‘They’re not small,’ Reacher said. ‘They’re cropped.’
‘What are?’
‘His ears.’
‘How do you know?’
‘The girl told me. She’s seen them up close.’
‘You talked to her?’
‘She initiated contact, in the diner.’
‘Why would she?’
‘She thinks we’re feds. She’s curious about what’s happening on her street. She thought we might give her the details.’
‘Where did she see the guy with the ears?’
‘At the end of her driveway.’
‘She really doesn’t know what’s happening?’
‘Not even about the paternity suit. My name meant nothing to her. Clearly her mother hasn’t told her about the affidavit. She doesn’t even know her mother is the lawyer’s client. She thinks it’s one of her neighbours.’
‘You shouldn’t have talked to her.’
‘I had no choice. She sat herself at my table.’
‘With a complete stranger?’
‘She feels safe in the diner. The counter man seems to look after her.’
‘What was she like?’
‘She’s a nice kid.’
‘Yours?’
‘She’s the best candidate yet. She’s about as weird as me. But I still don’t recall a woman in Korea. Not that last time.’
Turner said, ‘Cropped ears?’
‘Like little hexagons,’ Reacher said.
‘I never heard of that.’
‘Me either.’ Reacher took out his phone and dialled Edmonds. It was nine o’clock on the West Coast, which made it midnight on the East Coast, but he was sure she would answer. She was an idealist. Dial tone sounded seven times, and then she picked up, thick-tongued like before, and Reacher said, ‘Got a pen?’
Edmonds said, ‘And paper.’
‘I need you to check two more names with HRC. Almost certainly from the same logistics company at Fort Bragg, but I need confirmation. The first is Jason Kenneth Rickard, and the second is a guy called Shrago. I don’t know if that’s his first or last name. Try to get some background on him. Apparently he has mutilated ears.’
‘Ears?’
‘The things on the side of his head.’
‘I spoke with Major Sullivan earlier this evening. The office of the Secretary of the Army is pushing for a fast resolution of the Rodriguez issue.’
‘Dropping the charges would be pretty fast.’
‘It’s not going to happen that way.’
‘OK, leave it with me,’ Reacher said. He clicked off the call, and put his phone in his pocket, and went back to driving two-handed. Laurel Canyon Boulevard was a dumb name for the road they were on. It was in Laurel Canyon, for sure, winding its narrow, hilly way through a very desirable and picturesque neighbourhood, but it wasn’t a boulevard. A boulevard was a wide, straight, ceremonial thoroughfare, often planted with rows of specimen trees or other formal landscaping features. From the old French
Then they came out on Ventura Boulevard, which was not the same thing as the Ventura Freeway, but was at least wide and straight. The Ventura Freeway lay ahead, and Universal City was to the right, and Studio City was to the left.
Reacher said, ‘Wait.’
Turner said, ‘For what?’
‘The Big Dog’s lawyer was in Studio City. Right on Ventura Boulevard. I remember from the affidavit.’
‘And?’
‘Maybe his locks and his alarm aren’t so great either.’
‘That’s a big step, Reacher. That’s a whole bunch of extra crimes right there.’
‘Let’s at least go take a look.’
