sheet fell away to her waist.
‘Good morning,’ she said.
I kissed her again.
‘I like Paris,’ she said. ‘I had fun here.’ The too.’
‘Lots of fun.’
‘Lobby in half an hour,’ I said.
I went back to my own room and called room service for
coffee. I was through shaving and showering before it arrived. I
took the tray at the door wearing just a towel. Then I dressed in
flesh BDUs and poured my first cup and checked my watch.
It was four twenty in the morning in Paris, which made it
ten twenty in the evening on the east coast, which made it well
after the end of bankers’ hours. And which made it seven
twenty in the evening on the west coast, which was early
enough that a hard-working guy might still be at his desk. I
checked the plate on the phone again and hit nine for a line.
Dialled the only number I had ever permanently memorized,
which was the Rock Creek switchboard back in Virginia. An
operator answered on the first ring.
‘This is Reacher,’ I said. ‘I need a number for Fort Irwin’s MP
XO.’
‘Sir, there’s a standing order from Colonel Willard that you
should return to base immediately.’
‘I’ll be right there, soon as I can. But I need that number first.’
‘Sir, where are you now?’
‘In a whorehouse in Sydney, Australia,’ I said. ‘Give me that
Irwin number.’
He gave me the number. I repeated it to myself and hit nine
again and dialled it. Calvin Franz’s sergeant answered, second
ring.
‘I need Franz,’ I said.
There was a click and then silence and I was settling in for a
long wait when Franz came through.
‘I need you to do something for me,’ I said.
302
‘Like what?’
‘You’ve got a XII Corps guy called Marshall there. You know
him?’
‘No.’
‘I need him to stay there until I can get there myself. It’s very
important.’
‘I can’t stop people leaving the post unless I arrest them.’
‘Just tell him I called from Berlin. That should do it. As long
as he thinks I’m in Germany, he’ll stay in California.’
‘Why?’
‘Because that’s what he’s been told to do.’
‘Does he know you?’
‘Not personally.’
‘Then that’s an awkward conversation for me to have. Like, I
can’t just walk up to a guy I never met and say, hey, hot news,
another guy you never met called Reacher wants you to know
he’s stuck in Berlin.’
‘So be subtle,’ I said. ‘Tell him I asked you to ask him a
question for me, because there’s no way I can get there myself.’
‘What question?’
‘Ask him about the day of Kramer’s funeral. Was he at
Arlington? What did he do the rest of the day? Why didn’t he
drive his guys to North Carolina? What reason did they give
him for wanting to drive themselves?’
‘That’s four questions.’
‘Whatever, just make it sound like you’re asking on my behalf
because California isn’t in my travel plans.’
“Where can I get back to you?’
I looked down at the phone and read out the George V’s
number.
‘That’s France,’ he said. ‘Not Germany.’
‘Marshall doesn’t need to know that,’ I said. ‘I’ll be back here
later.’
5Vhen are you coming to California?’
“Within forty-eight hours, I hope.’
‘OK,” he said. ‘Anything else?’
‘Yes,’ I said. ‘Call Fort Bird for me and ask my sergeant to get
histories on General Vassell and Colonel Coomer. Specifically I
want to know if either one of them has a connection with a town
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called Sperryville in Virginia. Born there, grew up there, family
there, any kind of connection that would indicate they might
know what kind of retail outlet was where. Tell her to sit on the
answers until I get in touch.’
‘OK,’ he said again. ‘Is that it?’
‘No,’ I said. ‘Also tell her to call Detective Clark in Green
Valley and have him fax his street canvasses relating to the
night of New Year’s Eve. She’ll know what I’m talking about.’
‘I’m glad someone will,’ Franz said.
He paused. He was writing stuff down.
‘So is that it?’ he said.