Desert Star: Harry Bosch, Book 24 – Michael Connelly – 2022
By: Michael Connelly
Narrated by: Titus Welliver, Christine Lakin, Peter Giles
Series: A Harry Bosch Novel, Book 24, A Renée Ballard and Harry Bosch Novel, Book 5
Length: 9 hrs and 37 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 11-08-22
Categories: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Crime Fiction, Police Procedurals
Language: English
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
Format: mp3 64/48 stereo
Publisher’s Summary
LAPD detective Renée Ballard and Harry Bosch team up to hunt the brutal killer who is Bosch’s “white whale”—a man responsible for the murder of an entire family.
A year has passed since LAPD detective Renée Ballard quit the force in the face of misogyny, demoralization, and endless red tape. But after the chief of police himself tells her she can write her own ticket within the department, Ballard takes back her badge, leaving “the Late Show” to rebuild and lead the cold case unit at the elite Robbery-Homicide Division.
For years, Harry Bosch has been working a case that haunts him—the murder of an entire family by a psychopath who still walks free. Ballard makes Bosch an offer: come volunteer as an investigator in her new Open-Unsolved Unit, and he can pursue his “white whale” with the resources of the LAPD behind him.
First priority for Ballard is to clear the unsolved rape and murder of a sixteen-year-old girl. The decades-old case is essential to the councilman who supported re-forming the unit, and who could shutter it again—the victim was his sister. When Ballard gets a “cold hit” connecting the killing to a similar crime, proving that a serial predator has been at work in the city for years, the political pressure has never been higher. To keep momentum going, she has to pull Bosch off his own investigation, the case that is the consummation of his lifelong mission.
The two must put aside old resentments and new tensions to run to ground not one but two dangerous killers who have operated with brash impunity. In what may be his most gripping and profoundly moving book yet, Michael Connelly shows once again why he has been dubbed “one of the greatest crime writers of all time”
Because on most of these platforms you have to click a box that opts you into law enforcement searches but then when you come calling some of them ignore you so three out of four is not bad at all so then the three who responded what did
They say when you asked about the West Coast that’s what I was checking for today I’ve only gotten one reply so far to that question and it was a negative meaning what that knew of no relatives in Los Angeles or California but she did say she would try to find out that’s not
A lot of help actually in a way it is we can definitely get an informative read off of what we have here these four DNA relatives are in a fairly tight Geographic cluster not a lot of spreading out across the country over the decades as is usually the case so
What this tells me is that we are likely looking for a family member who moved away to the West Coast at least a generation or two ago because we have two crimes separated by 11 years it leads me to conclude that this wasn’t a tourist but more likely a resident here
But with roots in the midwest okay so how will the person who responded to you try to find out more if it’s not on here if you look at the tree this is the one who answered me Shannon Laughlin you can see here that she has one living grandparent it’s her
Grandmother on her mother’s side Edith McGrath she will likely go to her and ask if anybody she knows of in her line a brother cousin anybody moved West Ballard felt the phone in her pocket vibrate hold on a second she said she pulled the phone and checked the text it was from
Bosch I’m here just heard from St Louis we need to talk Ballard quickly typed a response go to the upstairs break room meet there in five she put the phone away and turned her attention back to hatus so you’ll follow up with Shannon Laughlin about her grandmother I will
Ballard pointed to the screen and meantime all we know for sure is that our suspect will have Midwest Western Roots she said that’s correct hatus said and I’m going to keep at it and how are you identifying yourself with these people I’m saying I’m a genealogist looking at Cold cases for the police
Department as you know there’s a lot of anti- police sentiment out there lately so I’m just trying to tread slowly and gently and hopefully gain their trust it’s better I think that I don’t outright say I’m la APD I think that’s fine but keep in mind you aren’t actually LAPD you’re a civilian
Volunteer I understand okay Colleen good stuff keep at it and let me know when you make the next link since the meat with Hastings was now going to be downtown Ballard did not see the need to get hatus out of the building she could work here all day if
She wanted I will hatus said and um Renee what Ballard asked is there anything going on that the rest of us should know about feels a little bit like high school the way you and Harry have kind of teamed up and are Whispering all the time and like that
