Page 82 of In Too Deep

“That’s possible. No doubt about it.”

“But you don’t think I’m right.”

“I think you could be. But it’s more likely you’re half right. Vidic wanted the Bureau to retrieve the report. Or to believe they’d retrieved it.”

“But they have retrieved it. Do you think it’s a fake? Quantico said it was real.”

“I believe it’s real. I believe all the non-copying gobbledygook. I just don’t believe it’s all Vidic and Paris took. Everyone keeps referring to it as a report, right? Think about how reports are written. They always have summaries and extracts and conclusions and appendixes. All kinds of places where the important stuff is mentioned and repeated and reiterated. If I was in Vidic’s shoes I’d have trimmed off enough to look compelling, used that as a decoy, and sell the bulk of the thing as originally planned.”

Knight tipped her head one way, then the other. “How do we figure out which one it is?”

“For me it comes down to the money. The report is supposed to be worth a fortune. Is two million a fortune these days? Divided three ways?”

“Six hundred and sixty-six grand? I wouldn’t turn it down. But I wouldn’t quit my job, either.”

“Then there’s also the coincidence. They steal two million in cash from Fletcher’s safe, and the next day the asking price for the report is two million in cash? Plus one of them flies, to attract our attention, while the others drive. What can you take in a car that you can’t take on a plane?”

“A giant sack full of twenties. You think the whole setup was a fake. They were providing both ends of the transaction.”

“Walking away from that kind of money makes their position more authentic. It makes it look like they lost everything, not gained something. And it’s easier to snub two million bucks if you know you’ve got a bigger payday just around the corner.”

“So you think the main part of the report is still out there?”

“I don’t have proof. Your theory could be right. You should go to Chicago. If they catch Vidic there, I’ll be the first to cheer. I’ll call you tonight. You can tell me if you’re celebrating.”

“I will. But if there’s any chance you’re right, you should talk to Devine. If the report is as sensitive as she says, with all the national security stuff, you can’t take chances with that.”

—

The cabdriver continuedhis conversation until the moment he pulled up outside Departures. Knight settled the bill in cash, climbed out of the car, and stood on the sidewalk. She turned to Reacher and said, “Is this it, then? Is this goodbye?”

Reacher said nothing.

She said, “Can we make it au revoir, at least? Promise you’ll come out to Phoenix and visit.”

Reacher said, “That’s not a promise I’m sure I can keep.”

The corners of Knight’s mouth curled down and she blinked, twice. “That’s honest, at least. OK. Bye, Reacher.”

“Look after yourself. Get that shield back.”

Knight took two steps toward the terminal entrance, then turned back. She said, “I don’t get it. You ride in the cab with me. You lay all that stuff about a second report on me. Then you dump me? That’s an asshole move, Reacher. And I didn’t have you pegged as an asshole.”

“Dump you? No. You’re the one who’s leaving. And I didn’t ride with you to talk. I shared a cab because I needed to get here and that was the most efficient way.”

“Where are you going? You didn’t say anything about flying anywhere.”

“I’m going back to the city. To Tower Grove Park. Just like Vidic did. I need to see the route through his eyes.”

“How come?”

“It’ll help me figure out how dire the situation is.”

Knight shrugged. “Well, have fun with that.” Then she turned and walked away.

—

Reacher found hisway to the ride share pickup area on the Arrivals level. Twelve people were waiting there. A mixture of men and women, young and old. They were spread out, apparently at random, no sign of forming an orderly line. Some had multiple suitcases with them. Others, just a purse or a briefcase. The only thing they seemed to have in common was that they were all staring at their phones. A car pulled up to the curb. A black Tesla. A woman in a business suit waved to the driver then climbed inside. Reacher knew that the phones had something to do with summoning cars, and with pairingthe drivers and the passengers, but he had no idea how the system worked. He scanned the remaining eleven faces to see which seemed most approachable when he sensed someone walking up behind him. He looked around and saw Knight. She pointed at a yellow plastic hut, about twelve feet by eight, that looked like it had been abandoned in the middle of the sidewalk, twenty yards away. She said, “Come with me.”

---