Hoot Chapter 3 Summary

  • Delinko's on the case again. Curly has called down the police officer once more to report another crime.
  • This time, air has been let out of the tires of the flatbed truck in addition to the property stakes being uprooted and refilled again.
  • On a hunch, Delinko checks out the porta-potties that are strapped down on the flatbed. And boy, is he in for a surprise.
  • Two alligators are splashing around inside the tank. Needless to say, Delinko exits that unit immediately and reports back his findings to Curly who is equally as stunned.
  • Now, Roy's reliving his morning activities with his parents. His mom emphasizes that fighting is never the answer (unless the question is "What is never the answer?") and Roy rebuts that it wasn't a fight.
  • Yet his father seems to have just a teensy tiny flicker of pride when he is informed that Dana ended up with a broken nose.
  • Roy writes up a draft of the apology letter he has to give to Dana. His mom isn't thrilled with the tone but his father says it's perfect.
  • Delinko is going over the recent alligator incident with his sergeant and the police captain.
  • Normally the police captain wouldn't get involved in trivial little matters like this.
  • But someone over at Mother Paula's pulled some strings with a local councilman who put the pressure on the chief of police, which is why the police captain is now talking with Delinko and his sergeant.
  • The sergeant thinks the vandalism is courtesy of some delinquent kids who don't have anything better to do. But Delinko disagrees.
  • Delinko points out that handling alligators is a little dangerous for a juvenile joke. Instead, he offers the idea that someone is out to get Mother Paula.
  • The police captain orders that a patrol car check out the property every hour. Delinko asks his sergeant if he could go as well. But they don't have enough money to pay overtime.
  • Delinko isn't interested in overtime. (Our minds were blown by that as well...)
  • He wants to figure out what's going on.