Page 38 of The Innocent

The woman snorted, eyeing him and Cue. “Now why would I tell you? Grown men creeping around a little girl’s place.” She clicked her tongue and shook her head.

Cue scoffed under his breath. “Isn’t Imogene like twenty-five?”

“Twenty-seven,” Jekyll confirmed and walked toward the woman. She dropped her hand to her side and straightened her shoulders.

While she didn’t seem afraid, her guard was definitely up.

“You know Imogene?”

She blinked, seemingly surprised he knew her name. But remained suspicious.

“Do you?”

I know everything.

“Imogene Peppercorn. Moved here about four months ago. Works at the library on Center Street.”

The woman sucked on her cigarette and turned her head, blowing out the smoke. “That explains all the goddamn books she’s always carrying into her place.”

Jekyll nodded. “And she’s twenty-seven. Be twenty-eight on December fourteenth.” He narrowed his gaze. “Not a little girl.”

The woman scoffed, waving her hand. “Well, she looks like one. You her man?”

“Something like that.”

She hummed, curling her upper lip. “Not a very good one if you’re letting your girl live here.”

Jekyll ignored the dig. Had Imogene truly been his woman, she wouldn’t have stepped foot near this place.

“You said she’s not here anymore?” He folded his arms. “Where’d she go?”

She glanced over his shoulder, gesturing toward the other end of the building. “Nobody tells me anything, but I saw her loading her car a couple days ago. Check with the idiots in apartment 102. Saw her talking with them a few times.”

The woman flicked her cigarette and walked into her apartment, slamming the door. Jekyll didn’t hesitate. He turned and walked down to apartment 102. He fisted his hand and banged on the door. Jekyll waited a few seconds then knocked again, louder this time.

Cue leaned closer and glanced up at him, lowering his voice. “I can hear them.”

“You can open the door.” Jekyll’s voice was harsh and threatening. “Or I can fucking break it down. Your choice.”

He heard hushed tones and scrambling. Jekyll reared his leg back and just as he was ready to kick in the door, it flew open. There was a younger woman, no older than twenty-five, standing in the doorway in a bra and spandex shorts.

“Hi.”

“Imogene. She lives in 106. Where is she?”

She knitted her brows and pushed off the door. “I’m not sure, I haven’t seen her in a few days.”

“She move?” Cue asked.

The girl giggled and shrugged. “If she did, she’s lucky.” She turned toward her room. From their position they couldn’t see anyone else. “Have you guys seen Imogene?”

“The redhead?” It was a male’s voice. Vaguely familiar.

“Yeah,” she said.

“Who gives a shit about that fucking cunt?”

What the fuck did he just say?