Chapter 39 Theo
Theo
Garrett’s police cruiser was parked in the lot behind Angel Cakes Bakery. He stood next to it, in uniform, talking to someone on his radio.
I got out and my breath misted. It was getting colder by the minute.
“We’re working on tracking down her car,” Garrett said. “And the neighboring agencies have been alerted. Is there anywhere else she could be?”
“I called the assisted living center where her grandma lives. She hasn’t been there. And I had to go back to school to find my phone. I don’t think she was there. I circled through town and didn’t see her, but I could have missed her car.”
“What makes you think Gina Morris was stalking her?”
“Pen’s ex told me. He saw Gina parked outside his house. Sounds like more than once.”
“He’s sure it was her?”
“She’s hard to forget. Has a distinctive look. I don’t know what Gina would want with Pen, but it’s weird.”
“Did Penelope know them?”
“Kind of. She took one of his painting classes a few months ago. Which reminds me, Pen found a link between Edwin Morris and both of those women. They each took one of his classes not long before they disappeared.”
I froze, my mouth slightly open as I realized what I’d just said. And what it might mean.
“Holy shit, Garrett. Those women took one of his classes and disappeared. Wound up dead. Pen took his class and she’s missing. Edwin’s dead, but what if he wasn’t the killer? What if it was Gina?”
Garrett started to answer, but I kept talking.
“That would mean Penelope might be in the hands of a fucking serial killer.”
“Stay calm. It’s possible, but we don’t know that yet.”
“Calm? How the fuck am I supposed to stay calm?” My phone rang—Luke.
“What’d you find?” I answered.
“Nothing. No one’s here.”
“Fuck.”
“Sorry, man. Did you get ahold of Garrett?”
“Yeah, I’m with him now.”
“Good. Josiah just texted. He’s looking, but he hasn’t seen her. Neither has Z.”
A voice came on over Garrett’s radio. “Squad seven, this is squad four.”
“Go ahead, squad four,” Garrett answered.
“I gotta go,” I said to Luke. “I’ll call you back.”
“I’ve got your silver Honda CRV. Ran the plates. It’s registered to Penelope Fallbrook. But unless Penelope is an adult male, she’s not driving the vehicle.”
“What’s your location?” Garrett asked.
I shifted my weight onto the balls of my feet, ready to move, my heart racing.
“Highway two, just north of milepost ninety-nine.”
Garrett met my eyes and nodded to his car. I ran around to the passenger side and got in.
“Squad four, I’m on my way to your location,” Garrett said as he got into the driver’s seat. “Go ahead and make contact with the driver.”
“Ten-four, squad seven,” the other deputy said. “Dispatch, put me out at a traffic stop, highway two, north of milepost ninety-nine. Possible stolen vehicle belonging to a missing person.”
Garrett sped out of the parking lot and headed for the highway. Milepost ninety-nine was just north of town. We weren’t far.
But who the fuck was driving Pen’s car? And where was she?
The radio chatter continued as the other deputy talked to dispatch. Then a few moments of silence. Garrett kept driving.
“Squad seven, this is squad four.”
“Go ahead, squad four,” Garrett said.
“Driver claims he’s Ms. Fallbrook’s friend and borrowed her car with permission.”
“Well, that’s bullshit,” Garrett said. “Who is he?”
“ID says Curt Redfern. Tilikum address.”
Garrett glanced at me. “Do you know who that is?”
My voice was strangely calm. “Friend of Gina Morris.”
“Fuck,” Garrett said under his breath, then keyed his mic again. “Squad four, don’t let him leave.”
“Copy that, squad seven.”
I still didn’t know what was going on, but it wasn’t good. The thought of something happening to Penelope made my blood run hot with rage. If anyone so much as touched her, I’d kill them.
The lights of the other deputy’s car lit up the road as we approached. Garrett pulled over. “Stay here.”
“No—”
“Just wait.”
“You know I can’t do that.”
He stopped arguing.
I got out, but as much as I wanted to rush over to Penelope’s car, drag that piece of shit out, and pummel him until he told me where she was, I let Garrett take the lead.
The other deputy joined Garrett, handing him the guy’s ID. They approached Penelope’s car while I hung back a few feet.
“Mr. Redfern,” Garrett said. “Will you step out of the car, please?”
Curt seemed to hesitate, but a second later, the door opened, and he stepped out.
“Hands where I can see them,” Garrett said.
“Look, this doesn’t have anything to do with me,” Curt said, holding his hands shoulder height, his palms facing out.
“What doesn’t?” Garrett asked.
Curt just shook his head.
“Why are you driving this car?”
“Penelope. She asked me to.”
“You sure about that?”
I gritted my teeth together and clenched my hands into fists. Curt’s eyes darted toward me, then back to Garrett.
“Yeah, I’m sure.”
“This car is stolen.” Garrett’s voice was matter-of-fact. “And the owner is missing. What can you tell us about that?”
Curt shook his head but didn’t reply.
“Listen.” Garrett took a step closer. “We want to find her. And I think you know where she is. Why don’t you tell us before this gets worse for you?”
Curt’s eyes darted around again. I’d never wanted to hurt someone so badly in my entire life. It took every last shred of self-control not to tackle him to the ground.
