The Innocent

“And my lawyers will have no answers to your questions.” He pulled a card from an old-fashioned Rolodex and handed it to Robie. “Their contact info is right on there, Mr. DCIS.”

“You always that quick to call in the legal beagles?” asked Robie.

“I’ve found they’re worth every penny of their outrageous fees.”

“So you have a lot of need for legal services?” asked Vance.

“Ma’am, this is America. If a businessman wants to wipe his ass he better have a lawyer on retainer.”

Robie looked around the office. It was high-dollar decorated. And there was a shelf full of business awards against one wall.

“You look to be pretty successful. Bar must do well.”

“This bar is one of twenty businesses that I own. And all of them are highly profitable, and I don’t have one dime of debt. How many of the Fortune 500 jerk-offs can say that? I’ve even got my own damn plane.”

“Good for you,” said Robie. He put the business card for the law firm down on Cassidy’s desk.

“We’re here to ask you about your old Army squad.”

Cassidy looked genuinely surprised by this. He took the cigar out of his mouth.

“What the hell for?”

“You keep in touch with any of them?”

Cassidy looked past him and saw Julie peering around the corner of the doorway.

Cassidy slowly rose and said, “Come on in here, girl.”

Julie eyed Robie, who nodded. She stepped into the office.

“Closer,” said Cassidy.

Julie drew nearer to the desk.

Cassidy stubbed out his cigar in an ashtray and rubbed his chin. “Damn.”

“What is it?” asked Vance.

“You’re Julie, aren’t you?” said Cassidy.

“I am. But I don’t know you.”

“I knew your parents real well. How they doing?”

Robie said, “How do you know them?”

“Like you said, the squad. Curtis Getty and me served together. Saved my ass a couple times in Gulf One.”

“I didn’t even know my dad was in the Army until just recently,” said Julie.

Cassidy nodded, but didn’t look surprised by this. “He wasn’t much of a talker.”

“How did you know I was Julie? I don’t think we’ve ever met.”

“Because you look just like your mother. Same eyes, same dimple, everything. And we have met. Only you were just a baby. Diapered you a couple of times myself. Probably botched the job. Not great with little kids.”

“So you kept in touch with them?” asked Robie.

“Not for a long time. I haven’t seen them since Julie turned one.”

“What happened?”

Cassidy looked away and shrugged. “Folks get busy. Drift apart.” He eyed Julie. “Your mom doing okay?”

“No, she’s dead.”

“What?” Cassidy said quickly. “What the hell happened?” He put one hand on the desk to steady himself.

Robie said, “She and Curtis were murdered.”

“Murdered!” Cassidy dropped back into his chair. The questions tumbled out. “Why? How? Who did it?”

“We were hoping you could help us answer those questions,” said Robie.

“Me?”

“Yeah, you.”

“Like I said, I haven’t seen the Gettys in a long time.”

“Didn’t you know they lived in D.C.?” asked Robie.

“No. They didn’t use to live around here. They were in Pennsylvania last time I saw them.”

“Pennsylvania?” exclaimed Julie. “I didn’t know that. I thought they were from California.”

“Curtis might’ve been. But when we got back to the States they lived over near Pittsburgh. That was the last time I saw them, you understand. Didn’t know they’d moved down here.”

Vance said, “So you were living in Pennsylvania too back then?”

“Yeah. In fact, I lived with them for a while. Long time ago. Trying to get back on my feet. I actually knew your mom before she met your dad. They got married while he was still in uniform. I was at the wedding.”

Robie glanced at Julie and noted her wide-eyed look at all this new information about her parents.

Cassidy continued. “Anyway, after Gulf One I didn’t do too well. Got into some bad stuff. They helped me out.”

“Drugs?” asked Robie.

“I wasn’t the one into the drugs,” said Cassidy quietly, looking away from Julie.

“I know my parents had drug problems,” said Julie. “Especially my dad.”

“He was a good man, Julie,” said Cassidy. “Like I said, he saved my butt over in the desert. Earned himself the Bronze with valor. A Purple too. When we were in uniform he never touched even a drop of liquor. But after we came back we were all changed. The war wasn’t that long. Not like Nam or WW II. But we saw some serious stuff over there. Lots of deaths, mostly civilians, women, kids. And lots of guys came back messed up or sick. Anyway, your daddy started using. Pot. Coke. Meth. Your mom tried to get him straight, but never really could. And then she fell into that crap too. Hard as hell to get out of that hole once you’re in it.”

“And what was your vice?” Vance asked.

“I was a drunk,” said Cassidy frankly.

“And yet you own a bar?” said Robie.

“Best way to test yourself on a daily basis. I’m surrounded by the best stuff, and I haven’t touched a drop of it in over a decade.”

“Julie’s fourteen. So about thirteen years ago was the last time you saw the Gettys?” asked Vance.

“That’s what I said.”