“Such as?” asked Pine.
“Genealogy sites. You put in your DNA and they do what they do.”
Pine waved this off. “I’ve tried that. It’s not that simple in my case because the process they typically use wouldn’t necessarily help me find a match with Mercy.”
“But it would if the Bureau lends a hand.”
“And you think the Bureau would?”
“You just saved another little girl from certain death and solved the murders of multiple people. I would think the Bureau would give you anything you wanted at this point.”
“Why do I think you’ve already checked into this?”
“Will you trust me on this?”
Pine let out a long, troubled breath. “I suppose I’ll have to.”
Chapter 76
TWO DAYS AFTER Pine had provided the DNA sample and it was compared by the FBI against millions of others on a number of online sites, a match of sorts came back.
Only it had nothing to do with Mercy Pine.
And it would provide the second biggest shock of Pine’s life, after losing her sister.
When Pine was told about it, she sat in her room at the Cottage staring at the wall. It was like a theft of her identity that had nothing to do with the cyberworld and everything to do with simple flesh and blood.
Finally, she rose and left her room.
In the foyer, she spotted Blum who had obviously been waiting for Pine to come down.
Blum said, “Would you like me to go with you? I’d be glad to.”
Pine shook her head. “I think it needs to be just me.”
“Then I’ll be right here when you get back.”
Outside, she ran into Eddie Laredo, who was packing up his rental.
“Well, I guess I’ll see you around, Atlee.”
Her mind was a thousand miles from here, but she put a hand on his shoulder. “You saved my butt more than once down here.”
“Like I said, that’s what partners are for.”
“So, things are good between us?”
“They are from my side. I’ve already called Denise and we’re in discussions to give me more time with my sons.”
“That would be great. They need their father. Their real father.”
He looked at her closely. “What about you? Back to Shattered Rock and being the only FBI agent at the Grand Canyon?”
“After I finish up something here.”
“Maybe I’ll come out to visit you.”
“I would like that.”
“Just as friends, though,” he added with another grin.
“Nothing wrong with that, Eddie.”
She gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek and watched him drive off.
Then Pine climbed into her SUV and headed out, too.
Thankfully, the trip to Americus was mercifully short, because she wasn’t sure how much longer she could manage to hold it all together. She felt in some ways that she was walking the last mile to her own execution.
Jerry Danvers was sitting outside of Jack Lineberry’s private hospital room. He had been transferred from the ICU two days ago and was expected to be released in another few days.
Danvers looked at her with new respect and said contritely, “I guess you saved my bacon and then some.”
“Right,” she said absently.
“And who would have believed that about Straub?”
“I need to see Jack. Now.”
He looked at her funny. Pine knew she was acting oddly, but she didn’t care.
“Okay, you can go on in. He’s just finished his lunch. I’m sure he’ll be glad to see you.”
“I’m not sure about that at all,” said Pine.
She went in and closed the door behind her.
Lineberry was sitting up in his bed and looking much stronger.
She approached slowly and sank down into the chair next to the bed, never once taking her gaze off him.
He looked back at her with great trepidation, and sadness. And also with perhaps a bit of relief thrown in. He said, “I can tell by the look on your face that you finally know.”
“You’re my father,” said Pine.
“I am, yes.” Tears started to slide down his face as he said this.
Pine had something she wanted to say, and now was the time to say it. “But you have another daughter out there somewhere. And my mother, the mother of your children, too. Maybe together we can find them.”
Lineberry tentatively reached out his hand. “Do you really believe we can?”
Pine’s strong fingers closed around his as she said quite firmly, “I don’t think we have a choice.”
Acknowledgments
To Michelle, Atlee Pine rides again. Thanks for being with me every step of the way.
To Michael Pietsch, for being a great publisher.
To Ben Sevier, Andy Dodds, Elizabeth Kulhanek, Jonathan Valuckas, Brian McLendon, Karen Kosztolnyik, Beth deGuzman, Albert Tang, Bob Castillo, Kristen Lemire, Anthony Goff, Michele McGonigle, Cheryl Smith, Andrew Duncan, Joseph Benincase, Tiffany Sanchez, Morgan Swift, Matthew Ballast, Alison Lazarus, Rachel Hairston, Karen Torres, Christopher Murphy, Ali Cutrone, Tracy Dowd, Martha Bucci, Rena Kornbluh, Jeff Shay, Carla Stockalper, Thomas Louie, Sean Ford, Laura Eisenhard, Mary Urban, Barbara Slavin, Kirsiah McNamara, and everyone at Grand Central Publishing, for doing so much for me.
To Aaron and Arleen Priest, Lucy Childs, Lisa Erbach Vance, Frances Jalet-Miller, John Richmond, and Juliana Nador, for keeping me on the straight and narrow.
To Mitch Hoffman, for doing what you do best!
