After the break the court reconvened. Mike and Bob made their closing statements, summing up what they had done and what had been learned. Then the jury went to deliberate.
Since the judge didn't think that the deliberation would take very long, everyone stayed in the courtroom and talked , conversed, and discussed the trial while they waited for the jury to return.
That long hour was quite nerve-wracking for all involved. Peter tried to pretend that he was calm, but it was impossible. Micky, sitting with Davy, Nicole, and Thomas, was bouncing all around, unable to control his nerves.
After a long while which was really only an hour, the jury returned. The courtroom silenced and seemed to calm a bit as they entered.
When the jury had re-entered, the judge looked down at them.
"Jury, have you reached a verdict?" he asked. The foreman stood up.
"Yes sir, we have."
"Good. What is it?"
There was a long moment of silence before the foreman answered again.
"We, the jury, find the defendant," he began. There was a long pause. "Innocent."
The murmur that had been before erupted louder than it had before as everyone congratulated each other, and the judge had to bang and shout for a while before it calmed down again.
"Very well. Court adjourned," he said, and the audience got up to leave.
Except for Nicole, Micky, Davy, and Thomas, who headed for the front. Nicole threw herself into Peter's arms, happier than she'd ever been in her life. And Peter wrapped his arms around her equally strong, but not knowing what to say or how to express his joy. For now, the hugs seemed to say it all.
When the congratulations were over, the group left the courtroom, happily. They all walked out of the courthouse, talking and conversing, and headed to the car which was parked outside on the street. Everyone piled into the car. Except Nicole.
"What's the matter?" Peter asked, noticing her worried expression.
"Peter-where's Thomas?" she asked.
Peter looked around, but didn't see him. "He must have gotten lost in the crowd," he said. "C'mon, we'll find him." He hopped out of the car and headed back to the courthouse, up the steps, and into the room that they'd been in.
There was no sign of Thomas. Thinking hurriedly, Peter went to the first security guard that he saw.
"Sir, have you seen my son?" Nicole asked.
"What did he look like?" the guard asked.
"About this high," Peter said, holding his hand at what was about Thomas' height.
"He had brown hair, brown eyes, he was wearing a little suit, with a red tie," Nicole added.
"Oh, I saw him," the guard replied. "He was leaving with another man. " Nicole and Peter exchanged glances. "Some guy in a suit. Tall guy.."
"Bob," Nicole replied.
"Which way did they go?" Peter asked. The guard pointed.
"Out the back way," he replied. Before he could say another word, Peter was off and running out the back exit.
"My son!" Nicole wailed, near tears. The guard took his walkie-talkie out. In a matter of minutes, the place was filled with security guards and policemen as well as a number of other people.
Peter returned, empty-handed. "No sign of him," he reported to Nicole and the policemen.
Mike, Micky, and Davy entered the courthouse. They pushed their way through the crowd of policemen and towards the center, where Nicole and Peter were located.
"We got worried," Davy began.
"Then we saw the police," Micky continued.
"What's going on?" Mike asked.
"Thomas is missing," Peter explained, since Nicole was too busy sobbing to answer. "Bob took him."
"Bob? Are you sure?" Micky asked.
"The security guard said he saw Thomas leave with someone who looked just like Bob," Peter explained.
"It's horrible," Nicole wailed between sobs. She unraveled herself from Peter and threw herself into her brother's arms. Mike just shook his head, sighing.
"Any clue where he might have taken him?" Micky asked the nearest policeman.
"We've sent a crew to check out his last known address," the officer replied. "But I doubt that he'll be there."
"You folks really should head on home," another policeman said. "There's nothing that can be done here."
Reluctantly, the group obliged, heading back home.
