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Back A Penny for Your Thoughts Save as PDF
Chapters (62)
  1. Cover
  2. A PENNY
  3. Dedication
  4. Acknowledgments
  5. One
  6. Two
  7. Three
  8. Four
  9. Five
  10. Six
  11. Seven
  12. Eight
  13. Nine
  14. Ten
  15. Eleven
  16. Twelve
  17. Thirteen
  18. Fourteen
  19. Fifteen
  20. Sixteen
  21. Seventeen
  22. Eighteen
  23. Nineteen
  24. Twenty
  25. Twenty-One
  26. Twenty-Two
  27. Twenty-Three
  28. Twenty-Four
  29. Twenty-Five
  30. Twenty-Six
  31. Twenty-Seven
  32. Twenty-Eight
  33. Twenty-Nine
  34. Thirty
  35. Thirty-One
  36. Thirty-Two
  37. Thirty-Three
  38. Thirty-Four
  39. Thirty-Five
  40. Thirty-Six
  41. Thirty-Seven
  42. Thirty-Eight
  43. Thirty-Nine
  44. Forty
  45. Forty-One
  46. Forty-Two
  47. Forty-Three
  48. Forty-Four
  49. Forty-Five
  50. Forty-Six
  51. Forty-Seven
  52. Forty-Eight
  53. Forty-Nine
  54. Fifty
  55. Fifty-One
  56. Fifty-Two
  57. Fifty-Three
  58. Fifty-Four
  59. A Sample Chapter of Don’t Take Any Wooden Nickels
  60. About the Author
  61. Other Books by Mindy Starns Clark
  62. About the Publisher

I left the house and headed to the city. I turned in my fancy Lincoln and picked up my banged-up Saturn and then headed to the police station, where my car was photographed and I was grilled for about three hours by Keegan and Sollie. They had me retrace every step I had made in the last week, and though I left a few things out, I did my best to cooperate. In the end, they let me go with a promise that they would be inviting me back soon to serve as a witness at the various trials connected with the case. The only one of those I looked forward to was the one for Monty Redburn; I hoped to see him behind bars for a long, long time. It wasn’t a matter of forgiveness; it was a matter of safety. I wanted him locked away and unavailable. I wouldn’t soon forget the grin on his face as he tried to kill me, or the sight of his high-powered rifle aimed in my direction.

Leaving the police station, I stopped off at the Perskie Detective Agency to give Duane a big thanks for all of his help. Then I came here to the jail, my last stop before I headed south toward home. I wasn’t sure why I had come; I doubted Judith would be very glad to see me. But I had a few things to say that were weighing on my heart, and at least here she would be a captive audience.

Still, I wasn’t prepared for the sight of her as they brought her in. She was wearing a gray jumpsuit, her hair was limp, and her face was tired and devoid of makeup. She seemed subdued and not at all like her usual energetic, feisty self. She let the guard escort her to a chair, and then she simply sat across from me, avoiding my gaze as the guard retreated through the door.

“How are you?” I asked, my voice echoing in the cement room.

She nodded, swallowing hard.

“About like you’d expect,” she said hoarsely. “The county jail isn’t exactly the Plaza.”

“I suppose not.”

“I should be out on bail in a few hours,” she continued. “At least that’s what my lawyer told me.”

“That’s good.”

“If you came to tell me about Mom,” she said, finally meeting my gaze, “save your breath. Derek was already here this morning. I know everything.”

“That’s not why I’m here,” I said, “but I’m glad he told you.”

“I knew it all along,” she said softly, shaking her head. “Didn’t want to believe it, but in my gut, I knew it.”

“I think all of you knew it,” I replied.

Judith leaned back in her chair, folding her arms across her chest.