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| Categories | Action & Adventure |
| Author | John Grisham |
| Publisher | Puffin Books; Reprint edition (April 24, 2012) |
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 256 pages |
| Item Weight | 6.6 ounces |
| Dimensions |
5.13 x 0.65 x 7.75 inches |
I. Book introduction
Theodore Boone: The Abduction, written by John Grisham, is the second book in the Theodore Boone.
Theodore Boone is back in a new adventure, and the stakes are higher than ever. When his best friend, April, disappears from her bedroom in the middle of the night, no one, not even Theo Boone–who knows April better than anyone–has answers.
As fear ripples through his small hometown and the police hit dead ends, it’s up to Theo to use his legal knowledge and investigative skills to chase down the truth and save April.
Filled with the page-turning suspense that made John Grisham a #1 international bestseller and the undisputed master of the legal thriller, Theodore Boone’s trials and triumphs will keep readers guessing until the very end.
Plot
13-year-old Theodore Boone’s best friend April is not happy with her life. Her mother is a neglective hippie and her father leaves her mother and her at home for days on end to tour with his band.
The story begins with Theo being woken up in the middle of the night to find out that April has been abducted. The fear is that April’s cousin, the notorious criminal Jack Leeper, has kidnapped her. He is seen around town and eventually caught. Leeper claims to know where April is but refuses to tell the police unless they agree to his conditions. Theo and his friends search the town but are stopped by unhelpful policemen. The rumours around April’s disappearance are made worse when a body is pulled out of the river. The jaws are missing and the police cannot identify the clothing. However, after a few days of examining the body, the police discover it was a man.
Theo realizes that April could actually be with her dad, who is touring fraternity houses with his band. When Theo’s parents leave for a law conference out of town, they leave Theo with the Whipples, who are friends of the family. Once Theo arrives at the Whipples’ house, he and Chase Whipple search for pictures of April’s father’s band on Facebook pages and eventually spot a girl whom they assume to be April standing near the band in one of the pictures. Theo persuades his uncle Ike to drive him to the next destination of April’s father’s band while Chase distracts his older sister, who is supposed to be watching them, by lying about their activities.
Once Ike and Theo arrive at the fraternity house, they go to find April in the basement, where a party is going on. The two grab April and escape the basement to find one of the members of the band demanding to know what they’re doing with April. Ike quickly concocts a lie about being friends with April’s family and wanting to catch up with her. The band member lets them go and the trio drives back to Strattenburg.
Safely back at home, Theo is praised for finding April, and April’s family goes to court to decide what changes will be implemented within their family life. During this fast-paced novel, Theodore Boone is desperate for solutions. On one desperate turn, he decides to rely on the family reject, Ike Boone. April is in trouble.
Editorial Reviews
- “Not since Nancy Drew has a nosy, crime-obsessed kid been so hard to resist.” –The New York Times
- “Classic Grisham.” –The Los Angeles Times
- “Smartly written.” — USA Today
- “Grisham is an absolute master.”–Washington Post
- “Edge-of-your-seat drama, sophisticated plotting, and plenty of spunk.”–Chicago Sun-Times
- “Gripping . . . I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery.”–Scholastic News
About John Grisham
John Grisham (born February 8, 1955 in Jonesboro, Arkansas) is an American novelist, lawyer and former member of the 7th district of the Mississippi House of Representatives, known for his popular legal thrillers. According to the American Academy of Achievement, Grisham has written 28 consecutive number-one fiction bestsellers, and his books have sold 300 million copies worldwide. Along with Tom Clancy and J. K. Rowling, Grisham is one of only three authors to have sold two million copies on a first printing.
Grisham graduated from Mississippi State University and earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1981. He practised criminal law for about a decade and served in the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1983 to 1990.
Grisham’s first novel, A Time to Kill, was published in June 1989, four years after he began writing it. Grisham’s first bestseller, The Firm, sold more than seven million copies. The book was adapted into a 1993 feature film of the same name, starring Tom Cruise, and a 2012 TV series which continues the story ten years after the events of the film and novel. Seven of his other novels have also been adapted into films:
- The Chamber,
- The Client,
- A Painted House,
- The Pelican Brief,
- The Rainmaker,
- The Runaway Jury, and Skipping Christmas.
Grisham is a two-time winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and was honored with the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction.
When he’s not writing, Grisham serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project and of Centurion Ministries, two national organizations dedicated to exonerating those who have been wrongfully convicted. Much of his fiction explores deep-seated problems in our criminal justice system.
John Girsham lives on a farm in central Virginia.
II. Reviewer Theodore Boone: The Abduction
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1. RANDAL W.HOWARD reviews for Theodore Boone: The Abduction
Where is April?
