Chapter 41
Penelope
Although I felt fine, Principal Larson insisted I take the rest of the week off.
I was worried I’d be bored with Theo at school and football practice, but it wound up not being as bad as I’d expected.
Melanie invited me to lunch twice, I met Marigold for coffee, Audrey and Harper invited me to have tea and cookies—which meant I got to play with their babies—and Marlene and I went Christmas shopping.
It actually turned into a pretty amazing week.
Okay, so I’d almost been murdered by a serial killer, but aside from that—amazing.
The awesomeness culminated on Friday night with another Timberwolves postseason win. Luke, Melanie, and I drove the two hours to the game, so we were there, along with most of the Haven clan, to cheer them on. One more win, and they’d be going to state.
I screamed so much, I completely lost my voice. But later that night, Theo said I sounded cute when I was all raspy. And we celebrated together—in bed.
Saturday, we went to the assisted living home to visit Grandma. I’d talked to her on the phone the day after my ordeal, so she knew what had happened. But I hadn’t visited with her since, and I knew she was anxious to see me with her own eyes.
It was the weekend before Thanksgiving, and Tilikum Gardens Village was decked out with paper turkeys, cornucopias, and Happy Thanksgiving signs.
Apparently, word about what had happened to me had already spread.
As soon as Theo and I walked in, we were accosted by residents and staff, all anxious to make sure I was really okay.
After many reassurances that I was fine, Theo and I made our way across the common area to Grandma.
She had her wheelchair pulled up to a table with a puzzle spread out in front of her. I didn’t miss the tears that gathered in her eyes as we approached.
She pushed back from the table and held out her arms. “Oh, Penny.”
“Hi, Grandma.”
I leaned down to hug her, and she held me tight. “My darling girl. I’m so glad you’re all right.”
“I’m fine. I promise.”
I straightened, and she held out her arms for Theo. “Come here, young man. I don’t know how to thank you.”
He hugged her, bringing tears to my eyes. I dabbed beneath my glasses before they could fall.
“My goodness.” She waved her hands in front of her face, as if to dry her eyes, then wheeled herself back to the table. “Come on, now, have a seat. I’m done making a scene. What a week it’s been.”
Theo and I sat, and he gave me a subtle smile that puckered his dimples. Despite everything I’d been through, I couldn’t stop smiling.
“So it really was the wife all along.” Grandma shook her head. “Terrible business. How did she do it?”
“Theo’s brother Garrett said she finally confessed to everything,” I said. “She did the same thing to the other victims that she tried to do with me—drugged them and injected them with a high dose of insulin.”
“Her husband as well?”
I nodded. “Sadly, yes. He was diabetic, so that’s how she got it. And because he wasn’t in the best health anyway, no one thought his death was suspicious.”
“And she claimed she was out of town when it happened,” Theo added. “But the whole story about her coming home from her sister’s and finding him was a lie. Garrett said the sister already confirmed she left early.”
“How many other victims were there?” Grandma asked. “Do they know yet?”
“Probably five,” I said. “That’s how many notes they’ve uncovered in his paintings. There could be more, but I hope not.”
“I suppose we were wrong about it being the son,” she said. “Although, I still say that was a good theory.”
Theo and I shared a glance. We’d learned a lot about the Morris family drama that week.
“Michael didn’t have anything to do with his father’s death, but it came out in the investigation that he stole a bunch of money from his mother,” I said.
“I guess it was money he thought he was getting from his father, but didn’t.
I don’t know the details, but he’s facing criminal charges as well. ”
“Yeah, his life is a dumpster fire,” Theo said. “His wife left him. And I don’t know what’s happening between him and Amanda, but it sounds like she might have bailed on him as soon as law enforcement got involved. She’s under investigation as well, although she hasn’t been arrested.”
“Can’t say I feel sorry for him,” Grandma said.
“Nope,” Theo said. “Not a bit.”
“What do you think will happen to the man who was helping her?” Grandma asked. “What was his name?”
“Curt Redfern,” I said. “And we don’t know yet. He’ll probably be brought up on charges. But as far as we know, he wasn’t involved with the other murders. He’d been a friend of the family for a long time and stepped in to help Gina after Edwin died.”
“It looks like she was blackmailing him,” Theo said. “Apparently he has an affinity for… let’s just say a certain type of explicit content that is highly illegal. I don’t know how Gina found out about it, but she was holding that over him so he’d help do her dirty work.”
“Disgusting,” Grandma said. “Both of them, disgusting.”
“So disgusting,” I agreed.
Grandma reached across the table and took my hand in hers. “Thank goodness neither of them will hurt anyone else.”
“Exactly,” I said. “It’s over.”
“Colleen!” an elderly male voice called out. “Colleen Wilson!”
A subtle grin crossed Grandma’s face as Maury Haven wheeled himself out of the elevator. His face was red, and a vein protruded from his forehead. He had something in his lap and my eyes widened when I realized what it was.
A plate with jiggly red Jell-O in the shape of an egg.
