According to the Catholic Church, if the penitent thief had died before Jesus, would he have had to wait for his reward?

At his crucifixion Jesus told the repentant evildoer, "Today you will be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43). As that grueling day drew to a close, the legs of the two evildoers were broken to hasten their death. Of course, when the soldiers got to Jesus they found him to be already dead, and did not break a bone in his body. My question is: According to Catholic doctrine, if the evildoer had passed away before Jesus died, would that evildoer have been saved by the ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ? Or would he have had to wait for his reward like other faithful men of old, such as David?