Suddenly, April is MISSING! She VANISHED, overnight! She’s thirteen years old, and disfunctional does not begin to describe her family. This night, she was HOME, and she was alone!. Next moprning she was GONE! She was Theo’s VERY GOOD friend. Not his ‘grlfriend’, in the romantic sense, but his FRIEND. And Theo was HER friend, in the same sense. This is actually the SECOND in the series of books about Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer. It takes us on a midnight ride to a College town where a really bad rock band is playing, loudly, for a Sorority party. How’d we get there? Theo knows! He and Ike (Theo’s Uncle) track her down and GO THERE to rescue her. From whom? READ THE BOOK! There is less in my review than for Kid Lawyer, but I did more explanitory stuff there. This is a real PAGE TURNER, too! The town comes to life and the characters come to life, and the story is believable!
They (all four books) are for ’11 – up’ age group. I’m ‘UP’. (78) You will NOT regret the purchase! buy them all at once. They run as a serial, although they will stand alone, and do do vary well.
2. K.DAVIS reviews for Theodore Boone: The Abduction
Tracking Down What Happened in the Abduction
This story is definitely designed for adolescents and is a very good story for that age bracket. For adults it may be a little simplistic, but for adolescents John Grisham has provided a challenge with several built in challenges, as well. For instance, should he call his parents when he decides to leave town in pursuit of the victim’s presumed location? That’s a major dilemma for a 13 year old. Too many things could go wrong. John Grisham teaches the adolescent reader why parents make rules and how to both respect those rules even when it appears they should be bypassed and how to achieve the higher goal, in this case rescuing the person abducted. Kids have a tough time with decisions that flaunt independence rather than obedience, and Mr. Grisham shows respect for both the responsible parents and the responsible adolescent who may sometimes bend the rules but won’t do things that harm anyone, including himself. Good book, great author.
3. SHREYA RAO reviews for Theodore Boone: The Abduction
Theodore Boone: The Abduction by John Grisham
In the second installment of the series, Theodore’s best friend April is kidnapped from her home in Stratford. As the police go through her room, they are led to believe her lost cousin, recently escaped criminal Jack Leeper, abducted her. Theodore, being very distraught, goes to his Uncle Ike for support and advice. After a few days, Theo starts to be unsatisfied with the lack of investigation the police are doing since they found Jack Leeper as a suspect. Theo and Ike then use circumstantial evidence and Facebook to find April’s real kidnapper, her father. Against his mother’s wishes, Theo and Ike travel to North Carolina to the bar April’s dad is performing at. When April is taken back to Stratford, she is forced into foster care while her parents are fighting for custody, as her mom’s unstableness is brought to light during the predicament. In the end, April’s parents agree to counseling so that April will have a happy childhood.
The major themes throughout the book were friendship and disobeying. Disobeying was evident because Theodore didn’t listen to his mother and went to North Carolina to find April. Friendship was probably the overall theme because Theo said, “I would never tell anything April confided in me, I was her best friend.” (Grisham 24). Mrs. Finnermore, April’s mother, is a very round character because she is described as a ”Woman with gray hair spun into a tight bun at the nape of her neck. Even Theo didn’t want to, he couldn’t help but see her beauty: her freckles and her artistic flair.”(13). Marcella Boone, Theodore’s mother, is dynamic because at the beginning of the story, she doesn’t want Theo to get involved in the investigation of April’s abduction. At the end, Marcella is proud of Theo and starts to encourage him to solve local mysteries. Probably the most flat character was Jack Leeper because throughout the story, he does not change and he remains “April’s long lost cousin.”(17).
Overall I think the book was a great success. It appeals to many 12 and 13 year olds because of John Grisham’s ability to make law understandable and his ability to make characters relatable. I also believe John’s experience as an attorney has helped him make many legal novels that end up being very successful. I would definitely recommend this to a friend mostly because of the mysterious storyline and the interesting characters.
4. HONEY MOM reviews for Theodore Boone: The Abduction
These books are similar to “Mary Higgins Clark” books which means the stories don’t have any bad language in them
It’s John Grisham for middle school (5-8) grades. These books are similar to “Mary Higgins Clark” books which means the stories don’t have any bad language in them. Of course if bad language is something you’d want for your middle schoolers, then these books are not for you.
