Hal sighed and traded looks with the chief. “Alright, this is how it’s going to go. No more visits to the school. If Detective Murray needs to talk to any kids, let’s do it in their living rooms, with the parents there. Murray knows, the chief spoke with him.” Hal finally glanced down at the file. “Trip O’Connor. That kid’s a punk. And also not a kid anymore, so let’s concentrate on him. It’s a shame—the parents are nice people—but that boy is just bad news. Let’s look at the brother too—William? Local yokels, right, Bob? As for the rest of these kids, it sounds to me like a year-end party just got a bit out of hand. I’m assuming that the majority of the charges will be for simple trespass.” He flipped through the file until he reached the list of kids that had been ticketed on the road. He raised his eyebrows. “I know a few of these names. They’re good kids, but they made a mistake. Let’s not rock the boat.”

Jake couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Hal, all due respect, but have you seen the photos? This was a lot more than a mistake. We’re not talking about a few beer cans left in an empty house. They threw a toilet through a window.”

Jake couldn’t be sure, but he thought Hal might have stifled a laugh. He was shaking his head. “Terrible. Like I said, we’re not going to look the other way here. Where it makes sense to bring full charges, I want you to do it. But for most of these kids, let’s keep it quick and light.”

“A slap on the wrist?” Jake asked, his voice sarcastic.

“Exactly,” Hal replied, either not noticing Jake’s tone, or deciding to ignore it. “This isn’t a case that looks good for anyone. Not for us, going after a bunch of kids. Not for the police department, which, sorry, Chief, missed it in the first place.” The chief shrugged, and Hal went on. “None of us comes out of this case looking like a hero. If it was some punks from the city, maybe, but not with local kids.”

Wow, Jake thought. Hal was actually saying the quiet part out loud. If it was kids from the city—Black kids was what he meant—they’d be all over this case. But these kids from the suburbs, who’d had every advantage, whose parents had the police chief on speed dial, were going to get to walk. “But what about the Jensens?” he asked. “Their home was destroyed.”

For a second, Hal’s face looked blank, and then it registered. “The homeowners. Out-of-towners, right? Have they come in yet?”

“Yes, I met with them. They’re not going to be satisfied with trespassing charges. They’re devastated—they’re basically going to have to rebuild.”