CHAPTER 20: Confessions

Summary

On Friday, Turtle Wexler skips school and goes with Flora Baumbach to the stock broker. When Westing stock reaches fifty-two dollars a share, the highest in fifteen years, Turtle tells Baba to sell. Meanwhile, Doug Hoo does not attend classes as he prepares for the track meet on Saturday by following Otis Amber again. He waits for Otis outside a rooming house but at least his feet doesn't hurt: when he went to see Doctor Jake Wexler about his blisters, he was directed to see his own father, who gave him paper innersoles that worked wonderfully. At five Otis bicycles back to Sunset Towers and Doug follows him. However, he does not know where Theo is. Theo is in the hospital emergency room as his "solution" experiment led to an explosion at the high school chemistry lab. The bomb squad detective questions Theo due to the incidents at Sunset Towers, but Theo has an alibi for the third bomb at the Wexler apartment.

George Theodorakis finally delivers in person one of Judge Ford's orders to the coffee shop, giving the Judge a chance to ask him about Violet Westing. George explains that his father was a factory foreman and he was childhood sweethearts with Violet. However, Violet's mother wanted her to marry somebody important - which surprises Judge Ford, as she thought it was Sam Westing who objected to the romance. George explains that Sam Westing wanted Violet to become involved in his business and someday run the company, but that she was interested in being a teacher instead. He then goes on to say that Mrs. Westing chose the politician who Violet was to marry, believing he may someday be president and Violet the First Lady. Violet thought she was a cheap crook, however, and committed suicide rather than marry him. After that, Mrs. Westing went insane, but that was a long time ago. With all this, Sandy finishes his notes on the two Theodorakis heirs, George's sons Theo and Christos.

Sandy McSouthers tells Judge Ford that the new medicine for Chris is working but that he needs more help. Judge Ford wonders why the boys' parents weren't heirs. Sandy guesses that Sam Westing may not have wanted to embarrass George since he's married, or that he was too busy with the coffee shop, or blamed George for Violet's death since they could have eloped. Judge Ford dismisses the last point, as she believes if Sam Westing blames George Theodorakis, he would involve him in the miserable game. Judge Ford wants to stay focused on the real issue: which heir does Sam Westing want punished and why? Sandy guesses it would be the person who hurt him the most, who would be the person that caused Violet's death. Judge Ford agrees but Sandy points out that Mrs. Westing is not one of the heirs. Judge Ford, however, believes she must be one of the heirs and that Mrs. Westing is the answer to the game.

Notes

With the increasing popularity of James Hoo's innersoles, Jake Wexler's already waning interest in podiatry dims even further. In both cases, identity and occupation are tied together: James becomes happier as his true calling of inventor is validated by the happy feet of his customers; Jake's disillusionment with his own job is evident in his inability to help his patients Crow and Doug Hoo.

Judge Ford's distrust of Sam Westing is evident in her belief that the Westing game is meant to torture those involved, and thus George Theodorakis being excused from the game means he's not the target. Ironically, Sam Westing is himself telling Judge Ford why George was not made an heir, in the first two of the three reasons he offers her as Sandy McSouthers.