1. In "In The Middle Of The Night", how did Mr. Colbert get into trouble, as a teenager, that still follows him years later?
From Quiz Dead Author Tribute- Robert Cormier
Answer:
he went to inspect a noise on the balcony with a box of matches, as order by his boss
John-Paul Colbert was working at a theater on the night of a show for underprivileged children. There was a strange sound up on the balcony, which his boss used as a storage area. He sent John-Paul up there, with a box of matches, to check it out. He lit a match so that he could see, but he accidentally set the box on fire. Then the balcony collapsed because the sound was cracking.
After the fire, many of the children were dead. Then his boss committed suicide. A lot of people blamed him, even though it wasn't his fault. Years later, when his sixteen-year old son asks him why he lets people blame him, he says that it is because it makes them feel better to have someone to blame.