Fight you two supposedly had yesterday that felt like a show you put on for all of us no Colleen there’s nothing anybody else needs to know there are just some things about the case that are sensitive politically plus Harry Bosch and I have worked cases going back several years so
We have a short hand and a level of trust that is already built in is that okay uh sure yes I was just curious I didn’t mean okay well you just do what you do and get me some results Colleen and thanks for updating me I’m going to
Head out now I thought you said you had some reports to right I changed my mind I’ll do it from home you should go home too it’s the weekend Colleen Ballard got up and went back to her workstation returned her laptop to her backpack and then headed toward the
Exit she did not look back at hatus but had the feeling that she was being watched the whole way chapter 28 Bosch was at the table looking at his phone when Ballard entered the the second floor breakroom he spoke first did you bait Hastings is he coming in no
We’re meeting downtown at 2:15 Grand Central Market what did you get from military archives I just emailed two files to you open up the one called St Louis Ballard sat down and opened her laptop while she put in her password and went to her email BOS told her what HCK
Had sent him he tried to contain the energy that he felt Building inside the new woman at the military archives in St Louis called the old guy I used to deal with he vouched for me said I was good people so I got the whole military file on Hastings no
Redactions Ballard was across the table from him and looking at her screen okay what am I looking for first you have his postings and then on page four you have a field action report he lost part of his foot in Afghanistan and that’s what got him his disabled vet status honorably discharged
In 04 so he was here for Wilson right he’s missing half his foot he must have a prosthetic from what I saw last night and today he’s got no limp Ballard was squinting as she looked at her screen you need glasses Renee no I don’t what
Was it IED doesn’t say in the field Action Report when I was in Vietnam some guys shot themselves so they could get the hell out of there in the foot most of the time they must have really wanted out is that what you think Hastings did I have no
Idea I was just talking about Vietnam whether he did or he didn’t what’s that got to do with Sarah Pearlman and Laura Wilson nothing now open the second file while Balor did so Bosch told her how he got the second file remember I said I got the military file without redactions Hastings Social
Security and Military serial numbers were in the first file I use him to access his VA file and that’s what you have there godamn Harry we shouldn’t have this we should have gotten a search warrant first no one’s going to ever know we got it and it will never come up
In court scroll through until you get to 2008 I can’t believe we’re doing this it was Ballard’s last protest before following his directions BOS got up and came around the table to be able to see her screen okay 200 8 says he came into the Westwood VA hospital for Ur
Analysis I can’t read these results they don’t mean anything since’ 08 he’s come in annually for a urinalysis test is this about kidney disease it’s about this Bosch leaned over her shoulder and pointed to a word in the treatment notes from Hastings 2008 visit nephrectomy what is that I had to look
It up it’s the surgical procedure for removing a kidney Ballard turned from the screen to look at him Harry it’s him chapter 29 Ballard stood on the sidewalk on First Street near the corner of the Grand Central Market building she was in a blind where Hastings would not be able
To see her it was 2:25 and she was waiting on the go-ahead from Bosch an earlier text from him reported that he was in place and had eyes on Hastings who had ordered and received a coffee and was looking at his phone while waiting for her the key was to make sure
Hastings didn’t leave with his coffee cup they needed that for his DNA Ballard paced in a small pattern next to the wall of the gcms parking garage while going over the story in her head the news that Hastings had had a kidney removed in 2008 shot new momentum
Into the quiet investigation she and Bosch were conducting the stakes had grown exponentially in the last few hours and she was now sure that she would be sitting very soon having coffee with a serial killer she had to be careful not to stir any suspicion and Hastings nothing that would cause him to
Flee or otherwise act out after their conversation at 231 the greenl text came in from Bosch he’s halfway through his cup you’re good to go she put her phone away and immediately rounded the corner onto Hill Street the open entry to the massive Gathering of food and beverage
Stalls and Butcher and produce shops was on the left across the street was the Lower Landing of Angel’s flight the block long funicular that carried passengers up and down steep Bunker Hill Ballard could see Hastings at a small stainless steel table with his back to her approach she tapped him on the shoulder
