Sheriff Keller was questioning all the people involved in the play. Being that Abby was close with many of them, she was getting questioned. "So tell me was there any animosity between anyone?"
"Not that I know of." She shook her head.
"Not even when Midge got the role of Carrie?" He asked.
"Cheryl understood she couldn't do it because of her mom. She didn't hold anything against Midge. She wanted it to be her, she even suggested it to Kevin. I don't know about Ethel. She rigged a sandbag and pretended to be the Black Hood writing letters." Ethel was high on her shit list right now.
"You tutored Moose, was there anything wrong with their relationship? Because I have been hearing things." He looks over his notes.
"If you're talking about the supposed cheating then it wasn't that. They were in an open relationship. I don't get it but they were fine with it. They even share their sexual stories with each other." She was sharing with him about something she swore to the couple she would never tell another living soul because she wanted the Sheriff to check people off his list as fast as he could so he would widen his net to other people.
"Are you sure, they both knew they were in an open relationship? Maybe Midge said it and Moose didn't know." He tapped the end of his pen against the notepad.
"Midge always brought me baked goods to thank me for torturing Moose. The guilt started to eat away at me, so I felt like I had to tell her about Moose's cheating. I would want to know. That's when she told me about their arrangement. How they were young and curious but still in love with each other." She explained how it was a mutual agreement.
"Do you know about Midge's other partners?" He asked.
"No, she never spoke about it. She didn't want to humiliate Moose by making him seem like less to other people because they wouldn't understand." She never pries when Midge didn't want to share.
"Can you think of anyone that would want to hurt her?" He hoped for a new lead because all he had were dead ends.
"Other than the Black Hood or some copycat, no. Midge has never hurt anyone. I never even heard her raise her voice. The only person better than me or Toni at keeping a level head when dealing with Cheryl is Midge" She started to cry. "I'm so sorry. It is so infuriating that some asshole is out there pretending to be god handing out punishment. He's not even going after murder or rapiest. He goes after pity shit like adulterers and people who are experimenting with drugs. This damn Dexter wannabe is making me a wreck." She took the tissue that the Sheriff was holding out to her. "Thank you."
"I'm going to do my best to catch this man." He promised.
"I hope you do." She left out the doubt she had but he could see it in her eyes.
Abby was standing between her father and brother watching Midge's coffin be lowered into the ground. Sweet Pea was standing behind her. Cheryl was singing You'll Never Walk Alone by Gerry and the Peacemakers. The Vixens dressed all in black were singing backing up.
People lined up to drop a white rose down on her casket. Abby tears up as she drops the rose on the nicest girl she ever met.
When Cheryl finished singing, she raised her hand to signal the Vixens to put their pom-poms in the air. "I feel it is my duty to say that... Like the Furies of Ancient Greece, who ceaselessly pursue blood atonement when a crime's been committed, the Vixens and I vow that we will not rest until those responsible for the murder of our sister... Is rightly punished." She glares at Sherif Keller.
After paying their respect to the family, everyone walks to their cars. Sheriff Keller approached the dead girl's mother who was being guided by Cheryl to her car because she was crying so hard. "Mrs. Klump? I just want you to know that the Sheriff's department is working around the clock…"
Everyone around hissed at the slap that made the Sheriff's head jerk. "You're supposed to be protecting our children! You should be ashamed of yourself." She brushes past him to get into her car.
"Your days of failing this town over and over again are numbered... Sheriff." Cheryl hissed in his face before following the grieving mother.
The teen Serpents and Abby found themselves sitting at Pops. "So, what was she like?" Sweet Pea asked.
"Who, Midge?" Fangs tilt his head.
"Yeah, I mean. Were supposed to be remembering her life, honoring her? But, I don't know her, so..." He figured that talking about the good time might get the sad looks off their faces.
"I only knew her for a short time, but she was understanding and accepting. She was one of the few people to not treat Toni and me like wild animals. You can tell she cares about the people around her. She gives without expecting anything back." He had a deep fondness in his eyes for her. It surprised the two people across from him.
"Fangs were you two experimenting?" Abby leaned in to whisper. His eyes went wide at her using the same word that Midge did.
Sweet Pea let out a loud laugh. "You were boning her?" Abby slapped him while Fangs hushed him. "Sorry, sorry." He looked around at the people glaring at him for laughing during a funeral reception.
"Don't you say anything to anyone? Sheriff Keller is desperately looking for someone. He asked me if I knew any of Midge's other partners." She advised him.
"I wasn't even going to say anything to you guys." Fangs ran a hand through his hair.
"And I'm hurt. You nailed a bulldog's girlfriend and didn't tell me." He put a hand over his heart.
"This is probably why, look at how excited you are getting over this." She rolled her eyes.
"Let's drop it." Fangs whispers.
"Sure, we'll drop it for now." Sweets snickers.
"You don't speak of this until the Black Hood is caught," Abby growls, knowing that Fangs would be the perfect scapegoat for Keller.
"I can't believe that you turned it down," Abby yelled at her father.
"I don't need it." He drank his coffee.
"This guy isn't some prankster. He's a killer. He stabbed a girl to death and put her body on display for everyone to see like it was artwork. You need to take this seriously." She slammed her hands down on the table.
Archie hurried into the room when he heard the angry shouting. "What's going on?"
"Dad turned down Sheriff Keller offering to have people follow him. He wants to tell the deputy outside to go." She told him.
