Chapter 4
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8:34
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We arrived at Henry Roark's house. By this point Bill and I had looked up his record. Henry Roark was 17. A year ago, at the age of 16, Henry and a number of other self-proclaimed followers of John Galt had committed burglary, stealing from a number of grocery stores. Allegedly their plan was to start their own community, dedicated to "Liberty" as they defined the word. But their pan had a number of flaws, not the least of which that none of them knew how to grow more food, hunt, or properly administer medicine. And while they claimed to revere extreme capitalism, they didn't want to actually pay for what they were going to need. They were arrested for burglary. Being underage Henry Roark spent two months on a work farm over the summer and was released. His old group were athiests, almost fanatically opposed to all religion. We questioned Henry Roark while his mother watched. Henry was wearing the uniform of a movie usher, he was evidently getting ready for his part time job.
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Joe: Do you know the church on Brown Street?
Henry: Yes, my parents used to take me there when I was a child.
Bill: They have a nativity scene every Christmas, remember that?
Henry: It's been awhile.
Bill: It's gone missing, one figure in particular.
Mother: Henry, please tell me you didn't steal from a church.
Henry: I didn't, I swear. I didn't really like the work farm, I don't want to go back.
Joe: It you're arrested as an adult, you'll wind up going someplace worse.
Henry: Which is another good reason not to steal. I swear, I'm all straightened out. You can look in my room if you want.
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We conducted a search of the suspect's bedroom and found nothing. We also searched other areas where the doll could conceivably be hidden, and again turned up nothing.
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Bill: Sorry we suspected you son.
Henry: I screwed up, I know that.
Bill: One more thing, have you been staring at the church from outside?
Henry: Yes. I've thought about going back, making amends. When I left the church last year, I said some bad things. I'm not proud of it, and I'm embarrassed to try and go back.
Joe: For what it's worth, I think that father Abdullah would welcome you back.