Sorry I’m late she said airport traffic do you want a top off she had to ask the question even though she was hoping for a no I shouldn’t even be drinking coffee this late in the day Hastings said itun have me up all night okay I’ll be right
Back Ballard said there was no line for mid-afternoon coffee Ballard quickly ordered a cup of plain black coffee at the count her as she waited she casually looked around and saw Bosch at a table by the neon mural on the East wall of the market he was in Hastings blind even though there
Was no evidence to suggest Hastings knew who Bosch was coffee in hand Ballard sat down at the table with Hastings she noticed that his cup was almost empty the Barista had written Nelson on the side of the paper cup which would make it easy to identify
Should he throw it in the trash but like her own cup it had a corrugated paper sleeve around it while that would be an impediment to collecting fingerprints from the cup she anticipated that they would still be able to collect Hastings DNA through saliva and epithelial
Cells thanks for seeing me on such short notice she said not a problem Hastings said so what’s so important you could only tell me face to face Ballard nodded and took a sip of hot coffee to buy some time as she mentally went over the script she had worked out with
Bosch as I said it’s a delicate matter she said I’m well aware that the open unsolved unit is in existence only because of councilman Pearlman and that any perceived hint of Scandal could hurt him as well as the unit what perceived hint of Scandal detective Hastings pressed I talked to Sandy Kramer
And while it was pretty clear that there is no love lost between you two Kramer is still loyal to Jake proman exactly right no love lost why would you talk to that this is a homicide investigation it goes where it goes you talk to him about the girl with the
Button in her drawer the woman yes Laura Wilson the woman okay what did Kramer say well when I asked asked him about Laura and showed him the photo he said he remembered her that’s it no he said he thought she might have volunteered and that I should ask Jake because he
Knew her too Hastings immediately pushed his cup to the side of the table like he was finished with it and he shook his head no way he said I would have seen it I don’t know what he is now but Kramer was a drunk back then that was why he
Eventually had had to go when Jake got serious about politics how can you know for sure Ballard asked you weren’t there then I was there and I’m telling you there was no Laura Wilson you told me that the 2005 election was before your time with
Pearlman no what I said or at least what I meant was that it was before my time as Chief of Staff I was there back then I was Jake’s driver I had just gotten out of the VA and needed to restart my life and he said he needed a driver
Believe me if Laura Wilson was part of the campaign I would have known because first of all it was a small operation and second she was black Ballard paused for a moment she did not recall the exact words of the phone conversation earlier in the week when Hastings used
The phrase before my time but he had just corrected the record and it matched what Kramer had told her this caused her to go temporarily off script when I talked to the councilman about Laura he said he didn’t know her Ballard said but somehow he knew she was
Black before I even showed him her photo that’s because I told him Hastings said okay and how did you know I never got around to sending you the photo I know you didn’t but I did what any good Chief of Staff would do I don’t go into any
Meeting with my boss without being prepared you didn’t send me a photo and so I went online and Googled Laura Wilson murder Los Angeles and what came up a photo of her that ran in the times poor kid finally got famous as a murder victim there was a whole story on it
Ballard had seen the newspaper clipping including the photo in the Laura Wilson murder book Hastings had again talked his way out of one of the inconsistencies that that had bred her suspicion she felt the interview falling apart and Hastings doing the one thing she didn’t want he was growing
Suspicious she tried one more time to put him on the defensive when I asked you if Pearlman had a campaign manager on that first run for office you said you’d get me the name in contact she said but you knew right then it was Cramer and didn’t tell
Me why I just told you why Hastings said Kramer’s an a drunk and I was concerned that he’d be vindictive because of the way we moved him out of the picture it turns out my concerns were well founded he’s given you a line of that has taken you
Completely off course I told you it goes where it goes if Kramer is lying I’ll deal with him what is this really about Ballard are you trying to make some kind of play at Jake are you trying to threaten him is it you or the department I can assure you it is no
