter to check on Julio and his younger brother and sister. Carola Pena washed dishes in the kitchen of a downtown hotel and worked every Saturday, which meant her three children were left at the shelter. There were games and activities for the children who lived there, but Theo knew that Saturdays were not that pleasant. They watched a lot of television, played kick ball on the small playground, and, if lucky, rode a church bus to a cinema if a supervisor could find the money.

While Theo and his father were playing golf, they had an idea. Stratten College was a small private school that

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had been founded in the town a hundred years earlier. Its football and basketball teams couldn't compete with a decent high school, but its baseball team was a Division III powerhouse. There was a doubleheader at 2:00 p.m.

Mr. Boone checked in with the supervisor at the shelter.

Not surprisingly, Julio, who was in charge of the twins, Hector and Rita, jumped at the chance to leave the shelter.

The three practically ran to the SUV and jumped into the rear seat. Minutes later, Mr. Boone stopped at the hotel, parked illegally at the curb, and said, "I'll run and tell Mrs. Pena what we're doing." He was back in an instant, all smiles, and reported, "Your mother thinks it's a great idea."

"Thank you, Mr. Boone," Julio said. The twins were too excited to speak.

Stratten College played its games at Rotary Park, a wonderful old stadium on the edge of the town's center, near the small campus. Rotary Park was almost as old as the college and in years past had been the home to several minor league teams, none of which stayed very long. Its claim to fame was that a Hall of Famer, Ducky Medwick, had played one season there in 1920 with a Double A team before moving on to the Cardinals. There was a plaque near the front gate reminding fans of Ducky's brief stint in Strattenburg, but Theo had never seen anyone reading it.

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Mr. Boone bought the tickets at a booth with only one window. The same old man had been working there since Ducky passed through. Three dollars for an adult, a dollar each for the kids. "How about some popcorn?" Mr. Boone asked as he looked down at the glowing faces of Hector and Rita. Five bags of popcorn, five sodas, twenty bucks. They walked up a ramp and into the bleachers, just down from the home dugout near first base. There were a lot of seats and few fans, and the ushers didn't care where they sat. The ballpark could hold two thousand, and the old-timers liked to brag about how big the crowds used to be. Theo watched five or six Stratten College games each season and had never seen the stadium even remotely close to half full. He loved the place, though, with its old-fashioned grandstand, overhanging roof, wooden bleachers close to the field, bull pens next to the foul lines, and an outfield wall covered with brightly painted ads for everything in Strattenburg from pest control to a local beer to lawyers in need of injured clients. A real ballpark.

There were those who wanted to tear it down. It was practically empty in the summertime, after the college season ended, and there were gripes about how much it cost for upkeep. This puzzled Theo because, looking around, it was hard to pinpoint exactly where any "upkeep" money was spent.

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They stood for the national anthem, then Stratten College took the field. The four kids sat close together while Mr. Boone sat on the row behind them, listening. "All right," said Theo, the boss. "Nothing but English, okay? We're working on our English."

The Pena children naturally slid back into Spanish when chatting among themselves, but they instantly obeyed Theo and switched to English. Hector and Rita were eight years old and knew little about baseball. Theo began explaining.

Mrs. Boone and Ike arrived in the third inning and sat with Mr. Boone, who had eased away from the children. Theo tried to listen as they whispered among themselves. Ike had found an apartment, with rent of five hundred dollars a month. Mrs. Boone had not yet discussed the matter with Carola Pena because she was working at the hotel. They talked about other matters, but Theo couldn't catch it all.

Baseball can be boring for eight-year-olds who don't understand it, and by the fifth inning Hector and Rita were tossing popcorn and crawling around the bleachers. Mrs. Boone asked them if they wanted ice cream, and they jumped at the offer. When they left, Theo made his move. He asked Julio if he wanted to see the game from the center field bleachers. He said yes, and they drifted along the grandstand, past the bull pen, and eventually settled into

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an old section of seating just over the right center field wall. They were alone.

"I like the view from out here," Theo said. "Plus, it's always empty."

"I like it, too," Julio said.

They talked about the center fielder for a moment, then Theo changed subjects. "Look, Julio, we need to talk about your cousin. I can't remember his name. In fact, I'm not sure I've ever known his name."

"Bobby."

"Bobby?"

"It's really Roberto, but he likes to go by Bobby."

"Okay. Is his last name Pena?"

"No. His mother and my mother are sisters. His last name is Escobar."

"Bobby Escobar."

"Si. Yes."

"Does he still work at the golf course?"

"Yes."

"And he still lives by the Quarry?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

"He's a very important person right now, Julio. He needs to come forward and tell the police everything he saw the day the woman was murdered."

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Julio turned and looked at Theo as if he'd lost his mind. "He can't do that."

"Maybe he can. What if he could be promised protection? No arrest. No jail. Do you know what the word immunity means?"

"No."

"Well, in legal terms, it means he might be able to cut a deal with the police. If he comes forward and testifies, then the police won't bother him. He'll be immune. There may even be a way for him to get legal papers."

"Have you talked to the police?"

"No way, Julio."

"Have you told anyone?"

"I have protected his identity. He is safe, Julio. But I need to talk to him."

A player for the other team hit a ball that bounced off the right field wall. They watched him slide into third for a triple. Theo had to explain the difference between the ball going over the wall and one bouncing against it. Julio said there wasn't much baseball in El Salvador. Mainly soccer.

"When will you see Bobby again?" Theo asked.

"Tomorrow, maybe. He usually comes to the shelter on Sunday and we walk to church."

"Is there any way I can talk to him tonight?"

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"I don't know. I don't know what he's doing all the time."

"Julio, time is crucial here."

"What's crucial?"

"Very important. The trial will be over on Monday. It's important for Bobby to come forward and tell what he saw."

"I don't think so."

"Julio, both of my parents are lawyers. You know them. They can be trusted. What if they were able to find an apartment for you and your family, including Bobby, a nice place just for you guys, and, at the same time, my parents take steps to sponsor Bobby so he can become legal? Think about it. No more hiding from the police. No more worrying about raids from the immigration people. You guys can all live together and Bobby will have papers. Wouldn't that be cool?"

Julio was staring into space, soaking it in. "That'd be awesome, Theo."

"Then here's what we do. First, you say it's okay to involve my parents. They'll be on your side. They're lawyers."

"Okay."

"Great. Next, you gotta see Bobby and convince him that this is a good deal. Convince him we can be trusted. Can you do that?"

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"I don't know."

"Has he told your mother about what he saw?"

"Yes. She's like a mother to Bobby."

"Good. Get your mother to talk to him, too. She can convince him."

"You promise he won't go to jail?"

"I promise."

"But he has to talk to the police?"

"Maybe not the police, but he has to talk to someone involved with the trial. Maybe the judge. I don't know. But it's crucial for Bobby to come forward. He's the most important witness in this murder trial."

Julio placed his head in both hands, elbows on knees. His shoulders slumped under the weight of Theo's words and plans. For a long time nothing was said. Theo watched Hector and Rita in the distance, sitting with his mother and chatting away with their ice cream. Woods and Ike were deep in conversation, a rarity for them. The game dragged on.

"What do I do now?" Julio asked.

"Talk to your mother. Then both of you talk to Bobby. We should all get together."

"Okay."

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