What Happened to Pennington?

   What Happened to Pennington?

Suzanne Marsh

Detective Henry Hoover strode into the massive offices of George Pennington, Founder and CEO of Pennington Fresh Foods. George Pennington had summoned the detective for an early morning conference. Hoover knocked on the door, but there was no answer, something was very wrong. Hoover entered the inner office, noting the elderly white-haired gentleman, gazing out the window. Hoover, knew George Pennington was hard of hearing so he announced himself, first he cleared his throat:

“Mr. Pennington, George?” Strange that George did not answer him, he discovered the reason a minute later; there was a small amount of blood on the red leather chair, checking further he saw a small hole at the base of George’s brain. He had been shot at close range, Hoover checked for a pulse, but nothing, George was dead. Hoover dialed 911 reporting the death of George Pennington, he then began a search of the office hoping to discover why George had been murdered. He began to make a mental list of who might be suspect. Somehow, they did not seem to be likely for George's son and daughter. The son lived in a communal not far from the family home. He was a radical but not stupid. The daughter was away at college, her major was communications. He did not rule them merely putting them at the bottom of his mental list. George’s secretary Blanche Crob, was also in his thoughts, a bleach bottle blond with a great deal of Botox in her face, and bust. George, Hoover knew had planned to leave her a substantial amount of money for her years of service.

Hoover puzzled over these names and again began a process of elimination since these were the most likely, the question was where were each of those people when George was murdered. Hoover, decided his first interview would be with Blanche since she was at her desk just outside George’s. He strode out to the foyer where Blanche was normally. ‘Strange’, he thought; ‘she is not here she should be.’ He knew the police would be here any moment, they would begin to discuss the case, what he had found while waiting for them.

Moments later Captain John Miller arrived, Miller decided the case would give him good publicity since George Pennington was such an important name in the area. He shook hands with Hoover:

“Good to see you again Henry, it has been a while. Have you found anything that will help

identify the killer?” Henry informed the Captain:

“No, not yet sir; Blanche Corb is missing, she stood to inherit a million or so dollars.”

The captain remained in the inner office looking at the deceased, the bullet hole in the back of his head. Miller noted the small caliber bullet, whoever killed George stood right behind him, but why hadn’t George reacted? He certainly still had a great deal of prowess, something was off; Miller wanted to solve the mystery quickly. Miller knew Hoover would wish to solve this since he and George had been friends for over twenty years.

Hoover drove out to the communal where George’s son lived, he found it very unnerving. There were barbed wire fences, a watch tower everyone there walking around in white robes. He wondered what had made the kid join a communal, after all, he was going to inherit millions of dollars from a trust fund George had set up years ago. He drove into the compound slowly, a stubby little fellow came out of the guard shack, and Hoover smiled at him:

“What can I do for you, sir?” Hoover replied:

“I need to speak to a young man named Pennington.” The guard knew exactly where he was and directed Hoover to a long barracks-type building, Hoover approached the young man:

“My name is Hoover, I am a homicide detective, George your father was murdered this

morning. I need you to come with me.”

George Junior almost chocked but managed to croak:

My father is dead? What happened? Does Ella know yet?” He had so many questions and Hoover had so few answered:

“George, I am here to ask you a few questions about your father, he and I were friends, I

want to understand what happened between the two of you. George sat on one of the mats, then motioned for Hoover to join him. Hoover sat across from him:

“George, why a communal? You are what now twenty? There is more to life than a dreary

compound in the middle of a swamp. You are due to inherit millions of dollars, what are

you going to do with the money?” George Junior began a rambling account:

“The first thing I will do with that money is to give it to the commune for the benefit of all our

members, if I have anything left over well I guess I would have to give the extra to Ella, she

is always short of money.”

Hoover listened intently and then asked:

“Where were you this morning around eight o’clock?”

He closely watched the expression change on George Junior’s face:

“I was here at the commune, ask any of the brothers or sisters they will corroborate my story.”

Hoover knew he would not get any straight answers from the kid. He turned to stand up:

“I am going to see Ella next, I do have a problem however Blanche your father’s secretary

is missing. Do you have any idea where I could find her?” The boy looked at Hoover carefully:

“No, I have no idea where she could be.” Something was off, Hoover took his leave and drove to Miss Gordon’s School for Young Women. He asked to speak to Ella Pennington:

“Ella will be down in a few moments, is there something I can help you with? I am Ella’s

homeroom teacher.” Hoover had an uneasy feeling about this woman:

“No, I have to speak with Ella but thank you.”

Ella arrived moments later, she knew Hoover from his visits to her father:

“Detective Hoover, what is wrong?”

Hoover detected a slight note of what fear perhaps?

“Your father was killed this morning, I am sorry for your loss. Where were you this morning at

roughly eight o’clock? Has Blanche Corb talked to you in the past twenty-four

hours?” Ella informed Hoover she had been here at school and had no idea where Blanche was.

Hoover decided she had nothing to do with the murder and neither did her brother. Blanche Corb was missing he put out an APB for her.

Hoover checked the trains and planes leaving the area today, no Blanche Corb. He called the captain, informing him Blanche Corb was missing, and they needed to find her quickly. They checked her apartment no one had been there in weeks according to her neighbor. Hoover checked all possibilities, he knew she had to be somewhere close by, and she couldn’t risk leaving the state with a million dollars at stake. Process of elimination Hoover had an idea, he notified George’s attorney to contact him the moment he heard from Blanche.

Blanche stood by the window of the motel room, she heard the sirens; ‘damn’ she thought, they found me.’ Hoover and his team arrested her, and at her interrogation, she confessed to killing George:

“Yes I killed him, I would do it again that old leach! I gave him the best twenty years of my

life. He was going to marry me, we had plans; we sought to be so happy until I caught

him with my assistant. I decided then that I was going to make him pay. I used the small

caliber gun, and I shot the SOB in the back of his head. End of story.”

Hoover poured himself a perfectly steeped cup of tea, and the mystery was solved.