Play it is no threat I am conducting a full field investigation no stone left uncovered why do you think I wanted to meet away from my team and yours I thought you would appreciate then what does Sandy Kramer want before Ballard could answer a man
Came to the table he wore an apron and gloves and carried a trash can he wore a mask over his mouth and nose as other employees in the market still did finish sir he pointed to Hastings coffee cup Ballard looked up and saw that The Man Behind the Mask was Bosch Hastings
Barely looked up at him take it he said I’m done the second sentence was directed at Ballard Bosch took the coffee cup in his gloved hand and walked away from the table Hastings fixed Ballard with a hard stare you know what he said I don’t even care what Sandy Kramer wants him
And you Ballard if you think you’re going to make a move against Jake or me this is weak and I’m out of here he got up and started walking away you have this completely wrong Ballard called after him he didn’t Stop Chapter 30 boss grabbed the key off the rear tire of Ballard’s Defender unlocked the vehicle and placed the evidence package on the back seat floor he relocked the vehicle and put the key back he was heading back to the market when he got a call from Ballard he left where are you
Byy your car I put the cup on the floor in the back seat I went off script and he got mad he headed back through the market can you pick him up hold on BOS changed directions on Third Street instead of going up to Hill he went down
To Broadway and waited at the corner to see if Hastings emerged from the south side of the block long food court I don’t have him he should be coming out he just walked away less than a minute ago BOS knew that there were no through
Isles in the market it was a maze of crowded shops and food concessions and Hast would need to move around people and shift from one aisle to another as he made his way through not enough time had passed for him to get to Broadway what happened I’ll tell you later let’s
Just see if got him Hastings had left the market and was jaywalking across Broadway Bosch could see he was talking and then he reached up to his ear Bosch saw the earbud and knew he had been on a call he just made a call he’s probably trying to find Kramer this whole thing
Just blew up he looks pretty hot you’re going to stay with him he may try to confront Kramer I got him wherever he goes okay let me get to my car and head to the lab if I’m lucky I’ll be able to catch Darcy while she’s there you stay
With Hastings and I’ll call you back she disconnected without waiting for Bosch’s reply Bosch hung back nearly half a block as he followed Hastings on the four block walk back to his office in council chambers Hastings walked down third to Spring and turned left as he
Turned the corner BOS saw him reach up to the earbud again he was getting a call Bosch picked up his Pace falling into a trot until he reached the corner he made the turn and walked briskly to catch up close enough to overhear Hastings part of the phone conversation at the Second Street
Intersection Hastings had to stop and wait for a green light the Civic Center was largely deserted because it was a weekend and all the the city offices and courts were closed but Bosch was able to use two pedestrians who were waiting for the light as camouflage when he caught up to
Hastings at first Hastings stood silently like he was listening or waiting for someone to speak then he started speaking in tight angry bursts because he was aware that others were waiting to cross with him he dropped his voice low so that Bosch heard nothing but as soon as the light changed and he
Stepped into the crosswalk his voice returned to its sharp tone of command and bot was able to hear almost every word he said listen you call her back and tell her you lied there was another pause during which Hastings flung a hand out in a dismissive gesture you’re the
Liar you call her back and tell her what I told you or I will destroy you you understand there was a beat of silence and then Hastings signed off with one word good Hastings put his finger to his ear to end the call and continued toward City Hall
Bosch once again held back and finally stopped the tail when he watched Hastings go up the stone steps of the historic building he called Ballard to report on what he had seen and heard he’s back at City Hall along the way I think he had somebody find Kramer and
Put him on a call he never used the name but he was angry and told somebody to call her back and change the story it was Kramer he just called me and said he just talked to Hastings he was going apeshit so was Hastings you straightened
Kramer out I did I explained that we were just trying to get a rise out of Hastings I think he’s cool with it he doesn’t like the guy remember how far did you go off script I’m pulling in at the lab and I’ve got Darcy Troy waiting
For me let me drop this off and then I’ll call you back or if you want we can meet somewhere I could eat meet me at tracks is that back open yeah you want anything I’ll get something to drink when I get there I already already
