Hannah adjusted her mirror so that she could see him without turning around. She said, “What’s your name?”
The kid said, “Jed. Jed Starmer.”
“Well, Jed, why’s it so important you get to Winson this morning?”
“Something’s happening. I can’t be late. I’ve come too far to miss it.”
“What’s happening? Where?”
“Someone’s getting released from the prison.” Jed took a breath. “My dad.”
Reacher said, “I read about that. Anton Begovic?”
Jed nodded. “He was never married to my mom. That’s why we have different last names.”
“Does he know you’re coming?”
“He doesn’t know I exist.”
—
The bus crested the hill and Hannah’s phone announced they had a left turn coming up in a half mile.
Reacher said, “Where did you travel from?”
Jed said, “L.A.”
“On the bike the whole way?”
“On the bus. The Greyhound. I just rode the bike from Jackson.”
“You brought the bike with you?”
“I kind of borrowed it.”
Hannah sighed. Reacher said nothing.
Jed said, “I didn’t steal it. You don’t understand. I had everything planned. I was supposed to stay in a hotel, then get a taxi, but all my stuff got stolen, and my money got stolen, and two creepy guys tried to kidnap me, and some cops came, and—”
Reacher said, “It’s OK. No one’s accusing you of anything.”
“This is important. I’m not a thief, OK? The guy riding the bike was an asshole. He rode into me, and he pushed me, and he yelled at me. Then he left it right there. On the sidewalk. Unlocked. I had no choice. I’ll give it back when I’m done. I swear.”
Hannah said, “Sounds like you’ve had an awful time. You lost everything?”
“Pretty much. All I’ve got left is my toothbrush. I had it in my pocket.”
“What about your mom? Could she not help? Would you like me to call her?”
“You can’t. She died—pancreatic cancer. It came on quick.”
“I’m sorry.”
Reacher said, “What’s your plan when you get to the prison?”
Jed shrugged. “Meet my dad, I guess.”
“How? They have some kind of big shindig planned. Press. TV. The whole nine yards. You won’t be able to just stroll up and say,
Jed shrugged again. “I’ve come this far. I’ll figure something out.”
—
They came to the intersection and the phone insisted they should turn. Winson was straight on, so Hannah pulled over to the side of the road. She said, “It’s flat from here. You should be OK on the bike. I’ll help you get it off the rack.”
Jed opened the door. “I can get it. Thanks for the ride.”
Hannah said, “Hold on a sec. We need to talk real quick.”
“What about?”
“If I’m understanding this right you’re about to meet your dad for the first time. That’s a huge thing. For both of you. It needs to be handled just right because it’s going to have an impact on the whole of the rest of your lives.”
Jed didn’t respond.
Hannah said, “Have you ever met anyone who’s been in prison?”
Jed said, “No.”
“I have. A lot of times. I work with a charity that helps people when they get out. The next few months are going to be very hard on your dad. Even if he hated it, even if he didn’t deserve to be there, he’ll be totally used to life in an institution. The outside world is completely different. It’s like he’s going to be dumped in a strange country where he doesn’t speak the language or understand the customs. It’ll be daunting for him. It’ll be frightening. He’ll be overwhelmed with all the changes, and one thing he’s really going to struggle with is surprises. He could react…in a way he wouldn’t be happy about, looking back.”
“What are you saying? That I shouldn’t meet my own dad? Because—”
“Not at all. Meeting you, getting to know you, that’ll be the best thing that ever happens to him. But finding out he has a kid, on top of all the other changes he’s going to be facing, that’s a huge deal. It’s a transition that has to be handled carefully. Slowly. And today—release day—might not be the best time.”
“But he doesn’t know I was even born. He doesn’t know to look for me. If we don’t connect today, he’ll disappear again. I’ll never find him.”
“That’s not how it works.” Hannah rummaged in her purse, pulled out a card, and handed it to Jed. “Here’s what I suggest you do. Go to the ceremony outside the prison. See your dad get his freedom back. That’s a big deal. It’s obviously important to you, since you came all this way. And it’ll mean the world to him that you did. But give him a day or two. Then get in touch. Call me when you’re ready. I know how the system works. I can help you find where he’s staying.”
“What am I going to do for a day or two? In Winson? I have no money. Nothing to eat. Nowhere to sleep.”
Reacher fished another wallet out of the pillowcase and took the cash from it. There was $240. He passed it to Jed. “Hannah’s right. You should listen to her. You’re at a crossroads in your life. It’s important you choose the right way to go.”
—
Jed wrestled the bike down from the rack at the rear of the bus, climbed on, and pedaled straight ahead toward Winson. Hannah pressed the clutch down, then let it back up again without touching the gear stick.