To Anthony Forbes Watson, Jeremy Trevathan, Trisha Jackson, Alex Saunders, Laura Sherlock, Sara Lloyd, Claire Evans, Sarah Arratoon, Stuart Dwyer, Jonathan Atkins, Anna Bond, Leanne Williams, Natalie Young, Stacey Hamilton, Laura Ricchetti, Charlotte Williams, and Neil Lang at Pan Macmillan, for being a brilliant publisher and such a positive force in my life.
To Praveen Naidoo and the team at Pan Macmillan in Australia, for keeping the Baldacci train going Down Under!
To Caspian Dennis and Sandy Violette, for being amazing, and also for loving wine as much as I do!
To Mark Steven Long, for copyediting.
To auction winners Beth Clemmons (Gloucester-Mathews Humane Society) and Max Wallis (Light of Christ Anglican Church), for supporting such terrific organizations.
And to Kristen White and Michelle Butler, for doing everything else, and it’s a lot!
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About the Author
David Baldacci is a global #1 best-selling author, and one of the world’s favorite storytellers. His books are published in over forty-five languages and in more than eighty countries, with over 130 million book sales worldwide. His works have been adapted for both feature film and television. David Baldacci is also the cofounder, along with his wife, of the Wish You Well Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting literacy efforts across America. Still a resident of his native Virginia, he invites you to visit him at DavidBaldacci.com and his foundation at WishYouWellFoundation.org.
ALSO BY DAVID BALDACCI
ATLEE PINE SERIES
Long Road to Mercy
A Minute to Midnight
ALOYSIUS ARCHER SERIES
One Good Deed
MEMORY MAN SERIES
Memory Man
The Last Mile
The Fix
The Fallen
Redemption
WILL ROBIE SERIES
The Innocent
The Hit
The Target
The Guilty
End Game
JOHN PULLER SERIES
Zero Day
The Forgotten
The Escape
No Man’s Land
KING & MAXWELL SERIES
Split Second
Hour Game
&n
bsp; Simple Genius
First Family
The Sixth Man
King and Maxwell
THE CAMEL CLUB SERIES
The Camel Club
The Collectors
Stone Cold
Divine Justice
Hell’s Corner
THE SHAW SERIES
The Whole Truth
Deliver Us from Evil
STANDALONES
Absolute Power
Total Control
The Winner
The Simple Truth
Saving Faith
Wish You Well
Last Man Standing
The Christmas Train
True Blue
One Summer
SHORT STORIES
Waiting for Santa
No Time Left
Bullseye
ACCLAIM FOR
DAVID BALDACCI’S THRILLERS
ONE GOOD DEED
“Insightful and entertaining, Baldacci has captured the time and events perfectly with authenticity, beauty, and flawless prose…Archer is a terrific anti-hero with plenty of longevity and originality, [and] the supporting cast is just as memorable. Gripping from beginning to end.”
—New York Journal of Books
“David Baldacci is a master storyteller, and he invokes the classic feel of the postwar 1940s evident in the timeless literature and film of that time…Doesn’t disappoint.”
—Associated Press
“David Baldacci switches gears with magnificent results…Simmering suspense and splendid prose…Terrific reading entertainment.”
—Providence Journal
“Baldacci nails the setting—capturing everything from the way things looked back in 1949 to how people spoke, adding realism and authenticity to the story. The characters are developed nicely, especially Archer, who flashes real star power throughout…Fast-paced and packed with plenty of suspense.”
—Real Book Spy
“Mega-selling mystery writer David Baldacci’s latest takes us back in time and introduces a new series protagonist that may become one of his most popular…A captivating page-turner.”
—Florida Times-Union
“Baldacci has crafted an ingenious and addicting read in which each paragraph provides a new revelation. The time period and writing style immediately called to mind the works of the immortal James M. Cain…A terrific slice of crime noir.”
—Bookreporter.com
REDEMPTION
“Baldacci turns up the suspense and surprises at a rapid pace in Redemption without sacrificing character or story. With the personal stakes and the steep learning curve that Decker must overcome to find justice, the narrative carries a heavier emotional impact. Essentially, this is another great novel from a master storyteller.”
—Associated Press
“No one will leave this story unchanged by the revelations and violent events that transpire one after another, making for a fine thriller that will please all of Baldacci’s eager readers.”
—Bookreporter.com
LONG ROAD TO MERCY
“Baldacci excels as a storyteller…[and] is at the top of his game here. The final reveal is both exciting and shocking. Readers will fall in love with Atlee.”
—Associated Press
“Baldacci weaves an intricate tale full of action, adventure, and intrigue…Baldacci’s latest page-turning thriller lives up to his readers’ expectations and beyond.”
—Killer Nashville
THE FALLEN
“The pace picks up considerably with each passing chapter until the inevitable ending that most surely will deliver a resolution at about the same time you are catching your breath.”
—Bookreporter.com
“Amos Decker shines again…The Fallen is David Baldacci at his very best.”
—Real Book Spy
END GAME
“Baldacci is a gifted storyteller.”
—Associated Press
“Fast-paced entertainment at its best.”
—Florida Times-Union
“Does End Game make for entertaining reading? You bet.”
—St. Louis Post-Dispatch
A Minute to Midnight Page 39