I read them and I really enjoyed the stories. Of course, I enjoyed Grisham when he first began to write (A Time to Kill; The Firm) but that was before he decided that he MUST use a few bad words for the grownups that were buying his books. What has happened to us? How did the Classics get to be so revered without the trash talk we’ve had to get used to on TV and in books? Anyway, you’ll love Theo Boone whether you’re 14 or 41 !! Enjoy
5. CAROL JONES-CAMPBELL reviews for Theodore Boone: The Abduction
Theodore Boone: The Abduction is a novel written by the famous author, John Grisham. It is part of a series and this particular book explores the abduction of Theodore’s best friend, April. Theodore is a teenage boy with big ambitions. His parents are lawyers, and he wishes to follow in their footsteps and become a lawyer too.
When April goes missing, he puts his skills to the test and does everything he possibly can to try and find out what happened and where she is, after the police struggle.
I’d recommend this book to young readers because of the simplicity and exciting storyline, but based on my personal tastes, I wouldn’t give this book the highest rating.
I think that sometimes the plot and story can be a bit predictable, but it still definitely fits the genre and includes a lot of basic suspense and mystery, great for a younger audience, but I feel that sometimes it is lacking in depth.
6. JAKE MANU reviews for Theodore Boone: The Abduction
I really liked this book. i’ve read it before, but i had a frantic rush around to find something to fit into one of my 2 last categories. This is about Theodore Boone, a 13 year old wannabe lawyer who’s best friend goes missing and so he thinks it’s his job to find her. an awesome adventure, and probably the most realistic book i’ve ever read.
I decided to read this book because i either had to read a book written in 2010 or 2011 or one written by a New Zealander, and i chose the first option. This was first published in 2011 by ‘Hodder & Stoughton An Hachette UK Company’
My favourite setting in the book was outside the courtroom in Theo’s hiding spot where he can hear everything being said because Theo in the book would be the only one to find it and he often uses it, which for some reason amuses me.
My favourite quote from the book was “He scratched his chin and inspected the spill as if the operation would take hours and require great skill” because it makes it seem like the author is using a medical jargon but really its just a janitor pondering how to clean up a spilt drink, which i find funny.
something new i learnt from this book was that if you were to have a complaint filed against your pet, and you have to go to court, you will not need a lawyer.
7. LUCY JOHNSON reviews for Theodore Boone: The Abduction
I started reading this book last night after finishing the first book yesterday. Like the first book in the series I found this an easy read and is written in a light hearted manner, but I was expecting this as the book is aimed at the younger generation.
Is was nice to see that the first sentence immediately ties this book with the first in the series and from the last sentence it appears we now have an idea on what it is going to happen in the third book of the series. I must admit I do like this continuation!
The first book does set the scene and starts to give us an idea on the character’s and this book gives us further information on the character’s. I can’t wait to get to know them further in the future books!
This book does have a very good story line and is full of the usual Grisham’s twists and turns that do keep you hooked.
I would recommend this book to anyone!
8. MACKENZIE HIMES reviews for Theodore Boone: The Abduction
The Abduction by John Grisham is one of the most interesting books I have read for a long time. This story is about when Theo and his hometown, Strattenburg, together all try to find his best friend April. It’s a very fast-paced book. There are lots of twists and turns, and the reader will never expect what happens at the end. The author leads the reader to think one reason for April’s disappearance but then it turns out to be a totally different reason.
In the story, each character has their own little part in the story, so there are moments when you may be trying to figure out which character was the reason for April’s disappearance. There won’t ever be a moment that you aren’t left wondering. I loved reading this book; I loved trying to guess what would happen next. The book really had me hooked all the way from the beginning. If you are someone who likes skeptical books that make you think a lot and brainstorm, I think that this book is definitely the right pick for you.
9. COLEEN reviews for Theodore Boone: The Abduction
While Author Grisham is well-known for his best-selling adult books, he may not be acknowledged as much for his youth series of Theodore Boone, the kid lawyer. The Abduction was the second one in the series that he wrote, but all of them are interesting and appropriate for young readers.
This story has Theo investigating the disappearance [and presumed abduction] during the night of his best friend, April. The plot intrigued me with its various twists and ideas for investigative plans that the kids have. While adults play various parts in the action, it seemed to me that they were [with the exception of Theo’s uncle] mostly predictable. Incidents with the local police appeared to me to demonstrate how children should learn to interact with law enforcement, Theo being one thought and one step ahead.
I’ve only managed so far to find the first three of the series for my youngest granddaughter but definitely it is worth the effort to locate Theo’s series.
10. NATHAN CARMONA reviews for Theodore Boone: The Abduction
The book “Theodore Boone The Abduction” is made by John Grisham is a very interesting book that has many different characters and scenarios within the story. Throughout the story the whole book is about a kidnapped girl and a close friend named Theodore Boone trying to find her. Theodore has faced many obstacles on his journey to find April Finnemore. Many scenarios include Theo being in a spot as a lawyer for a friends parrot and a scene of his life and school. Theodores friend is someone who helped Theo find April. The book contains many interesting events and surprises. If you are looking for a mysterious and interesting book than I recommend it to you.
