Page 116 of Chain Reaction

“I walked around that whole place the evening I was there. The motel and the diner looked normal. Nothing jumped out. The rest of it was a mystery to me anyway. There are solar panels and data centers. I couldn’t tell if they looked right or wrong. We’re not going to notice what Bisley would have noticed. How could we? It might be some tiny detail. We’re not experts. We’re the wrong people for this inquiry.”

“With respect, colonel, I disagree.”

“There’s a surprise.”

“I think we might be the three best qualified humans on the planet.”

“How so?”

“I have a private theory,” Reacher said.

“What is it?”

“There’s a clue in the name. It’s private.”

“You mean it’s not yet fully developed, not yet fully supported by evidence, and riddled with holes you can’t explain. In other words it’s a wild-ass guess, not a theory. If you had it all worked out, you would present it for consideration. Anything else would be derelict. I assume you’re a better soldier than that.”

“Not riddled, exactly.”

“How many holes?”

“I need to speak to Julia again.”

“Why?”

“I need her opinion on something. You’re right, the theory is developing. One step at a time. I’ll run it by you when it’s ready. How much snow does Summertown get?”

“How much what?”

“Snow.”

“It’s August.”

“In winter.”

“What do you care about winter?”

“I’m thinking ahead.”

“This needs to be fixed long before winter. Today if possible. Tomorrow at the latest.”

“How much snow?”

Elwood took out his personal cell. He swiped and typed, both thumbs.

“You’re getting service up here?” Reacher asked him.

“Encrypted wifi,” Turner said. “It’s on all our planes. Via satellites a hundred miles above us.”

“Fifty-one inches total, on average,” Elwood said. “Worst months are February and March.”

“Thank you,” Reacher said. “Good to know.”

“Does that help you?”

“It might help all of us, depending on what Julia says.”

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