The Innocent

“At first I thought it was a change of plan on their part. They didn’t want me to live, but then they did. But now I think their plan all along was for me to walk away. But they knew I’d get suspicious if they made it look too easy.”

“Easy!”

“I have higher standards than most people, at least when it comes to survival. They had to send someone else after me. It was probably the shooter from the Winds’ apartment.”

“But if they wanted you to live and me too, that means they need us for some reason,” Julie said slowly.

“That’s exactly what I was thinking.”

“But why?”

“Nobody puts this much effort into something, kills that many people, without a damn important reason.”

“And we’re caught right in the middle of it,” she said.

“No, we’re caught right in the front of it,” replied Robie.

CHAPTER 59

Robie was on the move with Julie. He’d had her pack up most of her stuff in her knapsack without really giving any explanations.

He glanced at her from time to time as he steered the Volvo through traffic. She caught him doing it more than once and said, “Why do you keep staring at me?”

Why do I keep staring at her? wondered Robie. The answer was actually easy, if unwelcome. I have somebody other than myself I’m responsible for and it’s driving me nuts.

His phone buzzed. It was Vance.

“Robie, you need to get down here,” she said.

“What’s up?”

“The eyewitness, Michele Cohen. She saw a man and a teenage girl get off the bus right before it blew up. She also said the man’s gun flew away and landed under a car. That’s the gun we found that ties into the Wind killing. So there is a definite connection. I was right.”

“Where was she while all of this was going down? And why is she only coming forward now?”

“She’s married and she was leaving a hotel in the area after spending some time with a man other than her husband.”

“Okay,” said Robie slowly.

“We’re having one of our techs put together a digital image based on her description of the man and girl. It should be ready shortly.”

“Did she see where they went?”

“They were knocked out for a few seconds. But then they fled into an alley.”

“And your witness just went home to her hubby?”

“Cohen was scared, disoriented. When she got home and thought about it, she finally decided to come forward.”

“What’s the background on her?”

“What does that matter?”

“We have to verify that what she’s saying is true.”

“Why would she lie about something like this?”

“I don’t know. But people do lie. All the time.”

“Just get down here. I want you to hear her story, and you might have some questions for her I haven’t thought of.”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“Robie!”

He had already clicked off. He slid his phone back into his pocket. It buzzed again, but he ignored it. He knew it was Vance calling back. And his answer would be the same.

“Problems?” asked Julie.

“A few.”

“Insurmountable?”

“We’ll see.”

Julie picked up the file folder that lay between them.

“What’s this?’

“Not something you want to look at.”

“Why not? Is it classified?”

“Not really. But it’s an autopsy report on a guy.”

“What guy?”

Robie glanced over at her. “What’s it to you?”

“Is it connected to what happened to my parents?”

“Doubtful.”

“But you’re not sure?”

“I’m not sure of anything right now.”

She flipped it open and looked at the glossies. “Gross. This is disgusting.”

“What did you expect? The guy’s dead.”

Julie’s hands began to shake.

Robie slowed. “Don’t get sick in the car. I’ll pull over.”

“It’s not that, Will.”

“What then?”

She held up a photo from the file. It was a full-on shot of Rick Wind’s right arm.

Robie was about to explain about the tattoo. But Julie broke the silence first.

In a quavering voice she said, “It’s a Spartan warrior in a hoplite battle stance.”

He looked at her in amazement. “How’d you know that?”

“Because my dad had a tattoo exactly like it.”

CHAPTER 60

Robie pulled the car to the curb, slipped the Volvo into park, and turned in his seat to stare at her.

“You’re sure your dad had the same tattoo?”

She held the glossy up. “Look at it, Will. How many tattoos like this do you think I’ve seen in my life?”

Robie took the photo from her and studied it.

“Okay. His name is Rick Wind. That ring any bells with you?”

“No.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yeah, I am.”

Robie looked down at the photo again. What were the odds?

“Was your dad in the military?”

“I don’t think so.”

“But you don’t know for certain?”

“He never talked about being in the military. He didn’t have any medals or stuff like that around.”

“But he has that tattoo. Did you ever ask him where he got it?”

“Sure. It was really unusual. He said he was into ancient Greek history and mythology. That’s where it came from. He explained to me what it was.”

“When did your dad start using drugs?”

Julie shrugged. “As long as I can remember.”

“You’re fourteen. How old was he?”

“I saw his driver’s license once. He was forty-five.”

“So thirty-one or so when you arrived on the scene. Lot of time before that he could have been doing something else. How long were he and your mom married?”

“I’m not sure. They never talked about it.”