Part 18 (1/2)

I said nothing.

”I just thank G.o.d I have a son,” she said. ”Not a daughter.”

I said nothing.

”Last night was very bad,” she said. ”I was hoping he would start leaving me alone. Now that I'm getting old.”

I glanced at her again. Couldn't think of anything to say.

”It was my birthday yesterday,” she said. ”That was Paulie's present to me.”

I said nothing.

”I turned fifty,” she said. ”I suppose you don't want to think about a naked fifty-year-old, parading around.”

I didn't know what to say.

”But I keep in shape,” she said. ”I use the gym when the others aren't around.”

I said nothing.

”He pages me,” she said. ”I have to carry a pager at all times. It buzzed in the middle of the night. Last night. I had to go, right away. It's much worse if I keep him waiting.”

I said nothing.

”I was on my way back when you saw me,” she said. ”Out there on the rocks.”

I pulled onto the side of the road. Braked gently and stopped the car. Eased the gears.h.i.+ft into Park.

”I think you work for the government,” she said.

I shook my head.

”You're wrong,” I said. ”I'm just a guy.”

”Then I'm disappointed.”

”I'm just a guy,” I said again.

She said nothing.

”You shouldn't say stuff like that,” I said. ”I'm in enough trouble already.”

”Yes,” she said. ”They'd kill you.”

”Well, they'd try,” I said. Then I paused. ”Have you told them what you think?”

”No,” she said.

”Well don't. And you're wrong anyway.”

She said nothing.

”There'd be a battle,” I said. ”They'd come for me and I wouldn't go quietly. People would get hurt. Richard, maybe.”

She stared at me. ”Are you bargaining with me?”

I shook my head again.

”I'm warning you,” I said. ”I'm a survivor.”

She smiled a bitter smile.

”You have absolutely no idea,” she said. ”Whoever you are, you're in way over your head. You should leave now.”

”I'm just a guy,” I said. ”I've got nothing to hide from them.”

The wind rocked the car. I could see nothing but granite and trees. We were miles from the nearest human being.

”My husband is a criminal,” she said.

”I figured that,” I said.

”He's a hard man,” she said. ”He can be violent, and he's always ruthless.”

”But he's not his own boss,” I said.

”No,” she said. ”He isn't. He's a hard man who literally quakes in front of the person who is his boss.”

I said nothing.

”There's an expression,” she said. ”People ask, why do bad things happen to good people? But in my husband's case, bad things are happening to a bad person. Ironic, isn't it? But they are bad things.”

”Who does Duke belong to?”

”My husband. But Duke's as bad as Paulie, in his way. I wouldn't care to choose between them. He was a corrupt cop, and a corrupt federal agent, and a killer. He's been in prison.”

”Is he the only one?”

”On my husband's payroll? Well, he had the two bodyguards. They were his. Or they were provided for him, anyway. But they were killed, of course. Outside Richard's college. By the men from Connecticut. So yes, Duke's the only one now. Apart from the mechanic, of course. But he's just a technician.”

”How many has the other guy got?”

”I'm not sure. They seem to come and go.”

”What exactly are they importing?”

She looked away. ”If you're not a government man, then I guess you wouldn't be interested.”

I followed her gaze toward the distant trees. Think, Reacher. This could be an elaborate con game designed to flush me out. They could all be in it together. His gate man's hand on his wife's breast would be a small price for Beck to pay for some crucial information.