Until They Bring The Streetcars Back

Due to Cal’s time in jail, he can’t graduate or go back to school, but he shows up at school to talk to Gretchen. She wanted to die by suicide, but then Sandy gave her a Nut Goodie, and she felt hopeful.

The police came to Gretchen’s house, questioning her mom. Her dad came home and assumed Gretchen told. He screamed at Gretchen, and when the police tried to quiet him, a scuffle ensued. Otto stabbed one of the cops before the second cop knocked him out. Gretchen told the cops about Little Jacob. The county attorney, Mr. Brown, needs her to testify in court. Cal admits to Gretchen that he framed Otto, and Gretchen promises not to tell.

Cal calls Lola, but her mom answers and tells him to stay away. He confronts her after school, and Lola is upset that he behaved like a “hoodlum” and ruined their “perfect” relationship. Lola gets on a streetcar, but Cal pulls the rope to stop it. He begs Lola to see him tonight. If she won’t, he says he’ll die. The passengers watch them as if they’re performers. When Lola refuses to see him, the passengers groan.

Cal gets a high-paying job as a construction worker. He gives his paycheck to his mom, and he reports to his parole officer on time.

Alone, Cal goes to the Runner’s house and introduces himself to the little woman. Her name is Jeanette Conley and the Runner is John Conley. They’re husband and wife, and they never had children. John is in a wheelchair and he can’t talk. Jeanette says John loved chasing after them, and he purposely didn’t catch Cal and his friends.

With Otto in jail, Gretchen lives with nice foster parents who let her go with Cal to Fergus Falls to visit her hospitalized sister. Gretchen looks less emaciated, and she’s smiling more. On the ride, they discuss how she doesn’t want to go to the doctor, but she must so that the doctor can get evidence of the sexual abuse and, specifically, that she has given birth.

Gretchen admits that she killed Little Jacob. He was her child. Gretchen’s mom delivered the baby, and the dad turned up the radio to block out the noise. Gretchen lied and said it was Helga’s baby and it was Helga who killed him because she didn’t want Cal to scorn her.

When they arrive, Cal notes that the psychiatric hospital is like a jail, and the patients unsettle Cal. Helga looks like Gretchen used to look. Gretchen tells her about Otto’s prison sentence and how Helga is now free to come home, but Helga stares into space and doesn’t reply. On the way back, Gretchen wonders if “crazy people” make it to heaven.

Cal spends afternoons helping Jeanette around the house. She gives him cookies and lemonade, and Cal sits with John before he goes home. Cal reflects that if John didn’t have Jeanette, he might be in a “lousy” psychiatric hospital.

Riley shows up at Cal’s construction site during lunch. His arm is in a sling, as a suspect stabbed him. Riley explains that the suspect is a “real cuckoo.” He says that the man may have sexually assaulted his daughter, killed a baby, and pushed another daughter into a psychiatric hospital. He also might be the “Peeping Tom” harassing another neighborhood.

Cal acts like he doesn’t know what Riley is talking about, so Riley continues. Riley says that a kid called him up about a body, but then the kid disappeared. Riley then found out a high school kid got in trouble for robbing the same liquor store as the suspect, who’s a “brutal bastard” but not the type to rob a liquor store. Riley says that if Cal set up Otto, he’s a “helluva kid,” and he needs to help “finish” Otto. Cal only admits he made a stupid choice initially robbing the liquor store, and Riley goes home.

Gretchen calls Cal at home. She’s scared. Mr. Brown doesn’t think he can prove Otto killed Little Jacob without a corroborating witness. Gretchen’s mom is too scared, so she needs Cal to be the witness. Cal agrees to testify.

In Mr. Brown’s cluttered office, Cal tells him about using the word “body,” not “baby,” with Riley, and he mentions seeing Gretchen naked in the window one night because she wanted him to witness the abuse. He clarifies that Gretchen and Cal aren’t “sweethearts,” nor have they kissed or touched. Cal confirms that he stole the liquor and car to “frame” Otto. Cal learns that if he helps put Otto away, Mr. Brown will ensure Cal doesn’t face additional charges. Mr. Brown’s goal is to convict Otto for first-degree murder.

Gretchen goes to prom with Cal, and she wears a pink gown that upends the “Gretch the Wretch” epithet. Sandy can’t believe how great Gretchen looks, and Steve wants to ask her out.

At home, Cal explains to his mom how the stolen liquor relates to Gretchen and her dad; Cal was attempting to steal the liquor to frame Otto and save Gretchen. If he had told her or Horace, they would’ve told the police, allowing Otto to get away. Lurine reminds Cal what Horace says about leaving “well enough alone.” Cal reminds Lurine that Horace did something about McCluskey’s dog. Lurine claims the dog situation is different. Cal says Gretchen is “more than a dog” (251). Lurine feels “hoodooed.”

Peggy praises Cal’s conduct. She says she would’ve acted similarly. She doesn’t think people should get away with murder. Cal says he might still get away with it. Cal reflects that people don’t always believe the truth.

In court, Cal repeats what happened and officially identifies Otto. Otto’s attorney, Mr. Moss, doesn’t cross-examine Cal then, but Mr. Moss gets the right to call Cal back to the stand. Gretchen calls Cal and tells him Mr. Moss plans to cast Cal as Gretchen’s boyfriend and that together, they “tried to get” Otto.

Mr. Moss looks like a young “jock,” and his line of questioning follows Gretchen’s warning. He turns Otto into a good Christian trying to protect his daughter from Cal, who stole liquor, stole Otto’s car, and intentionally drove into a drugstore window. Mr. Moss uses their Minneapolis trip and prom experience to prove they’re romantic. Mr. Moss suggests that Cal was the father of the baby. This causes Gretchen’s mom to chant, “There was a baby” (261), before screaming at Otto and identifying him as the killer.

Otto attacks Cal, and Cal punches him until the authorities separate them. The judge instills order and asks the jury to forget what occurred. Mr. Brown asks to recall Gretchen’s mom, Ruth Luttermann. The jury convicts Otto of first-degree murder, and the judge gives Otto a life sentence.

On the street, Cal sees a “shrunken woman” with a dog, and he realizes the dog is McCluskey’s dog. The woman got him from the Humane Society, and she named him after her departed husband, Ambrose. The woman believes in reincarnation and thinks her husband is the dog. Lurine doesn’t believe in reincarnation. She thinks people go to heaven when they die. However, she remarks that if she believed in reincarnation, Horace would return as a streetcar.

Lurine wants Cal to know he didn’t kill Horace and that it’s the company’s fault. She says that Horace would be proud of what Cal did for Gretchen. Peggy wonders if Horace loved them. He never said he did, but Cal thinks he showed them love through his actions.

Cal still can’t graduate, but he goes to graduation, where Sandy declares she’ll make the school give him a diploma. One of the speakers, the Commissioner of Education, claims the students are about to face “real life.” Cal disagrees: They’ve been in “real life.” When Gretchen receives her diploma, Cal cheers. After the ceremony, he sees his dad’s friend, Andy Johnson, driving a bus. Cal vows never to ride a bus. He’ll walk until the streetcars return.