The Sentinel (Jack Reacher #25)(54)

‘What kind of unsavoury things? Did she tell you?’

‘Not chapter and verse. But Toni did confide some things. She wanted to root out crime and corruption. I think she saw me as a kind of father figure. She looked to me for advice from time to time. I warned her to be careful. More than once.’

‘This seems like a nice town. Is crime and corruption a big problem here?’

‘No. But she was based out of Nashville. She did most of her work there.’

‘How did you find her if she’s not local?’

‘I came across her name online. She was recommended by someone on an ancestry forum.’

‘Are you going to replace her? Or had she finished her work?’

‘I guess I will have to replace her. I haven’t had the stomach for it yet. Toni had completed the broad outline but there’s plenty left to do. The biggest problem is confirming all the dates. That’s why she wanted access to the town’s records. And why she contacted you, Mr Rutherford.’

‘I can see why you would want access,’ Rutherford said. ‘But not why Toni reached out to me. Why did she think I could get my hands on the papers you need? I was the IT manager. Not the archivist.’

‘As far as I understand, it worked like this,’ Klostermann said. ‘Toni was in touch with the archivist. There was a project running to digitize all the records. The archivist told Toni there’d been a kind of false start. The computer memory thing they tried to use was too small so halfway through the process they raised some extra money and got a bigger one. They copied everything, then you as the IT manager took the old one into storage until it was needed for something else. So it’s possible the records I want are still on it.’

Rutherford thought for a moment. ‘I know the equipment you’re talking about. I did take it. I thought it might be useful for … something else.’

‘Do you know where it is now?’

‘Not exactly. But I’m trying to find it. I need it for … something.’

‘If you do find it, would you let me see if my father’s records are there?’

‘I’m not sure if I could,’ Rutherford said. ‘It’s town property. I’m not sure if—’

‘We’re talking about seventy-year-old documents,’ Klostermann said. ‘Maybe older. Whose confidence could possibly get betrayed? And it’s all theoretically public domain stuff anyway. It was in the physical archive before the fire. So come on. What do you say?’

Rutherford didn’t reply.

‘I can make it worth your while if compensation is an issue?’ Klostermann said. ‘Very much worth your while if I can get the first look. Patience is not a virtue of mine. And I’m not getting any younger.’

Rutherford squirmed on the edge of the cushion. ‘It’s not about—’

‘Time is the issue,’ Reacher said. ‘Rusty has a lot to do to prepare for the next chapter in his life and as I’m sure you know, an IT manager’s time is expensive.’

‘How expensive?’ Klostermann said.

‘Ten thousand dollars should cover it. Cash.’

Klostermann struggled to his feet and held out his hand. ‘You’re a life coach, you say, Mr Reacher? I’m beginning to think I might need one of those myself. How long to find the records?’

‘That’s hard to predict. We’re working on it. I’ll let you know.’

Reacher walked back to the car in silence. His gut was telling him that he’d met Klostermann before. In barracks rooms. Bars. Jail cells. Offices. Back streets. All kinds of places. All over the world. Or that he’d met guys just like Klostermann, anyway. Guys with something to hide but who imagine they’re smart enough to think on their feet. To cover their trails. Reacher didn’t think every word Klostermann had spoken was a lie. His father’s immigration, for example. His businesses. There were too many things that would be easy to check on, and only a fool would be dishonest about details that could be disproved in a matter of seconds. It was the family history aspect that didn’t pass the smell test. Writing it for his son. Tying it up in a pretty bow. No. It was more likely that there was some kind of skeleton in the family closet. Something illegal. Something embarrassing. Something Klostermann wanted to bury. Or spin. Something worth ten thousand dollars just to see a record of. But a sack of cash was one thing. Was it also worth Toni Garza’s life? Was it worth Rutherford’s?





SIXTEEN





There were two people at the kitchen counter in Mitch’s apartment alongside Reacher, and they were both mad at him.

‘I can’t believe you offered to sell the server.’ Both of Rutherford’s hands were clenched into fists. ‘You had no right. It’s not yours. We don’t know where it is. And ten measly grand? Cerberus will be worth a hundred times that much. A thousand times.’

‘I can’t believe you would even think of going.’ Sands threw the slip of paper on to the countertop. ‘It’s a trap. It’s obvious. How can it not be?’

Reacher took a mouthful of coffee. ‘OK. First of all, Rusty. Don’t worry. I have no intention of selling your computer thing. And Sarah, yes. It’s almost certainly a trap. But sometimes the only way to know if the stove is hot is to touch it.’