Ли Чайлд: No Middle Name

Aaron said, ‘I was trying to be polite.’

Reacher said, ‘But I think that kind of formality needs a longer incubation. And you said with that . With what? For you to internalize something as that , I think it would need to be a little older than a split second. It would need to be previously established. And you used a continuous tense. You said I was helping you out . Which implies something ongoing. Something that existed before the kid snatched the bag and will continue afterwards. And you used the plural pronoun. You said thanks for helping us out. You and Bush. With something you already own, with something you’re already running, and it just came off the rails a little bit, but ultimately the damage wasn’t too bad. I think it was that kind of help you were thanking me for. Because you were extremely relieved. It could have been much worse, if the kid had gotten away, maybe. Which is why you said thank you very much . Which was way too heartfelt for a trivial mugging. It seemed more important to you.’

‘I was being polite.’

‘And I think my witness statement is mostly for the chief of police and the selectmen, not a computer game. To show them how it wasn’t your fault. To show them how it wasn’t you who just nearly screwed up some kind of a long-running operation. That’s why you wanted a regular person. Any third party would do. Otherwise all you would have is your own testimony, on your own behalf. You and Bush, watching each other’s back.’

‘We were taking a stroll.’

‘You didn’t even glance at each other. Not a second thought. You just chased after that bag. You’d been thinking about that bag all day. Or all week.’

Aaron didn’t answer, and got no more opportunity to discuss it, because at that moment the door opened and a different head was stuck in. It gestured Aaron out for a word. Aaron left and the door snicked shut behind him. But before Reacher could get around to worrying about whether it was locked or not, it opened up again, and Aaron stuck his head back in and said, ‘The rest of the interview will be conducted by different detectives.’

The door closed again.

Opened again.

The guy who had stuck his head in the first time led the way. He had a similar guy behind him. Both looked like classic New England characters from historic black-and-white photographs. The product of many generations of hard work and stern self-denial. Both were lean and wiry, all cords and ligaments, almost gaunt. They were wearing chino pants, with checked shirts under blue sport coats. They had buzzed haircuts. No attempt at style. Pure function. They said they worked for the Maine Drug Enforcement Administration. A statewide organization. They said state-level inquiries outbid county-level inquiries. Hence the hijacked interview. They said they had questions about what Reacher had seen.

They sat in the chairs Aaron and Bush had vacated. The one on the left said his name was Cook, and the one on the right said his name was Delaney. It looked like he was the team leader. He looked set to do all the talking. About what Reacher had seen, he said again. Nothing more. Nothing to be concerned about.

But then he said, ‘First we need more information on one particular aspect. We think our county colleagues went a little light on it. They glossed right over it, perhaps understandably.’

Reacher said, ‘Glossed over what?’

‘What exactly was your state of mind, in terms of intention, at the moment you knocked the kid down?’

‘Seriously?’

‘In your own words.’

‘How many?’

‘As many as you need.’

‘I was helping the cops.’

‘Nothing more?’

‘I saw the crime. The perpetrator was fleeing straight towards me. He was outrunning his pursuers. I had no doubt about his guilt or innocence. So I got in his way. He wasn’t even hurt bad.’

‘How did you know the two men were cops?’

‘First impressions. Was I right or wrong?’

Delaney paused a beat.

Then he said, ‘Now tell me what you saw.’

‘I’m sure you were listening in, the first time around.’

‘We were,’ Delaney said. ‘Also to your continued conversation afterwards, with Detective Aaron. After Detective Bush left the room. It seems you saw more than you put in your witness statement. It seems you saw something about a long-running operation.’

‘That was speculation,’ Reacher said. ‘It didn’t belong in a witness statement.’

‘As an ethical matter?’

‘I suppose.’

‘Are you an ethical man, Mr Reacher?’

‘I do my best.’

‘But now you can knock yourself out. The statement is done. Now you can speculate to your heart’s content. What did you see?’

‘Why ask me?’

‘We might have a problem. You might be able to help.’

‘How could I help?’

‘You were a military policeman. You know how this stuff works. Big picture. What did you see?’

Reacher said, ‘I guess I saw Aaron and Bush following the girl with the bag. Some kind of surveillance operation. Surveillance of the bag, principally. When the thing happened they ignored the girl completely. Best guess, maybe the girl was due to hand the bag off to an as yet unknown suspect. At a later stage. In a different place. Like a delivery or a payment. Maybe it was important to eyeball the exchange itself. Maybe the unknown suspect is the last link in the chain. Hence the high-status eyewitnesses. Or whatever. Except the plan failed because fate intervened in the form of a random purse-snatcher. Sheer bad luck. Happens to the best of us. And really no big deal. They can run it again tomorrow.’

Delaney shook his head. ‘We’re in murky waters. People like we’re dealing with here, if you miss a rendezvous, you’re dead to them. This thing is over.’

‘Then I’m sorry,’ Reacher said. ‘But shit happens. Best bet would be get over it.’

‘Easy for you to say.’

‘Not my monkeys,’ Reacher said. ‘Not my circus. I’m just a guy passing by.’

‘We need a word about that, too. How could we get ahold of you, if we needed to? Do you carry a cell phone?’

‘No.’

‘Then how do folks get ahold of you?’

‘They don’t.’

‘Not even family and friends?’

‘No family left.’

‘No friends either?’

‘Not the kind you call on the phone every five minutes.’

‘So who even knows where you are?’

‘I do,’ Reacher said. ‘That’s enough.’

‘You sure?’

‘I haven’t needed rescuing yet.’

Delaney nodded. Said, ‘Let’s go back to what you saw.’

‘What part?’

‘All of it. Maybe it ain’t over yet. Could there be another interpretation?’

‘Anything’s possible,’ Reacher said.

‘What kind of thing would be possible?’

‘I used to get paid for this kind of discussion.’

‘We could trade you a cup of county coffee.’

‘Deal,’ Reacher said. ‘Black, no sugar.’

Cook went to get it, and when he got back Reacher took a sip and said, ‘Thank you. But on balance I think it was probably just a random event.’

Delaney said, ‘Use your imagination.’

Reacher said, ‘Use yours.’

‘OK,’ Delaney said. ‘Let’s assume Aaron and Bush didn’t know where or when or who or how, but eventually they were expecting to see the bag transferred into someone else’s custody.’

Reacher said, ‘OK, let’s assume.’

‘And maybe that’s exactly what they saw. Just a little earlier than anticipated.’

‘Anything’s possible,’ Reacher said again.

‘We have to assume secrecy and clandestine measures on the bad guys’ part. Maybe they gave a decoy rendezvous and planned to snatch the bag along the way. For the sake of surprise and unpredictability. Which is always the best way to beat surveillance. Maybe it was even rehearsed. According to you the girl gave it up pretty easily. You said she went down on her butt, and then she sprang back up and ran away.’