David Baldacci - The Innocent

Robie and Julie rode the elevator back down to the fourth floor and got off.

“Nice work back there,” said Robie. “They might have tripped you up, though, being from Jersey too.”

“I’ve been to Wayne. First rule, don’t say you’re from someplace you’ve never been.”

“Good rule.”

They found Apartment 410. It was at the end of a hall with no other door facing it. Robie scanned the hall for a surveillance camera but found none. He knocked on 410 three times without an answer.

‘Turn around and face out into the hall,” he told Julie.

“Are you going to pick the lock?”

“Just turn around.”

It took Robie all of five seconds. The lock was not a deadbolt. One slender piece of metal did the trick as opposed to two.

They stepped inside and he closed the door behind them.

“I guess this makes us felons,” said Julie.

“It might.”

The place smelled of fried foods. It was furnished sparingly, the rooms were few, and there was no one there. They stood in the middle of the living room. Robie surveyed the area.

“It’s a little too clean, don’t you think?” he said.

“Maybe they’re neatniks.”

He shook his head. “This place has been scrubbed.”

Julie looked up at him. “You mean?”

“I don’t know if anything happened to the Broomes, Julie. Maybe they’re okay. But someone has wiped this place down, and whoever did it knew what he was doing.”

Julie gazed around the space. “Should we check for prints or something?”

“Waste of time. We need to find out what Leo Broome did.”

“We can go to the hair salon and ask around.”

“I have a better idea. You can go to the hair salon and ask around. I don’t want to tip anyone off to what we’re doing. Folks are less likely to suspect a kid.”

“I’m not a kid. I’m practically old enough to drive.”

“But they’ll open up to you. They know you, right?”

“Yeah. I’ve been there lots of times.”

They left the building and drove off in the Volvo.

“You think the Broomes are dead, don’t you?” she asked.

“Based on what happened to your parents and the condition of the Broomes’ apartment, yeah, I think they’re probably dead. But then again, if Ida Broome is at the hair salon, I’ll be proved wrong.”

“I hope you’re wrong, Will.”

“Me too.”

While Robie waited outside in the car, Julie entered the hair salon. It was full of customers and her gaze darted around, noting the stylists working there today.

Ida Broome was not among them.

The smells of hair care products and perming solutions filled her lungs as she walked over to the reception desk. A constant chatter also permeated the place as stylists and patrons discussed the latest gossip.

“Julie, right?” said the young woman behind the counter. She looked college-age and wore black slacks and a low-cut top that revealed a flower tat near the top of her left breast. Her haircut, understandably, was very hip.

“Yep. Is Ida in today? I was hoping to get my bangs trimmed.”

Julie was praying that Ida was in the back, or maybe taking a smoke break in the alley behind the salon, but the woman shook her head. “She was supposed to be in at ten, but she never showed. I called her place, but no one answered. Really put us behind. She had seven cuts, two perms and a coloring scheduled today. Her clients were not happy when I called them to cancel.”

“I wonder what happened,” said Julie.

“Maybe some emergency came up.”

“Maybe it did,” said Julie slowly.

“I might be able to get Maria to do your bangs. She has an open slot after the lady she’s working on now.”

“That would be great.”

Maria was a Latina in her mid-twenties with short dark hair that was cut in precise lines around her angular face. She greeted Julie with a toothy smile.

“Look at you girl. You need your bangs cut, right?”

“How’d you know?”

“I’m a professional, okay?”

The stylist next to her chuckled as she clipped away at the thinning hair of a young man.

“No school today?” asked Maria.

“Teacher conference.”

“How’s your mom?”

Julie didn’t blink. She’d been expecting this question.

“She’s fine.”

Julie settled in the chair and Maria swept a black smock over her and tightened it down around her neck.

Maria said, “You know, you’d look real cute with, like, a Zooey Deschanel cut. It’s so chic with glasses.”

“My eyesight is perfect,” said Julie.

“That’s not the point. It’s the look.”

“Have you seen Ida lately? The girl at the front told me she didn’t come in today.”

“I know. Surprised me. She never misses work and she had a full slate today. The boss is pissed. The economy still sucks and every dollar counts.”

“Business looks pretty good today.”

“Yeah, but it’s not like this every day.”

Julie said, “ Apreciar todo lo bueno que viene su manera.”

Maria laughed and bopped Julie lightly on the head with her scissors. “You know I don’t speak Spanish.”

“I wonder where Ida is?” asked Julie.

“Don’t know. She was acting kind of funny day before yesterday.”

“Funny ha-ha or funny weird?”

“Definitely funny weird. She messed up a lady’s perm and then took two inches off a client instead of the one inch she wanted. Talk about a lady being pissed. You know how we women are about our hair. It’s like a religion. That and shoes.”

“Did you ask her what was up?”

“Yeah, but she wouldn’t say much. Just that it had something to do with Leo.”

“Her husband? Did he lose his job or something?”

“I doubt it. He works for the government. They don’t lose their jobs.”

“I don’t know about that. Lots of governments are cutting back now.”

“Well, anyway, I don’t think Leo got canned.”

“What does he do?”

“Something with the government, like I said.”

“Yeah, but what? And what government? D.C.? Feds?”

“Well, aren’t you just the nosy one today?”

“Just naturally curious. All teenagers are.”

“Right. My youngest sister is seventeen and she could give a crap about anything or anybody other than herself.”

“I’m an only child. We tend to be more observant.”

“Well, I’m not sure where Leo works. But Ida told me one time that his job was pretty important. Down on Capitol Hill somewhere.”

“Then maybe he works for the federal government.”

“Maybe he does.”

“So Ida wasn’t in yesterday either?”

“Nope, but that’s okay. It was her day off. But today is a whole different story.”

Maria had been working this whole time and said, “Okay, we are done and looking sharp. But think about those glasses, okay?”

Julie admired her hair in the mirror. “Thanks, Maria.”

Maria took the smock off and Julie pulled out some cash. Maria waved it off.

“No, this one is on me.”

“But you should get paid.”

“I tell you what, you can start teaching me some Spanish when you come in. My mother is really ragging me to learn it.”

Julie smiled. “Deal.”

Robie had not stayed in the Volvo the entire time he was waiting for Julie. He was roaming. And watching. He knew there were eyes out there somewhere. He just wanted to find them before they found him.

And he had things to think about.

He had two cases going simultaneously.

Jane Wind was dead along with her young son. She was with the Defense Department. She’d traveled to Iraq and Afghanistan and probably other hot spots. Robie’s handler had been turned and had ordered Robie to kill her. Now the handler was missing and Robie was investigating murders that had occurred when he’d been present. Nicole Vance was sharp and Robie had to be extra careful he didn’t slip up around her. Rick Wind had been found with his tongue cut out and hanging upside down in his pawnshop. No leads there either.