Past tense
(Book)

Jack Reacher has extended his thumb and hit the pavement. On a country road in rural New Hampshire, deep in the New England woods, he sees a sign for a place he has never been: The town where his father was born. He takes the detour. At the same moment, in the same isolated area, a car breaks down. Two young Canadians are trying to drive to New York City to sell a treasure. Now they're stranded at a lonely motel in the middle of nowhere. The owners almost seem too friendly. It's a strange place, but it's all there is. The next morningm, Reacher asks about the old family home. He's told no one named Reacher ever lived in town. He knows his father left and never returned. Was he ever there in the first place?