“Hi, Mr. Granger. How are you doing?” I managed an innocent smile, but guilt feasted at my insides.
“Great, good.” He stopped in front of us, his eyes landing on Theon. I glanced up at Theon, his face unreadable as ever. He was staring at Mr. Granger with calm indifference, not a shred of remorse flickering in his gaze. It was like he wasn’t even there.
The stare exchange grew awkward, Mr. Granger waiting for him to say something. Clearing my throat, I fumbled for words.
“I heard about him...your grandson.”
Oh, God. Why did I say that?
Mr. Granger’s smile faltered slightly, but he remained composed.
“Yeah, yeah. Real sad.” He nodded slowly, rubbing his chin. “I’m sorry ‘bout what he did to ya that day, been tryna reach out but...”
“It’s fine. I’m not mad. I’m sorry for your loss again.” My voice softened. “How’s the investigation going?” I asked, though I knew I shouldn’t have. I hadn’t gotten over the fear.
He let out a heavy sigh, shifting his weight.
“Well, ain’t goin’ too well. They couldn’t find no evidence to pin the culprit. Witness ain’t see the face proper.” He shook his head, resignation settling in his eyes. “It’s probably those folks he was runnin’ with. Looks like they’re gonna drop it.”
I swallowed hard. “That...I’m really sorry.”
I waited for Theon to say something, even just a nod or acknowledgment, but nothing. His calm demeanour remained intact, completely unaffected by the conversation. Mr. Granger gave Theon a strange look, likely wondering why he hadn’t spoken.
As the man finally waved and continued his walk, I cocked my head at Theon. “Would it kill you to act like you care? He kept looking at you strangely.”
Theon’s lips twitched, not a hint of regret. “Yes, it would.” His voice was flat, unmoved. “And you kept apologising. It was...vexing.”
I rolled my eyes. Why was I even surprised? “You killed his grandson, remember?”
“Doesn’t ring a bell,” he replied, the edge of a smirk tugging at his lips.
I shook my head, trying to fight a smile as we nearedWitch’s Brew Café. I was abetting a killer, and here I was, practically grinning about it. How twisted was that?
Suddenly, curiosity got the better of me. “Was my boss your first kill?”
“No.”
The breath caught in my throat. “You’ve killed more than three people?” I whispered, the words barely escaping my lips as I continued walking only because his hand pulled me along.
“My mom was my first.”
I stopped dead in my tracks, rooted to the spot. Theon, however, didn’t even blink as he turned to face me, one brow raised in mild amusement, as if he hadn’t just hit me with the biggest shock of my life.
“Why are you frozen?” His tone was so calm it was unnerving.
“Uh...I’m sorry. I don’t usually hear people casually mention killing their moms,” I stammered, still processing. “You’re joking, right—”
“Not all moms are moms, Ainsley. Some are maniacs,” he said smoothly, without the slightest trace of emotion. “And sometimes killing them is...necessary.” His eyes were so steady, so matter-of-fact, it sent a shiver through me.
Before I could even respond, he tugged at my hand again, and I fell into step beside him.
“So, it wasn’t accidental?” I probed cautiously.
“No.”
“Why?” I hesitated. “If you don’t want to—”
“To save myself.” He cut me off, his voice still disturbingly calm. His fingers brushed along his chest, tracing the long scar that cut across his skin. “If I had not killed her at that moment, I’d have been the dead one. This was her parting gift.”