Oh, no.
Maury’s lips seemed oddly loose, and his jaw looked as if it didn’t fit together quite right.
“You she-devil,” he spat, pointing at her. Yep, no teeth.
Theo put a fist to his mouth, trying to keep from laughing. I gaped at Maury, horrified, as he wheeled his way across the room to our table.
Grandma pressed her fingertips together. “Well, hello Maury. How are you today?”
He picked up the plate, sending ripples through the red gelatin. I could see the outline of his dentures inside.
“How am I? How do you think I am? You did this!”
She batted her eyelashes at him. “Me? How could I have possibly done that?”
Theo coughed to cover his laugh.
“I know it was you,” Maury said, his wrinkled face twisting in a scowl. “Admit it.”
Grandma took a deep breath. “Fine. It was me. I Jell-O’ed your teeth.”
For a long moment, they stared at each other—eyes narrowed and shoulders set. My heart started to race. Had she gone too far? What was he going to do?
Out of nowhere, Maury’s face erupted in a wide, toothless grin. He laughed, a loud guffaw that carried through the entire room.
Grandma followed, laughing so hard she was almost wheezing.
Theo laughed along with them, but I couldn’t stop staring open-mouthed.
“You are a dickens, Colleen,” Maury said, his shoulders still shaking. “But this might be your best yet. How on earth did you do it?”
She dabbed the corners of her eyes. “As if I’d tell you.”
Maury shook his head. “Left it right outside my door, too. I don’t know how you pulled this off, but it’s one for the record books. Well done, Colleen. Well done.”
“Thank you, Maury.”
“You know I have to get you back, though.”
“Oh, of course.”
“Good,” Maury said with a nod and slid the plate onto the table. “Want to help me get my teeth? I could get some spoons.”
Theo laughed again and I tried not to gag.
“No, thank you,” I said with a slight shudder.
“You sure?” He scooped some Jell-O off the top and slurped it up. “It’s good. Strawberry.”
I shook my head. Theo kept laughing.
“No one wants to eat that, Maury,” Grandma said. “It has your teeth in it.”
“We could just eat around them.” He shrugged and put the plate back in his lap. “If this stuff stains, you owe me denture tablets.”
“They’ll be fine.” Grandma waved a hand. “Go get your teeth. You look like a newt.”
Maury chuckled as he wheeled himself back to the elevator. Still open-mouthed, I turned to her.
“How did you do that?”
She shrugged. “I had to call in a favor, but it was worth it.”
“What kind of favor?”
“Don’t you worry about it, Penny.” She reached over and patted my hand. “But many thanks to you, Theo. It took me a while to pull it off, but it was an excellent suggestion.”
“That was well played, Colleen.” He reached his fist across the table. With a big smile, Grandma bumped his fist with hers.
“So, Theo,” she said, her tone indicating a change of subject, “have you figured out that you’re in love with my granddaughter yet, or do I need to intervene?”
Theo smiled. “No, ma’am, no intervention necessary. I’m very much in love with your granddaughter.” He took my hand. “And I’m staying here in Tilikum.”
“I knew you would.” She nodded appreciatively. “Didn’t take you as long to figure it out as I thought it might. Maybe some of the Havens have good heads on their shoulders.”
“A few of us aren’t complete idiots.”
“That’s good to hear,” she said. “I’m happy for you both. You make a beautiful couple.”
“Thanks, Grandma,” I said.
The cafeteria had opened for breakfast, so we joined her for omelets.
Theo gave her a few more prank suggestions—none of them involving dentures, thankfully—and we made plans to come over for a Thanksgiving meal on Thursday.
Hers would be midday, and the Havens were celebrating later, so we’d have time for both.
It would be a lot of food, but a lot of family, too. I couldn’t wait.
After a long visit—we helped finish her puzzle—it was time to say goodbye. I hugged her again and tried not to tear up at her whispered, “I love you, Penny.”
I loved her, too. So much.
Theo held my hand on the way out to his truck. Outside, a few flakes of snow drifted from the low-hanging clouds and our breath misted as we walked. We got in and he turned on the engine.
“You know what?” He glanced back at the building. “I forgot something. I’ll be right back.”
“What did you forget?”
“My phone. I think I set it on the table.”
“Do you want me to come?”
“No, I’ll just run in and grab it. You stay warm.” He leaned across the center console and gave me a quick kiss. “I’ll be right back.”
He got out of the truck, and it was odd, but I thought I caught the outline of his phone in his back pocket.
But maybe not. The pocket was probably just worn.
Time ticked by and he didn’t return. He must not have found his phone. It made me wonder if he’d actually left it at home.
Finally, he came back and got in. With that dimpled smile that made my insides swirl, he leaned over and kissed me. “Sorry. Found it.”
We drove away, and I couldn’t stop smiling. Whether from the Jell-O prank or seeing Theo fist-bump Grandma Colleen, or just because I was so deliriously happy, I didn’t know.
Probably all of the above.