III. Theodore Boone: The Abduction Quotes
The best book quotes from Theodore Boone: The Abduction by John Grisham
“And I’m sure Theo can always find her.”
“Speedy was kicked back in his favorite chair, cap pulled down over his eyes, mouth open, dead to the world.”
“He opened the door, stepped inside, and got himself properly greeted. As always, Judge was waiting, too. He bounced from his bed and ran to see Theo. “I’m so sorry about April,” Elsa gushed. She sounded as if she knew the girl personally, which she did not. But by now, as with any tragedy, everyone in Strattenburg knew or claimed to know April and could say only great things about her. “Any news?” Theo asked, rubbing Judge’s head. “Nothing. I’ve listened to the radio all day, no word,”
“has a client. Mr. Boone is working.” This was usually the case. Theo’s mother, when she wasn’t in court, spent most of her time with clients, almost all of whom were women who (1) wanted a divorce, or (2) needed a divorce, or (3) were in the process of getting a divorce, or (4) were suffering through the aftermath of a divorce. It was difficult work, but his mother was known as one of the top divorce lawyers in town. Theo was quite proud of this. He was also proud of the fact that his mother encouraged every new client to seek professional counseling in an effort to save the marriage. Sadly, though, as he’d already learned, some marriages cannot be saved. He bounced up the stairs with Judge at his heels and barged into the”
“My friend, our classmate, has been snatched by an escaped criminal who was sent to prison because he’s a kidnapper. It’s not like this happens every day around here. We should’ve been out there on the streets helping with the manhunt, but no, we were stuck in school where all we did was talk about searching for April.” “Nonsense. Leave the manhunt to the professionals, Theo. We have a fine police force in this city.” “Well, they haven’t found her yet. Maybe they need some help.” “Help from whom?” Theo cleared his throat and clenched his jaw. He stared straight at his father, and got ready to tell the truth. He’d been taught to confront the truth head-on, hold nothing back,”
“But his favorite chore, by far, was dashing off to the courthouse to file papers for the firm. Theo loved the courthouse and dreamed of the day when he would stand in the large, stately courtroom on the second floor and defend his clients.”
“Bolick. “Mrs. Finnemore was sound asleep in the downstairs bedroom, she heard nothing, and at some point she got up to check on April. That’s when she realized she was gone.” Theo looked at Mrs. Finnemore, who again shot him a fierce look. He knew the truth, and she knew he knew the truth. Trouble was, Theo couldn’t tell the truth because he’d made a promise to April. The truth was that Mrs. Finnemore had not been home for the past two nights. April had been living alone, terrified, with all the doors and windows locked as tightly as possible; with a chair jammed against her bedroom door; with an old baseball bat across the end of her”
“thus, the question was too vague to require a definite answer on his part. He had seen this time and time again in trials. In his opinion, Sergeant Bolick and the detective were being far too sloppy with their questions. So far, they had not been able to pin him down, and he had not told a lie. May Finnemore was overcome with tears and made a big show out of crying. Bolick and the detective quizzed Theo about April’s other friends, any potential problems she was having, how she was doing in school, and so on. Theo gave straight answers, with no wasted words. A female officer in uniform had entered the den from upstairs, and she sat with Mrs. Finnemore, who was again distraught and overcome. Sergeant Bolick nodded at the”
“pulled out an 8″ x 10″ black-and-white photo, a mug shot of a shady-looking character who gave every indication of being a veteran criminal. Bolick went on, “Guy’s name is Jack Leeper, a ten-time loser. Distant cousin to May Finnemore, even more distant to April. He grew up around here, drifted away a long time ago, became a career thug, petty thief, drug dealer, and so on. Got busted in California for kidnapping ten years ago, sentenced to life with no parole. Escaped two weeks ago. This afternoon we get a tip that he might be in this area.” Theo looked at the sinister face of Jack Leeper and felt ill. If this thug had April, then she was in serious trouble. Bolick continued, “Last night around seven thirty, Leeper here walks into the Korean Quick Shop four blocks away, buys cigarettes and beer, gets his face captured on the surveillance cameras.”
“mentioned this to you?” the detective asked. “Never,” Theo said. He had learned that with April’s weird family there were many secrets, many things she kept to herself. The detective put away the photo, and Theo was relieved. He never wanted to see the face again, but he doubted if he could ever forget it. Sergeant Bolick said, “We suspect that April knew the person who took her. How else can you explain the lack of a forcible entry?” “Do you think he would hurt her?” Theo asked. “We have no way of knowing that, Theo. This man’s been in prison most of his life. His behavior is unpredictable.”
