Contents
Chapter 34
Overview
Reacher and Chang bluff their way into Peter McCann’s apartment and find it unlocked, stripped of personal touches, and dominated by extensive computer gear, with McCann’s phone left charging. The emptiness and the unlocked door echo Keever’s case, heightening alarm. As they leave, a previously seen watcher confronts them, signaling immediate danger and tightening surveillance.
Summary
Reacher and Chang locate Peter McCann’s building and, unable to raise him by buzzer or phone, bluff entry as a delivery. They climb to apartment 32, find the door unlocked, and step into a sparse top-floor room dominated by five long tables covered with computers, drives, modems, and tangled wiring, plus stacks of technical books.
They redial McCann’s number; the phone rings on a table, plugged into a computer, suggesting McCann left it behind. A quick two-minute sweep reveals minimal food, basic medicines, threadbare black clothing, and no personal effects or mail. Every computer needs passwords, and nothing hints at leisure or life beyond work.
The unlocked door and absence of McCann mirror Keever’s situation, implying foul play or abrupt departure. As Chang opens the door to leave, a man appears in the hallway—someone Reacher recognizes from earlier sightings in the diner and a Town Car—confirming they have been tracked and are now directly confronted.
Who Appears
- Jack ReacherBreaks into McCann’s building, assesses the apartment’s setup, infers McCann’s absence, and recognizes the watcher at the door.
- Michelle ChangBuzzes them in, redials McCann’s phone, conducts a quick search, and opens the door to the confronting watcher.
- Peter McCann (Maloney)Missing Chicago library volunteer; his unlocked apartment holds extensive computer gear and his charging phone, but no trace of him.
- Unidentified watcherPreviously seen tail from diner and Town Car; appears at McCann’s door, confronting Reacher and Chang.