At it took Bosch 10 minutes to get over to Union Station in the restaurant inside its huge waiting Hall it was after the lunch rush and the restaurant wasn’t crowded but the waiting Hall was packed with Travelers embracing a post-pandemic world whether the threat of the pandemic was actually over or
Not Bosch was halfway through a grilled cheese sandwich and a sight of fries when Ballard slid into the window Booth across from him she took a french fry off his plate in the same fluid motion Bosch pushed his plate toward the middle of the table dig in I can’t eat all of
This she took another fry as the waitress came to the table I just want an iced tea and some ketchup Bosch let her settle for a moment before going right to the case so Darcy has the cup she does she’s putting a rush on it I
Think I’ve used up the next 3 months of favors with her especially getting her to come in today it’ll be worth it when we bag this guy when will she know she’s hoping the sequence saying is done by tomorrow and then she’ll put it into
Codus and see if it draws a match she can’t directly compare what we get from the cup to what they got from the palm print Ballard shook her head legal protocol handed down by the DA’s office makes it harder to challenge in court if you don’t go outside the bounds of usual
Procedure skipping it and going to a one toone comparison can look like the fix was in a defense lawyer like your brother Mickey could blow that up in court half brother so tomorrow we’ll know if we’re lucky Bosch nodded and took another bite of his sandwich he
Spoke with his mouthful so you went off scripting with Hastings yeah he sort of got to me when he knocked down all three strikes I had against him what strikes he corrected what he meant when he said that the Wilson murder was before his time with
Proman he now says he meant before his time as chief of staff he acknowledged today that he was pran’s driver back then so I went off script when I asked him how he knew Wilson was black when I didn’t tell him and he had an answer for
It I didn’t send him a photo so he Googled her and found a time story on her murder that had her photo he was right the same clip is in the murder book look none of that matters now with a missing kidney the DNA match will come
Back and we take him down I know I know but he’s good he shifted the conversation so when I got back on script and brought up Kramer and him not giving me the name of the campaign manager when he clearly knew it he went ballistic yeah I heard Hasting side of
It what did Kramer tell you he said to Hastings on the call he told me he denied saying that Pearlman knew Laura Wilson but Hastings didn’t believe him he just yelled and threatened to destroy him I think you need to call him who Hastings tell him that Kramer just
Called you and changed his story maybe that will calm him down we kind of left Kramer’s ass blown in the Wind on this Hastings should know there is no threat like now yeah call him see if he answers we have to give Kramer some cover Ballard pulled her phone and called
Hastings he answered and she quickly explained that she now knew that the information she had received about Perman knowing Wilson was wrong she apologized for not confirming or debunking the Intel before bringing it to him she then listened quietly for almost a minute as Hastings had his say
And disconnected without giving her a chance to respond sounded like that went well right let’s just say that I hope that we get DNA back before he can have me fired Monday Bosch nodded letun hope Darcy comes through Ballard leaned back and looked out the window into the waiting Hall
Union Station was one of the city’s lasting beauties think how many people have come through this place to get to this city Harry people like Laura Wilson bringing their hopes and dreams she came from Chicago by train she kept a journal it was in the murder book she took the
Train to save money it took 2 days and she saw the Rocky Mountains then she got here and got killed how unfair was that murder is never fair I’d like to read that journal I have it at my desk at rinson Bosch joined her in looking out
The window into the Hall dozens of people from all walks of life moved across the Spanish tile floor either heading away from LA or having arrived at their destination suitcases and dreams in hand he pictured Laura Wilson arriving and moving wide-eyed through the Great Hall to the doors that opened
To the City of Angels she could not have known that it was her final destination chapter 31 the ocean was as smooth as a fitted sheet on a bed Ballard had brought both surfboard and paddle board with her so she would be ready for any kind of
Surface she had found a parking spot on the Pacific Coast Highway at the West End of Lacosta beach in Malibu and was close enough to the water to be able to tell it was a paddle day this was good it meant Pinto would get to ride with
Her rather than being leashed to a tent pole while she rode the bigger waves it was a Sunday but early enough that the beach was not crowded Ballard opened the defender’s hatch and sat on the tail while working on her wet suit Pinto was still in his travel crate next
