Page 89 of In Too Deep

“Leave where?”

“The Fort Lauderdale airport. I know you’re there.”

—

Reacher looked aroundfor a trash can. He said, “Time for a new phone. Devine is using this one to track us.”

Knight said, “What’s the point? Are you going to buy another one every time you need to call her? Are you ever going to buy one?”

Reacher didn’t reply.

Knight grabbed the handset from him and said, “Give that to me. I need to buy more plane tickets. Whatever’s the cheapest, just to get us air-side. To see what happens with Vidic. Watch Kane get arrested. And if no one else is there to do that…”

They had drawn level with the last carousel and Reacher was watching a lone suitcase rattle slowly around the oval track.

Knight said, “How did Devine seem? Is she going to do anything down here?”

Reacher said, “They know they have a major PR disaster on their hands. That means people will fall into two groups. Those who will roll up their sleeves and try to fix the problem. And those who willdo whatever it takes to shift the blame onto someone else. I think Devinewill roll up her sleeves, given the chance. But she’s not in for an easy ride.”

“I guess not. A couple of dirty cops came to light while I’ve been at the department. No work got done for weeks afterward. It was a festival of ass covering, both times. No reason to assume it’s any different at the Bureau.”

“We’ll soon know. If she can pull the right levers, Vidic and the others won’t even make it off the plane. They’ll have all the passengers stay in their seats after the plane has landed, then send in the local police. Maybe Homeland Security if they have anyone close enough.”

Knight looked away. Reacher thought she looked disappointed at the prospect.

The suitcase continued to circle the carousel.

Reacher said, “What’s up with that? Could someone have forgotten to collect it? Left the airport without picking it up?”

Knight said, “Obviously. Why do you think they have left-luggage offices? Anyway, who cares about some dumb suitcase?”

Reacher did, for a reason he couldn’t quite put his finger on. He said, “Anyone could pick it up now, right? I could.”

“I thought you were anti-belongings. Why would you need a suitcase? You don’t have anything to put in it.”

“What about the other carousels?” Reacher pointed to the next in the line. People were swarming all around it and the belt was jammed with bags and suitcases of all sizes and colors. “What’s to stop me taking that silver one, right there?”

“Maybe the owner? Or airport security. Come on. Focus. We have to get air-side. Find Vidic’s gate before his plane lands. So enough with the questions. Back to security. There could be a line.”

“You go. I’m staying here.”

“What the…Why?”

“Bizarre idea. I’ll explain later if it pans out. Rendezvous here if we both strike out. Otherwise, at whatever hotel is closest to the airport.”

Knight checked her phone and said, “There’s a Courtyard not far away.”

“Good as any, I guess. Good hunting.”

—

Reacher stationed himselfnear the baggage reclaim monitor and waited for Vidic’s flight number to join the list. After half an hour he saw it, next to carousel 4. That was the carousel to his left. He checked the area around it. What he saw was not encouraging. There was no effective cover anywhere in the vicinity, other than a bunch of people, and Reacher was not built to blend into a crowd. He kept looking and spotted three yellow janitor’s carts lined up in an alcove next to an accessible bathroom. One of them had a yellow bib hanging from a broom handle. Reacher strolled across to the wall. He glanced around. He saw no sign of any janitors so he stepped in closer, took the bib, and slipped it on. There was no way it was going to fasten around his chest, but he figured that wouldn’t matter. He had the perfect disguise. Everyone would look at him but no one would see him. He could be wherever he needed to be. He released the cart’s wheel lock and pushed it slowly to the far side of carousel5. It wasn’t moving. No one was waiting nearby so Reacher took a sweeper on a long handle from its holder at the side of the cart and began to make his way forward and then back, gathering litter as he went, all the time keeping carousel 4 in his sight.

As Reacher swept the floor the crowd around carousel4 steadily grew. Soon it was two or three deep in places. Reacher scanned the faces methodically, left to right, front to back. And spotted Vidic. He was wearing a Pirates ball cap and had done something to his face toalter its contours. He had stuffed his cheeks with cotton wool, Reacher thought. Vidic had done the same kind of thing with his stomach. Rather than tall but stooped, he looked paunchy and squat.

A klaxon sounded and the belt began to move. A suitcase appeared at the top of a ramp in the raised center section, like the top tier of a wedding cake. It slid down and joined the main ramp. It was made of ribbed aluminum and all kinds of bright stickers were plastered over its surface. A guy stepped forward and grabbed it. Vidic took out his phone. He did something to its screen then held it low down by his side. A bunch of other bags tumbled down. Some were claimed right away. Others made their way around the circuit, ignored by everyone who was waiting. A couple were grabbed, then put back. Vidic didn’t move. He made no attempt to take anything or make contact with anyone.

The stream of new cases gradually slowed. Around half the people were still waiting, including Vidic. Then a backpack appeared. It teetered at the top of the ramp for a moment, then slid down. A rainbow ribbon was tied to one of its straps and it had a Real Madrid baggage label hanging from a handle at the top. Vidic kept his arm by his side but cocked his wrist so that his phone was facing out. Reacher guessed he was taking a photograph. Vidic relaxed his wrist, lowered the phone, watched the backpack as it made a complete circuit of the carousel, then turned and threaded his way through the crowd. Reacher saw him raise the phone again as he walked. He tapped the screen a couple of times then slipped the phone into his pocket.

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