`OK,’ Picard said to me. `I got all the details from Finlay. Real sorry about your brother, my friend. Real sorry. Somewhere we can talk?’
I led him through to the kitchen. He loped beside me and covered the distance in a couple of strides. Glanced around and poured himself the dregs of the stewed coffee. Then he stepped over next to me and dropped his hand on my shoulder. Felt like somebody had hit me with a bag of cement.
`Ground rules,’ he said. `This whole thing is off the record, right?’
I nodded. His voice matched his bulk. It was a low rumble. It was what a brown bear would sound like if it learned to talk. I couldn’t tell how old the guy was. He was one of those big fit men whose peak years stretch on for decades. He nodded and moved away. Rested his giant frame against the counter.
`This is a huge problem for me,’ he said. `Bureau can’t act without a call from the responsible official in the local jurisdiction. That would be this guy Teale, right? And from what Finlay tells me, I assume old Teale’s not going to be making that call. So I could end up with my big ass in a sling for this. But I’ll bend the rules for Finlay. We go back quite a ways. But you got to remember, this is all unofficial, OK?’
I nodded again. I was happy with that. Very happy. Unofficial help suited me fine. It would get the job done without hanging me up on procedure. I had five clear days before Sunday. This morning, five days had seemed more than generous. But now, with Hubble gone, I felt like I was very short of time. Much too short of time to waste any of it on procedure.
`Where are you going to put them?’ I asked him.
`Safe house up in Atlanta,’ Picard said. `Bureau place, we’ve had it for years. They’ll be secure there, but I’m not going to say exactly where it is, and I’m going to have to ask you not to press Mrs Hubble about it afterwards, OK? I got to watch my back on this thing. I blow a safe house, I’m in really deep shit.’
`OK, Picard,’ I said. `I won’t cause you a problem. And I appreciate it.’
He nodded, gravely, like he was way out on a limb. Then Charlie and the kids burst in. They were burdened down with badly packed bags. Picard introduced himself. I could see that Charlie’s daughter was terrified by the size of the guy. The little boy’s eyes grew round as he gazed at the FBI Special Agent’s shield Picard was holding out. Then the five of us carried the bags outside and piled them in the blue sedan’s trunk. I shook hands with Picard and Charlie. Then they all got in the car. Picard drove them away. I waved after them.
FIFTEEN
I headed over to Warburton a damn sight faster than the prison driver had and I was there in less than fifty minutes. It was a hell of a sight. There was a storm coming in quickly from the west and shafts of low afternoon sun were escaping the clouds and hitting the place. The glittering metal towers and turrets were catching the orange rays. I slowed up and pulled into the prison approach. Stopped outside the first vehicle cage. I wasn’t going in there. I’d had enough of that. Spivey was going to have to come out to me. I got out of the Bentley and walked over to the guard. He seemed friendly enough.
`Spivey on duty?’ I asked him.
`You want him?’ the guard said.
`Tell him Mr Reacher’s here,’ I said.
The guy ducked under a Perspex hood and made a
call. Ducked back out again and shouted over to me. `He doesn’t know any Mr Reacher,’ he said. `Tell him Chief Morrison sent me,’ I said. `Over
from Margrave.’
The guy went under the Perspex thing again and started talking. After a minute he was back out.
`OK, drive on through,’ he said. `Spivey will meet you at reception.’