THE RUNAWAY Set in the late 1940s and using as a springboard the relationship between two boys -- one black and one white -- who were mysteriously ordained at birth to spark the flames of change, The Runaway examines the joys, sorrows, conflicts, and racial disharmony in a small southern town. Tom and his friend, Son Jesus, spend their time daydreaming, fishing, and trying to escape work. But their fun abruptly comes to a halt when they discover a bone during a fanciful runaway. The bone turns out to be part of the skeletal remains of Son Jesus's long-missing father, a discovery that leads to an investigation by Sheriff Frank Rucker. a World War II hero, unmasking a killer known only as Pegleg. The sheriff's findings divide the people of Overton County, forcing a surprising conclusion -- or beginning -- of justice.