Robie thought, Especially if they knew what I was running from.
“You say ‘we’ as though we were paired together.”
Robie said, “I think that’s exactly what happened. We were supposed to team up.”
“But why? Wouldn’t they want us dead?”
“Apparently not.”
“I could’ve gone to the police about my parents. And you’re investigating the case. Why would they have wanted that?”
“They might have correctly guessed you wouldn’t have gone to the police. And maybe they want me to investigate.”
“That makes no sense.”
“If I’m right it makes sense to someone.”
“But wouldn’t they be afraid my parents had told me something? If they killed those other people because of that, why not me?”
“You already answered that question. You were in foster care, no access to your parents. No cell phone. When your mom told the guy you didn’t know anything, I think they knew that was true.”
Robie unzipped his knapsack and pulled out her stuffed bear and the photo he’d taken from her home. He handed them across to her.
“Why did you go back there?” she asked, looking down at the objects.
“To see if I missed anything.”
“Did you?’
“Yeah. They wanted me to spot the blood. They wanted me to know that your parents were dead.”
“I could have told you that.”
“That’s not the point. They also want me to know I’m being played.”
“What about that guy in the alley with the rifle? If they wanted us to get away, why send him after us? The bus had already blown up.”
“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.”