“said. “And we are looking for the father. According to the mother, though, she spoke with him yesterday afternoon and he was with his band somewhere in West Virginia. She feels rather strongly that he is not involved in this.” “April can’t stand her father,” Theo blurted, then wished he’d remained quiet. They chatted for a few more minutes, but the conversation was obviously over. The officers thanked the Boones for coming and promised to check back later. Both Mr. and Mrs. Boone said they would be at their office all day if they were needed for anything. Theo, of course, would be in school. As they drove away, Mrs. Boone said, “That poor child. Snatched from her own bedroom.” Mr. Boone, who was driving, glanced back over his shoulder”
“hint of sunlight to the east. As they drove through the residential neighborhood, Theo stared out of his window, searching for the hardened face of Jack Leeper. But no one was out there. Lights in homes were being turned on. The town was waking up. “It’s almost six,” Mr. Boone announced. “I say we go to Gertrude’s and have her world-famous waffles. Theo?” “I’m in,” Theo replied, though he had no appetite. “Marvelous, honey,” Mrs. Boone said, though”
“The abduction of April Finnemore took place in the dead of night, sometime between 9:15 p.m., when she last spoke with Theo Boone, and 3:30 a.m., when her mother entered her bedroom and realized she was gone. The abduction appeared to have been rushed; whoever took April did not allow her to gather her things. Her laptop was left behind. Though her bedroom was fairly neat, there was some clothing strewn about, which made it difficult to determine if she had been able to pack. Probably not, the police thought. Her toothbrush was still by the sink. Her backpack was by her bed. Her pajamas were on the floor, so she at least had been allowed to change. Her mother, when she wasn’t crying or ranting, told the police that her daughter’s favorite blue-and-white sweater was not in the closet. And April’s favorite sneakers were gone, too.”
“old diner on Main Street, six blocks west of the courthouse and three blocks south of the police station. It claimed to serve pecan waffles that were famous around the world, but Theo had often doubted this. Did people in Japan and Greece really know about Gertrude and her waffles? He wasn’t so sure. He had friends at school who’d never heard of Gertrude’s right there in Strattenburg. A few miles west of town, on the main highway, there was an ancient log cabin with a gas pump out front and a large sign advertising Dudley’s World-Famous Mint Fudge. When Theo was younger, he naturally had assumed that everybody in town not only craved the mint fudge but talked about it nonstop. How else could it achieve the status of being world famous? Then one day in class the discussion took an odd turn and found its way to”
“April confided in Theo, and told him things he vowed to never repeat. The Finnemore home was owned by someone else, a rental house April hated because her parents had no interest in maintaining it. It was in an older section of Strattenburg, on a shady street lined with other postwar homes that had seen better days. Theo had been there only one time, for a less-than-successful birthday party April’s mother had thrown together two years earlier. Most of the kids who’d been invited did not attend because their parents wouldn’t allow it. Such was the Finnemore family reputation. There were two police cars in the driveway when the Boones arrived. Across the street, the neighbors were on their porches, watching.”
“morning he couldn’t dwell on waffles and fudge, famous or not. He was far too occupied with thoughts of April and the slimy figure of Jack Leeper. The Boones were seated at a small table in the crowded diner. The air was thick with bacon grease and strong coffee, and the hot topic, as Theo realized not long after he sat down, was the abduction of April Finnemore. To their right, four uniformed policemen talked loudly about the possibility that Leeper was close by. To their left, a table of gray-haired men spoke with great authority on several subjects, but seemed particularly interested in the “kidnapping,” as it was sometimes referred to. The menu promoted the myth that Gertrude’s was indeed the home of “World-Famous Pecan Waffles.” In silent protest against false advertising, Theo ordered scrambled eggs and sausage.”
“The usual stuff. School, homework, I don’t remember everything.” Theo had watched enough trials to know that answers should often be kept vague, and that “I don’t recall” and “I don’t remember” were perfectly acceptable in many instances. “Did you chat online?” the detective asked. “No, sir, not last night. Just phone.” They often used Facebook and text messages, but Theo knew not to volunteer information. Just answer the question in front of you. He’d heard his mother say this to her clients many times. “Any sign of a break-in?” Mr. Boone asked. “None,” said Bolick. “Mrs. Finnemore was sound asleep in the downstairs bedroom, she heard nothing, and at some point she got up to check on April. That’s when she realized she was gone.” Theo looked at Mrs. Finnemore, who again shot him a fierce look. He knew the truth, and she knew he knew the truth. Trouble was, Theo couldn’t tell the truth because he’d made a promise to April.”
