‘That’s certainly specific.’
‘You asked me to be specific.’
Podolski said, ‘What was the conversation with Colonel Moorcroft about?’
‘A legal matter,’ Reacher said.
‘Privileged?’
‘No, it was about a third party.’
‘And the third party would be Major Susan Turner, of the 110th MP, currently under investigation by the army on corruption charges?’
‘Correct.’
‘And Major Sullivan witnessed this conversation, is that right?’
‘Yes, she was there.’
‘She says you wanted Colonel Moorcroft to do something, is that correct?’
‘Yes, it is.’
‘You wanted him to appeal Major Turner’s pre-trial confinement?’
‘Yes, I did.’
‘But he wouldn’t? Is that correct? And in fact he told you to butt out?’
‘At one point, yes.’
‘You argued, in fact. In a heated manner.’
‘We didn’t argue. We discussed a technical matter. It wasn’t heated.’
‘But the bottom line is you wanted Colonel Moorcroft to do something for you, and he refused to do it. Is that a fair summary?’
Reacher said, ‘What exactly is this about?’
Podolski said, ‘It’s about Colonel Moorcroft getting beaten half to death, late this morning, in southeast D.C. On my streets.’
FIFTEEN
PODOLSKI TOOK OUT a notebook and a pen, and he laid them neatly on the table, and he said, ‘You should have a lawyer here.’
Reacher said, ‘I wasn’t in southeast D.C. today. Or any other part. I didn’t even cross the river.’
‘Do you want a lawyer?’
‘I already have a lawyer. Two of them, actually. They’re not much use to me. In fact one of them in particular seems to be doing me no good at all.’
‘Major Sullivan, you mean?’
‘She left before the conversation was over. Moorcroft was going to file the paperwork. He agreed just after Sullivan was gone.’
‘That’s convenient.’
‘It’s also true. Is Moorcroft saying different?’
‘Moorcroft isn’t saying anything. He’s in a coma.’
Reacher said nothing.
‘You had a car, didn’t you?’ Podolski asked. ‘A blue Chevrolet sedan, borrowed from the 110th HQ.’
‘So what?’
‘You could have grabbed Moorcroft up and driven him across the river.’
‘Could have, I suppose, but didn’t.’
‘It was a brutal attack.’
‘If you say so.’
‘I do say so. There must have been blood everywhere.’
Reacher nodded. ‘Brutal attacks and blood everywhere tend to go hand in hand.’
‘Tell me about your clothes.’
‘What clothes?’
‘The clothes you’re wearing.’
Reacher looked down. ‘They’re new. I just bought them.’
‘Where?’
‘At a strip mall two blocks from my motel.’