To her she was just about to slide her phone into its waterproof case when it started to buzz the caller was Darcy Troy and Ballard’s pulse quickened Darcy give give me the good news Ballard said this was met with silence Darcy hello I’m here and I don’t
Have good news Renee we got a good sample from the cup and I’m sorry but it is no match to the two previous cases now it was Ballard who went silent she had fully invested in Hastings as their guy Renee you still there I don’t understand
He’s the guy he lost a kidney he’s been shaky on his stories I can’t believe this are you sure Darcy could there be some kind of mistake no no mistake I’m sorry but what do you mean when you say he lost a kidney we have his VA records 3 years
After the Laura Wilson murder he had a radical nef whatever you call it nephrectomy removal of a kidney but that doesn’t mean he had kidney disease he could have donated a kidney I mean I’d have to look at the medical records or get somebody more qualified
To look but oh we didn’t I need to call Harry Bosch Darcy you’re a genius I’ll call you later and thanks so much for giving up your weekend for this Ballard disconnected she immediately called Bosch and started unzipping her wet suit as she waited for him to answer
Mard what’s up good and bad news the DNA from Hastings does not match the case DNA is that the good news or bad news the bad the good news is that he could have donated a kidney to a friend or relative and that person would be the
One with kidney disease and could be our new suspect Bosch was silent Harry just thinking we don’t have much of a choice we have to go to Hastings follow the the kidney Ballard smiled but heard no reaction from Bosch That was supposed to be funny Harry yeah I know so where are
You well I was about to go paddling I’m in Malibu do you want to wait till tomorrow not really we have new momentum let’s go see him if we can find him well we know where he lives and works and where he’s been shacking up I can also
Just call him I think it would be better if he doesn’t know we’re coming you never know he could call somebody if he knows why we’re coming agreed when I can get back in an hour I’ll change drop off the dog and then come get you let’s say noon I’ll be
Ready they disconnected and Ballard finished peeling off her wet suit she looked at Pinto in his crate sorry boy she said mom’s got to go to work we’ll come back next week and get on the water I promise she threw her wet suit into the
Back of the SUV and put her sweats back on over her one piece she turned and looked back at the ocean she saw the silhouette of Catalina emerging on the horizon through the Marine layer it was going to be a clear and hot day damn she said chapter
32 Ballard and Bosch went to Hastings house first and found no one home from there they went West to Sunset Plaza in the home of Rita Ford the black Tesla that Bosch had previously followed was there parked in the same spot at the curb on St Ives as before
Bingo they pulled into the driveway and parked Rita Ford answered the door detective Ballard this is a surprise she said what brings you here we need to see Nelson Hastings Ballard said why do you think he would be here Ballard pointed out to the street because that’s his car
And because we know he is she said we need to talk to him Rita it’s important just a moment Ford said she closed the door Ballard looked at Bosch they were expecting a cold welcome when the door reopened Hastings was standing there what are you doing
Here here he demanded we need your help Ballard said you want my help Jesus Christ one minute you have me down as suspect number one and now you want my help what makes you say we suspected you come on detective that charade yesterday where you tell me a story from
Kramer after trying to catch me in lies from my earlier statements I’m not stupid you’ve got it in your head that someone from Jake’s Circle killed Laura Wilson and Sarah Pearlman and that someone was me we don’t think that Nelson can we come in we really need you
To help us with this Hastings pointed at Bosch and you I know who you are he said you followed me from gmb’s yeah I saw you my guess is you’re Bosch well you up Bosch along with her and tomorrow you’ll both be gone I up
Not Renee and if you let us in we can explain it and you can help us catch the murder of your friend’s sister Hastings shifted his stare from Bosch to Ballard but didn’t move or say anything then the stare came back to Bosch Hastings shook his head like he
Couldn’t believe what he was about to do and stepped back from the door 10 minutes he said that’s how long you have to convince me not to have you both fired and maybe even prosecuted bash almost told him he couldn’t be fired because he was a volunteer and
That any effort to charge him or Ballard with a crime would be lefted out of the DA’s office along with Hastings but he let it go they followed Hastings into the house and he led them to a living room furnished in bright oranges and yellows Rita Ford was