“serious cash to free April? And there was no word yet from the kidnapper. Usually, as Theo remembered from television, the family gets word pretty soon that the bad guys have the child and would like a million bucks or so for a safe return. Another report from the morning news showed Mrs. Finnemore crying in front of their home. The police were tight-lipped, saying only that they were pursuing all leads. A neighbor said his dog started barking around midnight, always a bad sign. As frantic as the reporters seemed to be that morning, the truth was that they were finding very little to add to the story of a missing girl. Theo’s homeroom teacher was Mr. Mount, who also taught Government. After Mr. Mount got the boys settled, he called the roll. All sixteen were present. The conversation quickly got around to the disappearance of April, and Mr. Mount asked Theo if he’d heard anything. “Nothing,” Theo said, and his classmates seemed disappointed.”
“The police soon dismissed the notion that she’d simply run away. There was no reason to run away, her mother assured them, and she had not packed the things that would make such an escape successful”
“Theo could think of nothing but April and of her miserable home life, her warring parents, her scarred brother and sister,”
“Solving a dispute often requires each side to back down a little, something else Theo had learned from his parents.”
“The truth was that Mrs. Finnemore had not been home for the past two nights. April had been living alone, terrified, with all the doors and windows locked as tightly as possible; with a chair jammed against her bedroom door; with an old baseball bat across the end of her bed; with the phone close and ready to dial 911, and with no one in the world to talk to but Theodore Boone, who had vowed not to tell a soul. Her father was out of town with his band. Her mother was taking pills and losing her mind.”
“Judge loved Chinese food and expected to eat in the den with the humans. Dog food insulted him.”
“Oh, yes. Nonstop. She wants to run away to Paris and study art. She wants to run away to LA and live with March, her older sister. She wants to run away to Santa Fe and become a painter. She wants to run away, period.”
“Did you guys talk to the police about Mrs. Finnemore and explain to them that she’s lying about being home with April? That she wasn’t home Monday or Tuesday night? That she’s a weirdo who’s taking pills and neglecting her daughter?”
Excerpted from Theodore Boone: The Abduction by John Grisham
Chapter 1
The abduction of April Finnemore took place in the dead of night, sometime between 9:15 p.m., when she last spoke with Theo Boone, and 3:30 a.m., when her mother entered her bedroom and realized she was gone. The abduction appeared to have been rushed; whoever took April did not allow her to gather her things. Her laptop was left behind. Though her bedroom was fairly neat, there was some clothing strewn about, which made it difficult to determine if she had been able to pack. Probably not, the police thought. Her toothbrush was still by the sink. Her backpack was by her bed. Her pajamas were on the floor, so she at least had been allowed to change. Her mother, when she wasn’t crying or ranting, told the police that her daughter’s favorite blue-and-white sweater was not in the closet. And April’s favorite sneakers were gone, too.
The police soon dismissed the notion that she’d simply run away. There was no reason to run away, her mother assured them, and she had not packed the things that would make such an escape successful.
A quick inspection of the home revealed no apparent break-in. The windows were all closed and locked, as were the three doors downstairs. Whoever took April was careful enough to close the door behind them, and lock it on the way out. After observing the scene and listening to Mrs. Finnemore for about an hour, the police decided to have a talk with Theo Boone. He was, after all, April’s best friend, and they usually chatted by phone or online at night before going to sleep.
At the Boone home, the phone rang at 4:33, according to the digital clock next to the bed where the parents slept. Mr. Woods Boone, the lighter sleeper, grabbed the phone, while Mrs. Marcella Boone rolled over and began wondering who would call at such an hour. When Mr. Boone said, “Yes, Officer,” Mrs. Boone really woke up and scrambled out of bed. She listened to his end of the conversation, soon understood that it had something to do with April Finnemore, and was really confused when her husband said, “Sure, Officer, we can be over there in fifteen minutes.” He hung up, and she said, “What is it, Woods?”
“Apparently, April’s been abducted, and the police would like to talk to Theo.”
“I doubt if he abducted her.”
“Well, if he’s not upstairs in his room, we may have a problem.”
He was upstairs in his room, sound asleep, undisturbed by the ringing of the phone. As he threw on blue jeans and a sweatshirt, he explained to his parents that he had called April the night before on his cell phone and they’d chatted for a few minutes, same as usual.
