‘You still think nobody could get close?’
She considered her answer carefully, maybe ten seconds. ‘On
balance, yes, I do. We work very hard. I think we’ve got everything
covered.’
‘So you think Joe was wrong back then?’
She didn’t answer.
‘Why did you break up?’ he asked.
She glanced away for a second and shook her head. qhat’s
private.’
‘How old are you?’
ff’hirty-five.’
‘So eight years ago you were twenty-seven.’
She smiled. ‘Joe was nearly thirty-six. An older man. I
celebrated his birthday with him. And his thirty-seventh.’
Reacher moved sideays a little and looked at her again. Joe
had good taste, he thought. Close up, she looked good. Smelled
good. Perfect skin, great eyes, long lashes. Good cheekbones, a
small straight nose. She looked’ lithe and strong. She was
attractive, no doubt about it. He wondered what it would be like
to hold her, kiss her. Go to bed with her. He pictured Joe
36
wondering the same thing, first time she walked into the office
he ran. And he eventually found out. Way to go, Joe.
‘I guess I forgot to send a birthday card,’ he said. ‘Either
time.’
‘I don’t think he minded.’
‘We weren’t very close,’ he said. ‘I don’t really understand
why not.’
‘He liked you,’ she said. ‘He made that clear. Talked about you,
time to time. I think he was quite proud of you, in his own way.’
Reacher said nothing.
‘So will you help me out?’ she asked.
‘What was he like? As a boss?’
‘He was terrific. He was a superstar, professionally.’
‘What about as a boyfriend?’
‘He was pretty good at that, too.’
There was a long silence.
‘Where have you been since you left the service?’ Froelich
asked. ‘You haven’t left much of a paper trail.’
if’hat was the plan,’ Reacher said. ‘I keep myself to myself.’
Questions in her eyes.
‘Don’t worry,’ he said. ‘I’m not radioactive.’
‘I know,’ she said. ‘Because I checked. But I’m kind of
curious, now that I’ve met you. You were just a name before.’
He glanced down at the table, trying to look at himself as a
third party, described second-hand in occasional bits and pieces
by a brother. It was an interesting perspective.
‘Will you help me out?’ she asked again.
She unbuttoned her coat, because of the warmth of the room.
She was wearing a pure white blouse under the coat. She
moved a little closer, and half turned to face him. They were as
close as lovers on a lazy afternoon.
‘I don’t know,’ he said.
‘It’ll be dangerous,’ she said. ‘I have to warn you that nobody
will know you’re out there except me. That’s a big problem
if you’re spotted anywhere. Maybe it’s a bad idea. Maybe I
shouldn’t be asking.’
‘I wouldn’t be spotted anywhere,’ Reacher said.
She smiled. ‘That’s exactly what Joe told me you’d say, eight
years ago.’
37
He said nothing.
‘It’s very important,’ she said. ‘And urgent.’
‘You want to tell me why it’s important?’
‘I’ve already told you why.’
‘Want to tell me why it’s urgent?’
She said nothing.
‘I don’t think this is theoretical at all,’ he said,
She said nothing.
‘I think you’ve got a situation,’ he said.
She said nothing.
‘I think you know somebody is out there,’ he said. ‘An active
threat.’
She looked away. ‘I can’t comment on that.’
‘I was in the army,’ he said. ‘I’ve heard answers like that
before.’
‘It’s just a security audit,’ she said. ‘Will you do it for me?’
He was quiet for a long time.
if’here would be two conditions,’ he said.
She turned back and looked at him. ‘Which are?’
‘One, I get to work somewhere cold.’
‘Why?’
‘Because I just spent a hundred and eighty-nine dollars on
warm clothes.’
She smiled, briefly. ‘Everywhere he’s going should be cold
enough for you in the middle of November.’
‘OK,’ he said. He dug in his pocket and slid her a matchbook
and pointed to the name and address printed on it. ‘And there’s
an old couple working a week in this particular club and they’re
worried about getting ripped off for their wages. Musicians.
They should be OK, but I need to be sure. I want you to talk to