'Two out of three ain't bad,' Jesse said.
'Some great legal system,' Jencks said.
'Here's how I think it went,' Jesse said.
'The three of you started out just busting in there because the place was empty. And you didn't have anything else going. Then you got in there and decided it would be fun to write 'fag' on the walls, and then one of the Hopkins boys, Earl, I bet, said, 'Let's torch the fucker.' I figure you didn't much want to because you thought it was stupid, but you went along because they were going to do it anyway. You may have even tried to stop them but couldn't.'
'I wanted to stop them, they'd stop,' Jencks said.
Jesse nodded.
'Yeah, I can see that,' Jesse said.
'I'm surprised you wanted to do it too. Go to jail for what? No money in it. Just a kid's asshole prank. I figured you for a little more serious tough guy than that.'
'Showed them fairies something,' Jencks said.
'What'd you show them, tough guy?'
'Showed 'em,' Jencks said stubbornly.
Jesse laughed. His laugh was rich with contempt.
'Sure,' Jesse said.
'One time, and one time only, you want to tell me what happened and walk, or you want to go to jail?'
'I ain't going to jail.'
'Yeah, you are,' Jesse said.
'And because you're so fucking stupid, you may be the only one.' Jesse raised his voice.
'Suit?'
Simpson opened the door.
'Take him out,' Jesse said.
'Turn him loose.'
Jencks looked startled.
'Back way?' Simpson said.
'Yeah.'
'Come on,' Simpson said, and he led Jencks out of Jesse's office. In two minutes he was back.
'They see him go?' Jesse said.
'Yeah. I took him down past the cells,' Simpson said, 'with my arm around his shoulder. When I let him out the back door, I shook hands with him. They could see all that.'
'Okay,' Jesse said.
'Go get the younger one.'
'Robbie.'
'Yeah. Arrest him. Read him his rights. Cuff him in front.'
Seated in the chair, his cuffed hands resting in his lap, Robbie was very pale and swallowed often. Jesse ignored him while he read some documents on his desk. He initialed one and picked up another, read it initialed it and put it in his out basket.
'I don't like these handcuffs,' Robbie said.
'I don't care,' Jesse said without looking up. He studied the next document for a moment, shook his head, and put it in another pile.
'Couldn't you please take them off?'
Jesse read for another moment, then, still holding the document, he looked up at Robbie.
'You think I'm your camp counselor or something?' Jesse said.
'We got you for a felony, kid. You're going to jail.'
'I didn't do anything,' Robbie said. His voice was clogged, and Jesse knew he'd cry in a little while.
'I don't like these handcuffs.'
'First thing to know,' Jesse said, 'now that you are officially a tough guy, is that from now on nobody will give one small shit about what you like and don't like. You're not home with your momma. You're in the machine now, boy. You want me to get you a lawyer?'
Jesse went back to his paper work. Robbie stared at him, and when he spoke again his voice was shaking and his eyes were wet.
'But I didn't do anything,' he said.