"Midge was murdered in an auditorium full of people. Do you think a deputy can stop the Black Hood? All the man is doing right now is earning easy money. I would like my tax dollars being used better." Fred hated being treated like a sitting duck.
"Dad, I can't stop thinking about what the Black Hood wrote. All those who escaped me before will die. Maybe you should leave town and visit Chicago, go stay with Mom." Archie sided with his sister.
"Where would you two stay, son? Here? Alone?" He shook his head.
"We are not the targets." Abby reminded him.
"I'm not running away. Then this guy gets to feel powerful. I'm not going to let that happen." He took his coffee into another room.
"Why must men have this stubborn pride?" Abby yelled to the roof.
"What the hell is going on? You haven't left your house for the past few days. Not for school, work, to the trailer park, nothing. You're being vague in your messages." Sweet Pea stood on the porch to confront his girlfriend.
"Because Archie went MIA. For a while I didn't know where he was, I thought the Black Hood got him. Until I called Veronica. She said that he was with her because she didn't want him to go crazy over the Black Hood again. So, I have to hold down the fort here." She crosses her arms.
"And what are you going to do if the Black Hood comes?" He cocks his head.
"I don't know but there is safety in numbers." She shrugs.
"He killed Midge when there was an audience a few feet away." He didn't see her logic.
"Yeah, but he waited until he could get her alone to do it." She looks back at the door. She felt like if she let her dad out of her sight that would be the moment of opportunity for the killer.
"There were four of you in the diner when he shot your dad." He pointed out another hole.
"Yeah, but he only wounded him. With Moose and Midge, he was only able to wound Moose. The only time he killed is when it was one on one, with Midge and Miss Grundy. If I'm here at least it will only be a wound. Maybe it can be me this time instead of him." She wipes the tears from her tired eyes.
"Hey!" He yelled, stopping her train of thought. "I'm not going to have any of that. If there's safety in numbers then we can..." He was going to invite the rest of their group over when she cut him off.
"I'm not having any of that. I don't want others to be at risk." She shook her head.
"If you have the right to protect your dad, then I have a right to protect you." He snapped before calming down. "Besides, Tessie has been asking for her mommy."
"What?" She gasps.
"Yeah, she gave us titles. I wasn't going to tell you but you were the first. I was hoping to pass myself off as the first. Which I think she would have if it wasn't for the confusion of having both Fangs and I." He reasoned.
"Someone thinks of me as their mommy." She whispers to herself.
"Yeah and this time it's not kinky." He winks.
"Stop," She whines, slapping his shoulder.
"Just let Fangs, Tessie, and I come over." He grabbed her hand.
"But, what if he comes over when she is here?" She asks.
"Then he'll feel what a Papa Bear's wrath is." He puffs out his chest.
"Is that what you're hoping to be called?" She arches an eyebrow.
"Yeah, it is what I requested because I'm the Big Papa. And that way you calling me daddy can still be hot for me." He wiggled his eyebrows.
"You know what, get it all out of your system because you won't be making those jokes tonight. Oh my god, my dad is going to meet Tessie." She came to that realization.
"Yup, he's gonna learn you made me a Big Papa." He winks.
"You're making a lot for just me and you." Fred looked down into the pot of sloppy joes.
"Well, dad, Fangs, and Sweet Pea are coming over and they're bringing a special guest." She put the buns in the oven to toast them.
"Who, FP? He does love a tater tot." He nods to the bag she had on the counter.
"She is more special than FP." She smiles.
"More special than your godfather, woah that big." He dramatically made his eyes wide.
"Why do you and mom like to make like I still idolize him? I'm not five anymore." She scoffs.
"Do you have to remind me?" He sighs.
There was a knock on the door. "Oh, it's them." She ran to answer the door.
"Mommy," Tessie hugs her legs. Abby smiled largely, being the first time she heard her say it. She scopes her up into a hug as she swings her around.
"Abigail," Fred questioned what was going on.
"Dad, this is Tessie. Fangs and Sweet Pea took her in because she was being abused. She has taken to me." She put the little girl in front of her. "Tessie, this is my dad."
"Hello, mom's dad." She shyly leans against Abby.
He stared down at her in shock. Even though it wasn't possible he felt like he was looking at his daughter's child with Sweet Pea. She had the same wavy red hair that his daughter had, but she had dark brown eyes like the teen staring him down. Watching him with a daring threat of what would happen if he made the girl cry. He knew because it was the same feeling he would get over Abby.
After what felt like an eternity to everyone else in the room, Fred bent down and stuck out his hand. "I guess that would make me your grandpa."
The teens let out a breath of relief as Tessie repeated the word. "Grandpa?"
"You can call me Grandpa Fred if you like." He smiled.
"Grandpa!" She hugged him.
"So, are you d… daddy?" He asked Sweet Pea with hesitation.
"No, that's Papa, silly." She laughs before pointing at Fangs. "That's daddy."
"Abigail." Fred looked at his daughter sternly.
"I'm only in a relationship with Sweet Pea." She reassured him.
"For now?" Fangs winks.
"No one likes your joke." Sweets glares.
"I agree." Fred didn't want to think about his daughter being shared.
"I don't know, I think it could be hot." Abby playful winks at Fangs, who smiled smugly.
"If you're hot then you can sit in front of the fan," Tessie told her.