Crusader by Edward Bloor

Author:Edward Bloor [Bloor, Edward]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

MONDAY EVENING

Just beyond the front entrance, about fifty kids and their parents had packed themselves into a circle. As I walked closer I could see the cameraman moving among them, filming everything. Ray Lyons stood in the center of the circle, listening to the people and looking really concerned. When the cameraman finished, he gave a thumbs-up sign toward the black limo. Philip Knowlton leaned his head out and called, "Okay, Ray! Ray, let's go."

Mr. Lyons shook hands with a few people in the crowd and then pushed through them and got into the car.

Five minutes later news trucks from two networks pulled into the parking lot, but Mr. Lyons and his limo were gone. An on-air news personality jumped out of each van and began interviewing people. I wanted to watch the reporters at work, so I mingled with the parents and kids. They were actually giving credit to Ray Lyons for "fast thinking." Had I missed something?

But then I spotted Griffin. He was leaning against the outside wall, to the left of the entrance. I walked over toward him and he asked me, "What in the world happened in there?"

"I'm not sure. I think it was a plumbing explosion."

The cameraman walked past us. Griffin said, "You see that guy? He was following Ray Lyons all around. By the time this thing makes the news, Lyons will be the hero. He will have snatched all these children from the jaws of certain death."

"Oh, brother."

"Did Lyons do anything in there at all?"

"I don't think so. He didn't make his speech. He didn't turn on the fountain."

"I don't suppose he really saved any kids' lives."

"No."

Griffin laughed ruefully. "He'll do anything to make the news, won't he? Saving small children. Prosecuting hate crimes. Whatever it takes."

I thought about his words for a moment. Then I asked, "Prosecuting hate crimes? What do you mean? Like Hawg's?"

"Yeah. Like Hawg's exactly. He's the very important person I told you about. Ray Lyons made the state's attorney go after Hawg so that he could have a campaign issue. It'll be something like this: Ray Lyons is against committing hate crimes; Ray Lyons is for saving small children."

I stood with him for another minute, watching the on-air news people do their remote broadcasts. Then I told him, "I don't think Hawg did it."

"No? Why?"

I didn't know why, but I came up with this answer: "Because I don't think Hawg is capable of being sneaky. Whoever did it is very sneaky."

Two guys from Crescent, still wearing their SAVE THE MALL T-shirts, propped the entrance doors open with folding chairs. I walked back inside. In the distance I could see Leo setting up some big fans to blow the smell out. Mr. Lombardo, Mrs. Weiss, and at least ten other people held wide brooms and were pushing the remnants of the brown water toward the grate in the rotunda.

Everybody froze for a moment as the Channel 57 truck suddenly roared to life and started to move. I stood aside, by the mall office, and watched it roll toward me.

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