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“From who?”
“I’ to tell you al It’s all perfectly legitimate The state says so I have a license and I pass all kinds of inspections”
“Then why be shy about it?”
“It’s private information”
Reacher said, “Suppose I buy the ring?”
“It’s fifty bucks”
“Thirty”
“Forty”
“Deal,” Reacher said “So now I’m entitled to know its provenance”
“This ain’t Sotheby’s auction house”
“Even so”
The guy paused a beat
Then he said, “It was fros and take the deduction Mostly old cars and boats But other things too The guy gives them an inflated receipt for their tax returns, and then he sells the things he gets wherever he can, for whatever he can, and then he cuts a check to the charity I buy the set, and I hope to turn a profit”
“So you think so to a charity and took a deduction on their income taxes?”
“Makes sense, if the original person died From 2005 Part of the estate”
“I don’t think so,” Reacher said “I think a relative would have kept it”
“Depends if the relative was eating well”
“You got tough times here?”
“I’m OK But I own the pawn shop”
“Yet people still donate to good causes”
“In exchange for phony receipts In the end the government eats the tax relief Welfare by another name”
Reacher said, “Who is the charity guy?”
“I won’t tell you that”
“Why not?”
“It’s none of your business I mean, who the hell are you?”
“Just a guy already having a pretty bad day Not your fault, of course, but if asked to offer advice I would have to say it ht be the straw that breaks the camel’s back”
“You threatening me now?”
“More like the weather report A public service Like a tornado warning Prepare to take cover”
“Get out of my store”
“Fortunately I no longer have a headache I got hit in the head, but that’s all better now A doctor said so A friend o Two times She orried about me”
The pawn shop guy paused another beat
Then he said, “Exactly what kind of a school was that ring from?”
Reacher said, “It was a military academy”
“Those are for, excuse me, problem kids Or disturbed No offense”
“Don’t blame the kids,” Reacher said “Look at the families Tell the truth, at our school there were a lot of parents who had killed people”
“Really?”
“More than the average”
“So you stick together forever?”
“We don’t leave anyone behind”
“The guy won’t talk to a stranger”
“Does he have a license and does he pass inspections by the state?”
“What I’ as I honestly believe it And I do It’s from a charity I’ve seen the paperwork All kinds of people do it They even have commercials on TV Cars, mostly Sometimes boats”
“But this particular guy won’t talk to me?”
“I would be surprised”
“Does he have no manners?”
“I wouldn’t ask him over to a picnic”
“What’s his name?”
“Jimmy Rat”
“For real?”
“That’s what he goes by”
“Where would I find Mr Rat?”
“Look for a minimum six Harley-Davidsons Jimmy will be in whatever bar they’re outside of”
Chapter 3
The toas relatively soing sad Maybe more Maybe ten There was hope There were some boarded-up enterprises, but notbusiness, at a leisurely rural pace Big pick-up trucks rolled through, slowly There was a billiard hall Notabout the architecture made it clear it was dairy country The shape of the stores looked like old-fashionedbarns The same DNA was in there somewhere
There was a bar in a standalone wooden building, with a patch of weedy gravel for parking, and on the gravel were seven Harley-Davidsons, all in a neat line Possibly not actual Hells Angels as such Possibly one of many other parallel denominations Bikers were as split as Baptists All the sauys liked black leather tassels and chros spread wide and their feet sticking out in front of the effect Perhaps necessary Generally they wore heavy leather vests And pants, and boots All black Hot, in late summer
The bikes were all painted dark shiny colors, four with orange flames, three with rune-like sye, and soles had slipped There was an air conditioner in one of the s, straining to keep up, dripping water in a puddle below A cop car rolled past, slowly, its tires hissing on the blacktop County Police Probably spent the first half of its watch ginning up hway, noling the back streets of the towns in its jurisdiction Showing the flag Paying attention to the trouble spots The cop inside turned his head and gazed at Reacher The guy was nothing like the pawnbroker He was all squared away His face was lean, and his eyes ise He was sitting behind the wheel with a ramrod posture, and his haircut was fresh A all buzz cut Maybe just a day old Not more than two
Reacher stood still and watched him roll away He heard alouder, heavy as a haravity would allow, a big heavyback with his feet on pegs way out in front He leaned into a turn and slowed on the gravel He earing a black leather vest over a black T shirt He parked last in line His bike idled like a blacks an anvil Then he shut it down and hauled it up on its stand Silence came back
Reacher said, “I’ for Jimmy Rat”
The guy glanced at one of the other bikes Couldn’t help himself But he said, “Don’t know hied, to the door of the bar He was pear shaped, and maybe forty years old Maybe five-ten, and bulky He had a sallow tan, like his skin was rubbed with motor oil He pulled the door and stepped inside
Reacher stayed where he was The bike the new guy had glanced at was one of the three with silver runes It was as huge as all the others, but the footrests and the handlebars were set a little closer to the seat than uy’s, for exaht, possibly Maybe skinny, to go with his naun Maybe vicious