“Gina has her,” he said finally. “Gina Morris. I don’t know what she’s going to do. Gina wouldn’t say.”
“Where?” I snapped.
“My house,” Curt said. “This isn’t my fault. I swear. Gina didn’t tell me what she was doing. I think she drugged her, and she made me help move her. Insisted on taking her to my place, not hers. Then she told me to get rid of the car.”
Garrett held up Curt’s license. “This your address? This is where she is?”
“Yeah, but it’s not my fault.” His tone was anxious. “I didn’t do anything. Gina made me help her.”
I heard Garrett tell the other deputy to take Curt in as I raced to get back in his car. I didn’t give a shit what happened to Curt. We had to get to Penelope before it was too late.
Garrett got in and talked to dispatch while he turned the car around and started back toward town. We flew down the highway, lights flashing.
We’ll get to her in time. We have to.
I’d never been so scared in my life. Not even when I’d been lying on the field wondering if I’d just been paralyzed.
We arrived at a nondescript house in a residential neighborhood. A small SUV was parked out front. Garrett didn’t bother telling me to wait in the car. He got out and I followed him to the front door.
Blinds covered the windows, so I couldn’t see inside. Garrett drew his weapon and motioned for me to stand back. He checked the knob. Locked.
He rattled the door again and seemed to check for something. I was about to ask him what the fuck he was doing when he nailed the door with a swift kick. Wood splintered. He kicked it again and it swung inward.
“Tilikum Sheriff ’s Department,” he announced as he rushed inside. I followed, close on his heels, looking frantically for Penelope.
A woman screamed. It was Gina Morris. Garrett raised his weapon, shouting instructions.
“Where is she?” I yelled.
She didn’t answer. Just raised her hands and started babbling about it being a mistake.
Ignoring Gina, I barreled deeper into the house. As soon as I saw Pen, my heart nearly stopped.
She lay on the hardwood floor, one arm stretched out, as if she’d been reaching for something. Her eyes were closed and I couldn’t tell if she was breathing.
“Garrett! Ambulance!”
I rushed to her side and knelt. Her forehead was clammy with cold sweat. Pressing my fingers to her neck, I found her pulse, but it was weak and slow.
“Pen,” I said, brushing her hair off her face. “Come on, baby, hang in there. Please don’t go.”
Taking her hand in mine, I looked over my shoulder and shouted at Gina. “What the fuck did you do to her?”
No one answered. I was dimly aware of Garrett talking. Moments later, another deputy came in. I wanted to gather Penelope in my arms, but I was afraid to move her. I didn’t know what had happened—if she had injuries I couldn’t see.
So I leaned my forehead against hers and whispered to her, my heart ready to crack wide open if she slipped away. “Please stay with me, Pen. Please stay.”
I didn’t know how long it took for the paramedics to arrive. Probably minutes. But every second felt like an hour—every heartbeat felt like it might be her last.
Finally, a commotion behind me caught my attention. Paramedics rushed in.
I hopped to my feet and got out of their way. Sick with fear, I watched while they took her vitals and prepped a stretcher.
“Insulin!” Garrett shouted. “She gave her insulin! Check her glucose.”
One of the paramedics pricked her finger. I held my breath until the meter beeped.
“Forty-nine,” he said. “She needs a glucagon injection.”
Another paramedic handed him a syringe. He cleaned her upper arm with an alcohol wipe and administered the injection.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“Her blood sugar is dangerously low.” The paramedic stood. “Glucagon will help get her glucose back up, but depending on how much insulin she was given, she might need more. We’re going to take her in.”
The paramedics moved her onto the stretcher. She was still unconscious, and the color had drained from her face.
“Is she going to wake up?”
“It can take ten minutes or so.”
I followed them as they took her out to the ambulance, ignoring the chaos of flashing lights and onlooking neighbors outside. Without asking if I could, I climbed in with her. There was no way I was leaving her, even for a moment.
They started an IV as we drove away, but it was several minutes later and she still hadn’t responded.
I let the paramedics do their job, hating this helpless feeling. If only I’d figured it out sooner.
By the time we stopped at the emergency entrance to the hospital, I was ready to tear the ambulance apart. Why wasn’t she waking up? What had Gina done to her?
I got out and moved aside so they could bring her out on the stretcher. Right as they raised it to wheel her inside, her eyes fluttered open.
“It’s okay.” I rushed to her and placed my palm against her cheek. “We’ve got you. Everything’s going to be all right.”
She squinted. “Theo?”
“Yeah. It’s me.”
Closing her eyes with a sigh of relief, she smiled. And it was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.
“Theo,” she said again.
“Hang in there. We’re at the hospital, okay?”
She nodded, and I stayed by her side while the paramedics wheeled her in.
She was met by a flurry of medical personnel. They talked to the paramedics and asked her questions while they worked. Someone checked her glucose again. It was rising.
Still surrounded by doctors and nurses, she turned toward me and squinted. “Theo?”
“Yeah. I’m still here.”
“Please don’t go.”
“I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be right here.”
She nodded.
And I meant it. I wasn’t going anywhere. As long as she wanted me, I’d stay.