As they drove through Strattenburg in the predawn darkness, Theo could think of nothing but April and of her miserable home life, her warring parents, her scarred brother and sister, both of whom had fled as soon as they were old enough. April was the youngest of three children born to two people who had no business having a family. Both parents were crazy, according to April herself, and Theo certainly agreed. Both had drug convictions. Her mother kept goats on a small farm outside of town and made cheese, bad cheese in Theo’s opinion. She peddled it around town in an old funeral hearse painted yellow, with a pet spider monkey riding shotgun. Her father was an aging hippie, who still played in a bad garage band with a bunch of other leftovers from the 1980s. He had no real job and was often gone for weeks. The Finnemores were in a perpetual state of separation, with talk of divorce always in the air.
April confided in Theo, and told him things he vowed to never repeat.
The Finnemore home was owned by someone else, a rental house April hated because her parents had no interest in maintaining it. It was in an older section of Strattenburg, on a shady street lined with other postwar homes that had seen better days. Theo had been there only one time, for a less-than-successful birthday party April’s mother had thrown together two years earlier. Most of the kids who’d been invited did not attend because their parents wouldn’t allow it. Such was the Finnemore family reputation.
There were two police cars in the driveway when the Boones arrived. Across the street, the neighbors were on their porches, watching.
Mrs. Finnemore—she went by the name of May and had named her children April, March, and August—was in the living room on a sofa talking to a uniformed officer when the Boones entered, rather awkwardly. Quick introductions were made; Mr. Boone had never met her.
“Theo!” Mrs. Finnemore said, very dramatically. “Someone has taken our April!” Then she burst into tears and reached to hug Theo. He wanted no part of being hugged but went along with the ritual out of respect. As always, she wore a large flowing garment that was more of a tent than a dress, light brown in color and made from what appeared to be burlap. Her long graying hair was pulled into a tight ponytail. Crazy as she was, Theo had always been struck by her beauty. She made no effort at being attractive—quite unlike his mother—but some things you can’t hide. She was also very creative, liked to paint and do pottery, in addition to making goat cheese. April had inherited the good genes—the pretty eyes, the artistic flair.
When Mrs. Finnemore settled down, Mrs. Boone asked the officer, “What happened?” He responded with a quick summary of what little they knew at that point.
“Did you talk to her last night?” the officer asked Theo. The cop’s name was Bolick, Sergeant Bolick, which Theo knew because he’d seen him around the courthouse. Theo knew most of the policemen in Strattenburg, as well as most of the lawyers, judges, janitors, and clerks in the courthouse.
“Yes, sir. At nine fifteen, according to my phone log. We talk almost every night before going to bed,” Theo said. Bolick had the reputation of being a wise guy. Theo wasn’t prepared to like him.
“How sweet. Did she say anything that might be useful here? Was she worried? Scared?”
Theo was immediately caught in a vise. He could not lie to a police officer, yet he could not tell a secret that he’d promised he wouldn’t tell. So he fudged a bit by saying, “I don’t recall anything like that.” Mrs. Finnemore was no longer crying; she was staring intensely at Theo, her eyes glowing.
“What did you talk about?” Sergeant Bolick asked. A detective in plainclothes entered the room and listened carefully.
“The usual stuff. School, homework, I don’t remember everything.” Theo had watched enough trials to know that answers should often be kept vague, and that “I don’t recall” and “I don’t remember” were perfectly acceptable in many instances.
“Did you chat online?” the detective asked.
“No, sir, not last night. Just phone.” They often used Facebook and text messages, but Theo knew not to volunteer information. Just answer the question in front of you. He’d heard his mother say this to her clients many times.
“Any sign of a break-in?” Mr. Boone asked.
“None,” said Bolick. “Mrs. Finnemore was sound asleep in the downstairs bedroom, she heard nothing, and at some point she got up to check on April. That’s when she realized she was gone.”
Theo looked at Mrs. Finnemore, who again shot him a fierce look. He knew the truth, and she knew he knew the truth. Trouble was, Theo couldn’t tell the truth because he’d made a promise to April.
The truth was that Mrs. Finnemore had not been home for the past two nights. April had been living alone, terrified, with all the doors and windows locked as tightly as possible; with a chair jammed against her bedroom door; with an old baseball bat across the end of her bed; with the phone close and ready to dial 911, and with no one in the world to talk to but Theodore Boone, who had vowed not to tell a soul. Her father was out of town with his band. Her mother was taking pills and losing her mind.
“In the past few days, has April said anything about running away?” the detective was asking Theo.
Oh, yes. Nonstop. She wants to run away to Paris and study art. She wants to run away to LA and live with March, her older sister. She wants to run away to Santa Fe and become a painter. She wants to run away, period.
