CHAPTER FIVE: A LOT OF PAIN AT THE LITTLE HOUSE

There was a loud knock at the door. Fredrick Little, who was up early, getting ready to go to work, answered. "What is- oh my!" he asked, noticing that there were five police officers there.
"Mr. Little, I'm afraid your son has broken several laws and we came here to see if he was hiding here," one of the officers said.
"Which son? I have two."
"Stuart Little," answered another officer.
"I'm afraid you have the wrong Stuart Little. My son Stuart is no doubt still asleep upstairs. I'm afraid you've got the wrong Stuart Little." He moved to closer the door, but one of the officers held it open.
"No, we have the right one. The mouse. We have video surveillance of him fleeing Westbrook Detention Center at 2130 hours last night, with the prisoner Margalo."
"Margalo!" Fredrick gasped.
"Fredrick, who's at the door?" came Elanor's voice. His wife was brewing coffee in the kitchen and cooking breakfast for them. He didn't want to worry her just yet. This couldn't be happening. Stuart couldn't possibly have done what they were accusing him of. He didn't want to worry his wife just yet.
"I'm afraid there's some mistake here. Our Stuart wouldn't do such a thing," he said confidently. I hope he didn't do something like this! Mr. Little thought inside his head. He raced up the stairs, taking them three at a time. He burst into George and Stuart's room. He saw, to his horror, that his son's bed was empty and the window was open. "George, where's Stuart?" he snapped.
George jumped out of his sleep. "Dad, what's going on?" George asked, looking around in alarm.
"Stuart's missing!"
"Maybe he just went to the bathroom."
"Then why is the window open?"
"I don't know. Maybe he felt hot and opened it." George soon noticed the note by his bedside. "What's this?" He quickly read it. "Stuart's ran away. He's gone after Margalo!" He handed his father the note.
"Mr. Little, we need to search the house," said an officer as he entered the room.
"Hey pal, where's your warrant? You can't just enter a house like that! We have a Fourth Amendment in this country! This isn't the Soviet Union! I could have you charged for entering without authorization!"
"Here's your warrant," the officer said, hanging him a warrant signed by a judge.

"Fredrick, what's going on, why are the police here?" Elanor asked a short time later.
Tearfully, he handed Stuart's letter to his wife. "I'm afraid he's run away, and disowned us. He thinks we don't care about him. And he says that Margalo was the victim of that Falcon and being made to do everything."
"What's this about a letter?" an officer asked, taking it from them.
"Hey, that's ours!" Elanor snapped.
"This is evidence. A confession by the criminal Stuart Little," said an officer.
"Stuart's not a criminal!" Mrs. Little shrieked.
"He is as of 2130 hours last night," the officer said.
"I think you should go after this Falcon. He seems to be the real mastermind behind all this mess. If Stuart's right, he was right to break Margalo out of jail. That's what he was trying to tell us last night. And we wouldn't listen!"
"Well, the letter says the falcon's dead. And without him, we cannot drop the charges."
"We can drop the charges against Margalo. Then this whole thing will go away," Elanor said hopefully.
"I'm afraid not. The letter hints that she's stolen more, so we've still go to book her for that, plus fleeing from the law."
"Can't you make an exception? These are just kids!" Mr. Little hollered.
"Unfortunately, no. And if you receive any contact from the two fugitives, you are not to aid them. Any such action will get you charged as well as accessories," the officer said.

Unable to find either Stuart or Margalo in the house nor any more evidence, the officers all left. When they were gone, George asked his parents "Is Stuart going to be ok?"
"I'm afraid he's in legal trouble now."
"I hate it that that falcon is the real cause of all of this mess and, as Stuart says, she's taking the fall for it. And now Stuart is in trouble for being a good friend and freeing her."
"I know. I'll do what I can. I can't, legally, help them get away. As they said, I'd go to jail if I did. And we can't afford to stay here if I'm in the slammer. But I'm not required, per the 5th Amendment, to report any communications I receive from him. So, if he contacts us, we can still talk him, we just can't be the ones to call him or aid him or Margalo in any way," Fredrick said.
"I love loopholes!"