Page 11 of In Too Deep

Vidic paused for a moment. “You’re thinking Fletcher set up some kind of ambush? Forced Gibson off the road?”

Reacher said, “Did he?”

“No. The crash was an accident, like I told you.”

“You sure?”

“Positive. It had to be. I didn’t call Fletcher until after the accident happened.”

“Gibson was dead by then.”

“He was.”

“So that’s when you told Fletcher that Gibson was a Fed?”

“Hell no. I never said a word about it.”

“Why not? Isn’t that the kind of thing a boss would want to know?”

“He wouldwantto know. For sure. But I didn’t tell him. Even if I’d wanted to I couldn’t have done it over the phone. Fletcher was paranoid about his calls getting tapped. We were all banned from using phones for anything sensitive. Including landlines. He was dead serious about it. He’d have had my ass if I’d tried. So I’d have had to wait and do it in person. But it was his super-aggressive overexpansion bullshit that got the Feds sniffing around us in the first place. It was O’Connell getting killed that gave them the way in. Or the retired cop. And it was his fault that those guys got killed at all. So screw him. Like I told you, I’m out of here. He can take his chances. So can Kane. I’m done.”

“OK. So did you tell anyone else about Gibson?”

“Who would I tell? O’Connell’s six feet under. Bowery’s missing, presumed an asshole. There isn’t anyone else.”

“You mentioned a woman. Paris.”

Vidic didn’t reply.

Reacher said, “You’re jumping ship. A woman’s involved. You’ve denounced everyone else but you’re determined to keep the spotlight away from her. That math isn’t hard to do, Ivan.”

Vidic closed his eyes for a second. “I haven’t told her. Not specifically. Just that something came up and we need to split, pronto. She doesn’t know about you. Or about you helping me get Fletcher’s cash. Or about me giving you Fletcher on a plate.”

“Is that wise? Keeping her in the dark?”

“How the hell would I know? I’m making this up as I go. The thing with Gibson only happened a few hours ago and I’ve been busy saving your ass ever since.”

—

Reacher and Vidicwalked back to the Jeep together. As they got close Reacher acted like he didn’t want to squeeze along the whole way between the vehicle and the safety rail. He moved ahead of Vidic and looped around the front of the Jeep, instead. Then when Vidic opened the driver’s door and started to climb in Reacher took a moment to check the nearside edge of the bull bar. It was made of metal tubing, an inch in diameter, and it was powder coated solid black. The surface was mostly pristine but there was a stretch about six inches high with a series of parallel scratches. It was as if the bar had recently been jammed against a wall. Or another vehicle. The scratches were deep. They revealed the bright steel beneath the coating but Reacher could see no trace of any other shades of paint embedded in them. He thought about asking Vidic how the damage had been caused, but decided not to. There was no point. If he had anything to hide Vidic was bound to lie. And no good could come out of making him suspicious.

Vidic waited for Reacher to climb on board then he fired up the engine. But before he pulled back onto the road he took out his phone and typed a message. Reacher glanced at the screen. His sight was sharpening and he could read the text without much difficulty. It said,ETA ten minutes.

Vidic said, “Don’t worry. It’s to the medic, again.”

Reacher said, “Who is this guy?”

“His name’s Buck Holmes. He’s good people. Navy, retired. Runs his own practice now. Sports injuries, mainly. Plus a few discreet jobs for people who don’t want to generate any hospital records, if you know what I mean.”

“If you trust him, I’m happy.” Reacher had been treated by military doctors before. More than once. In his experience they were highly competent but less concerned about the cosmetic side ofthings than their civilian counterparts. And he had no problem with that. He said, “Where’sthere?”

“What?”

“Where we’re meeting this medic. Holmes.”

“Oh. The motel where Gibson saw his handler, and you hitched a ride. It’s the only place around here a stranger can show up and not attract attention.”

—

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