Page 63 of The Secret

Roberta stood outsidethe inner door in Susan Kasluga’s office suite and held up three fingers. Then two. Then one. Then she pushed down the handle and burst through. Kasluga was sitting behind her desk. It was a cantilevered glass-and-chrome affair with nothing on it except for two stacks of index cards. Her chair was chrome and green leather and it looked like it had sprouted an exoskeleton.

Roberta said, “Ms. Kasluga, we need to get you out of here, ma’am. Right now. This is a tactical evacuation.”

Kasluga dropped the card she was holding onto the left-hand pile and said, “The hell it is. I have work to do. And who exactly are you?”

Roberta said, “Ma’am, please. This isn’t a subject for debate. You need to come with us, now. We’re going to take you home. Mr. Stamoran has been briefed and he’s waiting for you there.”

“I said, who are you? And where are my regular guards?”

“My name is Erica Halliday. My colleague is Caroline Burton. We’ve rotated in for the duration of the emergency. It’s standard operating procedure. Rules out the possibility of collusion with hostile parties.”

“What kind of emergency?”

“There was an incident in the area in the early hours of the morning. A man was killed. Your name was mentioned by an individual who was taken into custody. Further details are still emerging, but we feel it’s wise to take every precaution. So, ma’am.” Roberta gestured toward the door. “Please.”

Susan Kasluga took a long look at Roberta, and then Veronica. They were wearing gray pantsuits. Unflattering, medium quality, but appropriate. They were armed. They had earpieces with curly wires like the ones her regular guys had. And they had ID cards clipped to their jackets, even if the photographs were too small to make out properly. Also just like her regular guys. A voice at the back of her head started to speculate about how she could play this to her advantage.Industry titan survives assassination attempt. Foreign rivals running scared of new powerhouse forged by audacious takeover.She hesitated for another moment then scooped up her index cards and dropped them into her purse. She said, “Allright. Let’s go. But you bring me back the moment the panic’s over, OK?”

—

Smith left Reacher’sroom at a little after 5:30a.m.He was already awake. He heard her leave then got up and took a shower. He shaved and did what he could to tame his hair. He dressed and went downstairs and checked with reception. There were no deliveries for him. He ate breakfast—bacon and a full stack plus two mugs of coffee—then went back and inquired again. A canvas suit-carrier had just been dropped off. He signed for it and returned to his room to change.

Traffic was light that morning so Reacher got to his destination ahead of schedule. Charles Stamoran’s residence. A gate covered a driveway to the right of the house. It was armor-plated and eight feet tall. Reacher circled around the block to make sure there were no other ways for vehicles to leave, and when he was satisfied he returned to the main street and pulled up near to the curb. The river was to his left. He rolled down his window, did his best to get comfortable in the cramped space, and settled down to wait.

—

Susan Kasluga didn’tbalk when Roberta and Veronica Sanson ushered her into the backseat of their Suburban. She’d ridden in vehicles just like it more times than she could count. Roberta drove smoothly and cautiously. The seats were soft and supportive. The heat was cranked high and Kasluga found herself fighting the urge to close her eyes. She rested her head and let the familiar landmarks drift by as they closed in on her home. The trees were welcoming and Kasluga knew the river was close. She could feel it. She found it reassuring. Then Roberta took a sudden right onto a short, steephill. Kasluga had never driven that way before. There were brick buildings on both sides with a special sloping design to accommodate the gradient. Roberta turned right again onto a service road. There was a dead end ahead and blank, featureless walls on both sides. She leaned on the brake, shifted into Park, killed the engine, and swiveled around in her seat. Veronica jumped out and scrambled straight into the back. Kasluga reached for her own door handle but Roberta was too quick for her. She hit the button on the center console that locked it out.

Kasluga blinked. She said, “The hell’s going on? Are you kidnapping me? It had to happen eventually, I guess. But let me tell you, you’re making a big mistake. You’ll get your money. For sure. But you won’t live to enjoy it.”

Roberta said, “This is not a kidnapping. We just need to talk to you.”

“You ever heard of making an appointment?”

“Would you have agreed to see us? I doubt it. Especially when we told you what we need to talk about.”

“Which is?”

“India. In 1969.”

Kasluga was silent for a moment. Then she swallowed and said, “India. I was there, of course. In a very minor capacity. There’s not much I can tell you.”

“There might be more than you realize. We need you to write down the name of everyone you can remember from that time. Everyone. No matter what job they did. No matter where they were based. Please. It’s important.”

“Why is it?”

“Because one of those people murdered our father.”

Kasluga was silent for a moment. Then she said, “I’m sorry. I don’t know how to react to that.”

“By grabbing some paper and starting to write.”

“OK. Sure. Of course I’ll try to help. But I have to ask. I haven’t been in India for more than twenty years. If your father was murdered that long ago, why are you looking for names now?”

“His murder is new information.”

“You think the murderer worked at the Mason Chemical plant?”

“Worked at, or was connected with it in some way.”

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