The Innocent

“Right. Like you said, not counting that shit Julie.”

Patty colored and looked down. “Well, I didn’t mean it exactly like that.”

Gerald added, “Truth is, Julie could be a real piece of work. Speaks her mind too much for my taste.”

“And so she’s not here anymore?”

“Run off in the middle of the night.”

Patty said, “We’ve been so worried.”

“And you of course reported this, right?”

Gerald and Patty looked at each other. He said, “Well, we were hoping she’d come back.”

“So we were waiting for a bit,” added Patty.

“Has she run off before?”

“Not this time, well, except for last night.”

Robie looked up from his notes. “This time? Was she placed with you before?”

“Three times.”

“What happened those times?”

“Don’t know exactly,” said Gerald. “I think her parents got her back. Remember the caseworker telling me Julie’s mom and dad would do that. But then there she’d be back in foster care.”

“When was the last time you saw her?”

“Last night right after I served her a delicious dinner,” said Patty in a syrupy tone that made Robie want to pull his gun and fire a shot just over her head.

“And when did you discover her missing?”

“This morning when she didn’t come down.”

“So you don’t check on your beloved ‘wards’ at night?”

“She was very private,” said Gerald hastily. “We didn’t like to butt in.”

Robie pulled the empty beer can out from under the chair. “I can see that.” He waved his hand in the air. “And you might want to open some windows. Get the reefer smell out.”

“We don’t do drugs,” said Gerald, feigning astonishment.

“And I don’t know whose that is,” added Patty, pointing at the beer can.

“Right,” Robie said dismissively. “Have you heard from Julie since she left?”

They both shook their heads.

“Any reason to believe someone would want to hurt her?”

The Dixons looked genuinely surprised by this question. Gerald said, “Why, has something happened to her?”

“Just answer the question. Anybody come around here you didn’t know? Suspicious cars?”

Gerald said, “No, nothing like that. What the hell has she got herself involved in? Gangs?”

Patty put a hand up to her ample bosom. “Do you think we might be in danger?”

Robie closed his notebook. “I certainly wouldn’t rule out the possibility. Some folks don’t care who they hurt.” He had to fight back a smile.

He rose, lifted up the seat cushion, and pulled out a baggie of coke, some vials containing a brown liquid, two capped syringes, and elastic strips used to pop the blood vessels to the surface for ease of injection.

“And next time try locating your pharmacy somewhere more private.”

They both stared down at the drugs and related paraphernalia but said nothing.

As Robie was walking down the street he saw a woman holding an envelope striding along with two police officers in tow.

“You heading to the Dixons’?” he asked as the woman neared.

“Yes. Who are you?”

“Just someone who wants you to make sure they never get foster kids again.”

The woman waved the envelope. “Well, your wish has just been granted.”

She steamed on with the officers right behind.

Robie walked on. Something on his wrist beeped. He looked down at the tracker.

Julie Getty was finally on the move.

And Robie was pretty sure where.

CHAPTER 30

Julie clambered up the vine and slipped inside her bedroom window. She squatted on the floor listening. All she could hear were her own heartbeats. Her legs shaky, she moved down the stairs, holding on to the wall for support. She rounded the bend, closed her eyes, and then opened them.

It was all she could do not to scream.

Robie stared back at her.

“You get around,” he said.

She looked quickly around the room. There was nothing there except furniture.

“Expecting to find something else?” he said, moving toward her.

She backed up a step.

“How did you get here?” she asked.

“Followed you.”

“That’s impossible.”

“Nothing’s impossible really. This is your home, right?”

She said nothing, just stared up at him, more in curiosity than fear.

He looked at a picture on a side table. “Your mom and dad were nice-looking. And there you are right in the center. Happy times, it seems.”

“You don’t know anything,” snapped Julie.

“Correction, I know some things. Like you’re in danger. People are looking for you. People who have a lot of money, muscle, and connections.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because they covered up two murders right here.”

Julie’s eyes widened. “How did you know that?”

Robie motioned to the wall next to where she stood. “Fresh paint. But only in that spot. It was put there to cover something up.” He pointed to the floor. “Used to be a square of carpet here. You can see where the wood is lighter. It’s gone. Again, covering something up.”

“How do you know it’s about a murder? It could be anything.”

“No, not anything. You paint walls and remove rugs to take away forensics. Blood, tissue, other bodily fluids. And they missed a spot of blood on the baseboard over there. Did you expect to find their bodies here? There would have been a smell by now, you know. An unmistakable one.”