The Innocent

“Right, a warehouse about five minutes from here. He walked her home a lot. Didn’t think the streets around here were safe, and sometimes they’re not. I thought it was sweet. He really loved her and she really loved him. They had absolutely nothing. Lived in a dump. No car. No savings. No retirement. Well, they did have Julie. That’s something for sure. They wanted the best for her. Didn’t want her to end up like them. Paid every last penny they had and then some to get her into a gifted and talented program at a really good school. Sara worked extra hours here all the time to help pay for the tuition. We had lots of chats about that when we were working the same shift. And Curtis pulled extra hours at the warehouse. He was a druggie, but he could work hard when he wanted to. And for his little girl he wanted to.”

In his ear Robie heard Julie breathing fast and hard.

His hand reached down to the power pack on his belt and he turned it off.

“You see Julie a lot?” he asked.

“Oh, yeah. Like I said, she’d sit at a booth or here at the counter and do her homework while her mom finished her shift. Then the three of them would walk home together.”

“When she wasn’t in foster care?”

“Right. I know. It seems like she was more in foster care than not.”

“You see anybody hanging around here the last few weeks you didn’t recognize?”

Kosmann frowned. “Look, has something happened to Sara, or Curtis or Julie?”

“I’m just here collecting information.”

“Your badge said DCIS.”

Robie was surprised at this. Most people never focused on the actual insignia.

“You know the agency?”

“We got some veterans who are regulars here. One was with DCIS, so I know the symbol. But what’s the connection to the Gettys? Neither Curtis nor Sara was in the service, at least that I know of.”

“Again, I’m just collecting information. Did either of them seem edgy or concerned when you saw them lately?”

“Something has happened to them, hasn’t it?” Kosmann looked like she might start crying. Several patrons at other tables glanced at them.

“Cheryl, I’m just here doing my job. And if you don’t want to answer my questions, that’s fine. Or we can do it another time.”

“No, no, it’s okay.” She wiped her eyes with a napkin and collected herself. “But I think I’m going to have some coffee too, to steady my nerves.”

He waited while she poured herself a cup and returned to stand in front of him.

“Edgy, or concerned?” prompted Robie.

“Now that you mention it, yeah. At least Sara. I don’t know about Curtis. He’s always edgy and looks ready to jump out of his skin all the time. But that’s just the drugs talking.”

“Did you ever ask Sara what was bothering her?”

“No, I never did. I figured it was either Curtis or maybe losing Julie to foster care again. There was nothing I could do about any of it.”

“She mention any names? Take any phone calls here that seemed out of the ordinary?”

“No.”

“Her last day here did anything unusual happen?”

“No, but the night before they had some friends in here for dinner.”

“What friends?”

“Just buddies of theirs. They took that booth over there. Sara was off duty, and she had her meal free and discounts on everybody else’s. When you don’t have much money, every little bit helps.”

“Did you know them?”

“Another couple. Leo and Ida Broome.”

Robie took a sip of his coffee and then wrote this down.

“Tell me about them.”

Some more customers came in and Robie waited while Cheryl seated them at a booth and took their drink orders. After she delivered them and took their food requests she came back over to Robie. He’d eyed the new folks and saw nothing threatening. While Cheryl was doing her duties he’d turned the power pack back on and immediately heard Julie’s voice.

“Don’t turn it off again. I’m not going to start crying. Okay?”

He nodded slightly.

Cheryl said, “Sorry about that.”

“No problem. We were talking about the Broomes?”

“Not much to tell, really. They’re in their late forties, nice couple. I think Ida works in a hair salon. And Leo does something with the city, not sure exactly what. I don’t know how they met. Maybe they were all in rehab together. Who knows? I only know them from when they come here to have a meal with Sara and Curtis from time to time.”

“You have an address or phone number for them?”

“No.”

In his ear Julie said, “I do.”

Robie said, “Cheryl, did you notice anything unusual while they were together that night?”

“Well, I served them. I was working the late shift that night. I just caught snatches of conversation. Nothing really important, but they all looked…”

Robie waited patiently until she found the words she was looking for.

“Well, they all looked like they’d seen a ghost.”

“And you didn’t ask them what was bothering them?”