Page 84 of In Too Deep

Knight took herphone back. She said, “John Austin? That’s the alias Vidic used when he booked your room at the motel.”

Reacher said, “Right. But he didn’t mention it at the time. He doesn’t know that I know about it. I’m thinking, if he’s using the IDshe left in his wallet to lead the Bureau by the nose, what is he using for himself? It has to be one he believes is still under the radar.”

“OK. And why Fort Lauderdale?”

Reacher told her about the gold.

“You think someone is building a stash of gold to trade for the report?”

“I think it’s possible.” Reacher started moving toward the ride share area again. “Now, I want you to do whatever you would normally do if you wanted to get a ride to the park.”

Knight moved closer to the edge of the sidewalk and pulled out her phone. She opened her Uber app, entered the address for the park, confirmed her current location, and picked a luxury car. She figured she’d find a way to bill Reacher for the extra cost later.

Reacher was on the sidewalk behind Knight. The height difference between Vidic and any agent who was likely to be tailing him was probably significantly smaller, so Reacher factored in an estimate. He moved up as close behind her as he could without attracting attention. He stood beside her and pretended to check the license plate of a car that had just pulled up. He moved to her other side and acted like he was watching for any new cars arriving. A couple of minutes later a car did pull up. An Audi A8. Knight opened the rear door and climbed in. Reacher looped around and got in the other side.

Knight said, “What could you see?”

Reacher said, “Nothing. Were you trying to hide the screen?”

“Not at all. I was holding it like I always do. Unless I was talking to someone, or texting with them. And then the Uber app is hidden, anyway.”

They made good time into the city. The traffic was kind and the driver took detours around the parts where congestion was starting to build. He checked his mirror at one point to make sure Reacherwas watching him, then said, “This is my own route. I’m not following the phone. I could get in trouble, but I want you guys to get where you’re going without any delays.”

Reacher had nothing to say to that.

Knight said, “Thank you. Very good. We’ll make sure that’s reflected in the tip.”

—

Reacher figured thespot they got out at was close enough to where Vidic would have been dropped off the day before. The park didn’t look exactly as he had expected. It was wide and open, with bushes and shrubs surrounding neatly trimmed grass. The air was heavy with the scent of tree blossoms. They set out along a path opposite the mouth of Thurman Avenue. It was a straight shot south. Reacher figured that if they kept going they would come out to the east of the softball field he’d waited next to last time, so instead they took a diagonal fork that cut through a stand of mature trees. A moment later he caught a glimpse of the North Pavilion. They moved closer and he saw it was an open structure with eight pillars supporting an octagonal roof. A cupola perched on top and a weathervane sprouted from its peak. The whole thing was painted green and cream and the center was full of picnic tables with attached benches. A half dozen more were scattered around the outside.

Reacher circled the pavilion, observing it from all angles, then continued around the oval to the south, the way Vidic had done after he had deposited the memory stick. Knight followed. They came to the second pavilion. It was just like the first, except for the shape of its cupola. This one had a rounded dome and no protruding vane. Reacher didn’t like it. He would have made them identical.

Reacher spotted the trash can where the man in the hoodie had dropped the backpack full of money. He walked toward it, picturinghimself executing a covert exchange. He imagined something had spooked him. He stopped and turned 360 degrees, checking his escape routes, looking for places to hide. Then he turned to Knight and said, “Enough. We need to talk.”

She said, “To Devine?”

Reacher said, “To each other. We have a decision to make.”

Chapter32

Reacher and Knight selected apicnic table that was well away from any other pedestrians. Reacher faced north. Knight faced south and they sat slightly offset so that they could make sure no one crept up on them and eavesdropped. Neither of them spoke for a moment, then Knight said, “So what was that all about? The cab from the airport and the walk in the park.”

Reacher said, “I like to find patterns in things. Harmonies. If something is out of whack it rings alarm bells.”

“What’s out of whack about taking an Uber? Covering the last part on foot when there isn’t a road for it to drive on?”

“Nothing. Not in itself. But take the broader view. Vidic drove the wrong way, then flew. He used an alias. Either that was an attempt to elude the FBI, or to get their attention. Either way it was a ruse. Then he picked up a tail in the airport. Let himself be followed to the pavilion. Performed some incredibly clumsy pseudo fieldcraft with the memory stick. Waited until it had been intercepted. Then disappeared into thin air. Look at this place. Losing a tail here would not be easy.”

“So he’s better at some things than others. That’s not a crime. Especially if he’s self-taught.”

“I think he’s good at all these things. And I think he’s been very well trained.”

“I don’t follow.”

“I think Vidic is an FBI agent.”

“He can’t be. The Bureau’s not incompetent. They wouldn’t have infiltrated two agents into the same team.”

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