Part 3:
Friday, November 24
Paul sleeps eighteen hours. The newspaper reports that Lake Windsor defeated Tangerine in football, but Paul’s dad is upset because Antoine Thomas’s friend Brian Baylor deliberately made Erik look bad. (Antoine and Brian dislike Erik and Arthur Bauer.) Dad is upset because he does not want the football career he envisions for Erik to be thwarted. It becomes clear that Dad knows everything about Erik’s record as a player but almost nothing of what Paul has been doing. He doesn’t even know what position Paul plays in. Outside, they discover that all the mailboxes in the street have been smashed and the walls have been spray-painted. They assume that the vandalism was done by disgruntled Tangerine supporters after the football game.
Analysis
Anything that threatens the Erik Fisher Football Dream causes problems in the Fisher family, especially with Dad. But there are signs here that the tide is beginning to turn against Erik. Antoine Thomas was a witness to Arthur and Erik’s assault on Luis, and from now on Erik will not have things all his own way.
Monday, November 27
Paul is expecting to hear that Antoine and Brian have beaten up Erik and Arthur, because that was what Luis told him was going to happen. But Erik comes home unharmed. Kerri calls Paul and asks him if he will accompany her for a social event at Joey’s house following the annual Senior Awards night at Lake Windsor High School on Friday. Paul readily agrees.
At a homeowners’ meeting that night at Paul’s house. They discuss the robberies. There have been two more of them since the last meeting. Cash and jewelry was stolen.
Tuesday, November 28
At school, Paul hears from Henry D. that Luis has suddenly died. The authorities think he may have been hit on the head by a falling tree branch, which may have led to an aneurysm. Paul realizes the truth—Luis had had a late reaction to being slugged by Arthur Bauer, as ordered by Erik.
Analysis
There has been a quick but unwelcome turnaround in events. Paul was expecting Erik and Arthur to get beaten up, but they are unharmed, and instead, Luis is dead. Once again, Paul knows the truth sooner than anyone else. But what can he do about it? Also, the mystery of the robberies gets more serious. Who is stealing all these items from local houses?
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