‘I would if I could. But they won’t let us. Their other two guys might have been on that flight to Orange County. Or else on the next Long Beach departure. Either way they’re only an hour or two behind us.’
‘Knowing what Edmonds can or can’t get won’t help us with them.’
‘It’s tactically crucial,’ Reacher said. ‘Like in the field manual. We have to assess whether they need to retain unimpaired cognitive function for future interrogation.’
‘That’s not in the field manual.’
‘Maybe they cleaned it up.’
‘You mean if Edmonds has failed, you’ll keep the two guys alive so you can beat it out of them?’
‘I wouldn’t beat it out of them. I would ask them nicely, like I did with the Big Dog. But if I know I don’t need to ask them anything, then I can let nature take its course beforehand.’
‘What course will that be?’
‘The future’s not ours to see. But something uncomplicated, probably.’
‘Reacher, you’re on the way to see your daughter.’
‘And I’d like to live long enough to get there. We can’t do a front burner and a back burner thing. Not on this. We have to do two front burners. Ma’am. Respectfully submitted.’
Turner said, ‘OK. But we’ll buy a phone, so we don’t have to keep on stopping. In fact we’ll buy two phones. One each. Prepaid, for cash. And a street map.’
Which they did about a mile later, by coming off the freeway into a dense retail strip anchored by a chain pharmacy, which carried pre-paid cell phones and maps, and whose registers accepted cash along with every other form of payment known to man. They put the map in the car, and stored each other’s numbers in their phones, and then Reacher leaned on the Range Rover’s warm flank and dialled Edmonds’ cell.
She said, ‘I made the application at start of business today.’
‘And?’
‘So far there have been no motions to deny.’
‘How soon would you expect them?’
‘Instantly. Or sooner.’
‘So that’s good.’
‘Yes, it is.’
‘So how long?’
‘Later today, or early tomorrow.’
‘Got a pen?’
‘And paper.’
‘I want you to check Peter Paul Lozano and Ronald David Baldacci with HRC.’
‘Who are they?’
‘I don’t know. That’s why I want you to check.’
‘Relevant to anything in particular?’
‘To being on the right side of history.’
‘I heard something you should know.’
‘As in?’
‘Detective Podolski found your clothes in the landfill. They’ve been tested.’
‘And?’
‘The blood didn’t match.’
‘Should I hold my breath waiting for an apology from Major Sullivan?’
‘She’s coming around. She was very touched you left her an IOU.’
‘Is the Metro PD dropping out now?’
‘No. You fled after a lawful police challenge.’
‘That’s not allowed any more?’
‘I’ll do my best with Lozano and Baldacci.’
‘Thank you,’ Reacher said.
And then they got back on the freeway and headed north, just one of ten thousand moving vehicles winking in the sun.
Romeo called Juliet and said, ‘I spoke to the gentleman known as Cool Al directly, on a pretext, and he tells us they’re in a twenty-year-old black Range Rover.’
Juliet said, ‘That’s good to know.’
