He stopped suddenly a yard from the cop’s right headlight. Just stood on
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the sidewalk with his neck craned, looking up at Scimeca’s house. The cop buzzed the passenger window down. He didn’t know what to say. Some local citizen, he’d call, Sir, step this way, with enough tone in there to cancel out the sir. But this was a padre and a bird colonel. Practically a gentleman.
“Excuse me?” he called.
The colonel looked around and stepped the length of the fender. Bent down. He was tall. He put one hand on the Crown Vic’s roof and the other on the door. Ducked his head and looked straight in through the open window.
“Officer,” he said.
“Help you?” the cop asked.
“I’m here to visit with the lady of the house,” the padre said.
“She’s not home, temporarily,” the cop said. “And we’ve got a situation here.”
“A situation?”
“She’s under guard. Can’t tell you why. But I’m going to have to ask you to step inside the car and show me some ID.”
The colonel hesitated for a second, like he was confused. Then he straightened up and opened the passenger door. Folded himself into the seat and put his hand inside his jacket. Came out with a wallet. Flipped it open and pulled a worn military ID. Passed it across to the cop. The cop read it over and checked the photograph against the face next to him. Handed it back and nodded.
“OK, Colonel,” he said. “You can wait in here with me, if you like. I guess it’s cold out there.”
“It sure is,” the colonel said, although the cop noticed he was sweating lightly. Probably from the fast walk up the hill, he figured.
/Jw not getting anyplace,” Harper said.
The plane was on descent. Reacher could feel it in his ears. And he could feel abrupt turns. The pilot was military, so he was using the rudder. Civilian pilots avoid using the rudder. Using the rudder makes the plane slew, like a car skids. Passengers don’t like the feeling. So civilian pilots turn by juicing the engines on one side and backing off on the others. Then the plane comes around smoothly. But military pilots don’t care about their passengers’ comfort. It’s not like they’ve bought tickets.
“Remember Poulton’s report from Spokane?” he said.
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