“I don’t recall anything like that,” Theo said, and it was the truth because “in the past few days” could mean almost anything; thus, the question was too vague to require a definite answer on his part. He had seen this time and time again in trials. In his opinion, Sergeant Bolick and the detective were being far too sloppy with their questions. So far, they had not been able to pin him down, and he had not told a lie.
May Finnemore was overcome with tears and made a big show out of crying. Bolick and the detective quizzed Theo about April’s other friends, any potential problems she was having, how she was doing in school, and so on. Theo gave straight answers, with no wasted words.
A female officer in uniform had entered the den from upstairs, and she sat with Mrs. Finnemore, who was again distraught and overcome. Sergeant Bolick nodded at the Boones and motioned for them to follow him into the kitchen. They did, and the detective joined them. Bolick glared at Theo and in a low voice said, “Did the girl ever mention a relative in prison in California?”
“No, sir,” Theo said.
“Are you sure?”
“Sure I’m sure.”
“What’s this all about?” Mrs. Boone jumped in. She was not about to stand by silently while her son was rudely interrogated. Mr. Boone was ready to pounce, too.
The detective pulled out an 8″ x 10″ black-and-white photo, a mug shot of a shady-looking character who gave every indication of being a veteran criminal. Bolick went on, “Guy’s name is Jack Leeper, a ten-time loser. Distant cousin to May Finnemore, even more distant to April. He grew up around here, drifted away a long time ago, became a career thug, petty thief, drug dealer, and so on. Got busted in California for kidnapping ten years ago, sentenced to life with no parole. Escaped two weeks ago. This afternoon we get a tip that he might be in this area.”
Theo looked at the sinister face of Jack Leeper and felt ill. If this thug had April, then she was in serious trouble.
Bolick continued, “Last night around seven thirty, Leeper here walks into the Korean Quick Shop four blocks away, buys cigarettes and beer, gets his face captured on the surveillance cameras. Not the smartest crook in the world. So, we know he’s definitely in the area.”
“Why would he take April?” Theo blurted, his mouth dry with fear, his knees ready to buckle.
“According to authorities in California, they found some letters from April in his prison cell. She was his pen pal, probably felt sorry for the guy ’cause he’s never supposed to get out of prison. So she strikes up a correspondence. We’ve searched her room upstairs and can’t find anything he may have written to her.”
“She never mentioned this to you?” the detective asked.
“Never,” Theo said. He had learned that with April’s weird family there were many secrets, many things she kept to herself.
The detective put away the photo, and Theo was relieved. He never wanted to see the face again, but he doubted if he could ever forget it.
Sergeant Bolick said, “We suspect that April knew the person who took her. How else can you explain the lack of a forcible entry?”
“Do you think he would hurt her?” Theo asked.
“We have no way of knowing that, Theo. This man’s been in prison most of his life. His behavior is unpredictable.”
The detective added, “The good thing is that he always gets caught.”
Theo said, “If April’s with him, she’ll contact us. She’ll find a way.”
“Then, please let us know.”
“Don’t worry.”
“Excuse me, Officer,” Mrs. Boone said. “But I thought in a case like this you first investigate the parents. Missing children are almost always taken by one of their parents, right?”
“This is correct,” Bolick said. “And we are looking for the father. According to the mother, though, she spoke with him yesterday afternoon and he was with his band somewhere in West Virginia. She feels rather strongly that he is not involved in this.”
“April can’t stand her father,” Theo blurted, then wished he’d remained quiet.
They chatted for a few more minutes, but the conversation was obviously over. The officers thanked the Boones for coming and promised to check back later. Both Mr. and Mrs. Boone said they would be at their office all day if they were needed for anything. Theo, of course, would be in school.
As they drove away, Mrs. Boone said, “That poor child. Snatched from her own bedroom.”
Mr. Boone, who was driving, glanced back over his shoulder and said, “Are you okay, Theo?”
“I guess,” he said.
“Of course he’s not okay, Woods. His friend has just been abducted.”
“I can speak for myself, Mom,” Theo said.
“Of course you can, dear. I just hope they find her, and soon.”
There was a hint of sunlight to the east. As they drove through the residential neighborhood, Theo stared out of his window, searching for the hardened face of Jack Leeper. But no one was out there. Lights in homes were being turned on. The town was waking up.
“It’s almost six,” Mr. Boone announced. “I say we go to Gertrude’s and have her world-famous waffles. Theo?”
“I’m in,” Theo replied, though he had no appetite.
“Marvelous, honey,” Mrs. Boone said, though all three knew she would have nothing but coffee.
….
Note: Above are quotes and excerpts from the book “Theodore Boone: The Abduction by John Grisham”. If you find it interesting and useful, don’t forget to buy paper books to support the Author and Publisher!
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