Sitting on the couch upholstered in white and yellow stripes we need to talk privately with Nelson Ballard said fine Ford said in an insulted tone she got up and left the room Hastings gestured to the now empty couch and Bosch and Ballard sat down the room had
A glass wall with a view that extended over the top of the Sunset boulevard shops a block below and out across West Hollywood Hastings stayed standing arms folded tightly across his chest so he said just so we are clear you two detectives have obviously been following me investigating me and
Suspecting me of murdering my best friend’s sister do you admit that I would like to know how you know all of that Ballard asked levely what is that matter Hastings said is it true or are you going to sit there and deny it Hastings why don’t you sit down and cool
Off don’t tell me what to do old man Hastings shot backl we’re sorry if you got your feathers ruffled because we were just doing our jobs sure we were looking at you and for good reasons that we can tell you about if you’re interested in listening so again why
Don’t you sit down and help us catch a killer wouldn’t your best friend want that Hastings held up his hand to stop all discussion he briefly closed his eyes and went through some sort of internal calming exercise he then opened his eyes and sat down on on a chair with puffy orange
Cushions what do you want he said Bosch looked at Ballard and nodded she was lead you had a kidney removed in 2008 she said why Hastings shook his head like he couldn’t comprehend what the question had to do with the subject at hand first of all how do you know that
He asked we detectives Mr Hastings Ballard said we find things out you lost a kidney why okay look I didn’t lose a kidney Hastings said I gave it away Ballard nodded sorry poor choice of words she said you gave someone a kidney that was a very unselfish thing to do it must
Have been someone very close to you a family member I’m surprised you don’t already know Hastings said I gave it to Ted rolls in the movies the detectives always look at each other to underscore for the viewer the significance of a witness’s revelation Ballard and Bosch couldn’t help exchanging a look and this
Underscored the significance for Hastings what he said are you saying Ted’s the one no way we not saying that Ballard said I just didn’t know that Ted had that kind of a Health situation if I had I would have questioned why the councilman wanted him on our team the
Guy wanted to be a cop his whole life Hastings said LAPD wouldn’t take him but Santa Monica did then he gets sick and is forced to quit his chosen profession so yeah I gave him a kidney I had an extra one what sort of issue did he have
With his kidneys Ballard asked cancer Hastings said took both kidneys his spleen he almost died but he fought his way back started a small business and built it up he’s amazing but he never gave up on the dream of being a detective so when he saw the press
Conference on TV where Jake announced the reboot of the Cold Case team he came to me and said put me on I talked to Jake and we agreed Jake went to you with it and he conveniently left out his medical history Ballard said you must have known that
The LAPD would not have accepted the liability of that Jake didn’t want to give you any reason to push back on him Hastings said so Ted got added to the team and now you’re saying he had something to do with Sarah and the Wilson girl that is ridiculous again we’re not saying that
Ballard said then what are you saying Hastings said why all these questions about Ted Ballard paused for a moment and looked back at Bosch he knew she was trying to decide whether to trust Hastings not to pass on what she told him to his friends Jake Pearlman and Ted rolls Bosch nodded
Giving her the go-ahead from his view of things I told you that DNA from the Laura Wilson case matched her killer to the Sarah Pearlman case Ballard said yes you told me Hastings said and Wilson had a jake button it’s thin detective Ballard the DNA sample from
The Wilson case came from blood found in urine on the toilet seat in her apartment Ballard said the blood also told us something else that the killer had kidney disease as staunch a defender of RWS as he was even Hastings blinked at the Revelation he was quiet for a few
Moments and then spoke in a reserved voice so when you found out I was missing a kidney he said his voice trailing off plus I thought you had lied when you told me that the 05 campaign was before your time Ballard said Hastings nodded and I knew Laura Wilson was black
Before you told me he said Ballard let him sit with that for a moment and then continued when was the last time you talked to Ted s she asked uh yesterday Hastings said he I called him because I was upset about our conversation he told me it was probably
A setup but you were getting my DNA and I remembered the guy there who came up and took my cup you right he looked directly at Bosch who nodded I’m sorry I called you an old man that wasn’t cool little at all don’t worry about it I am an old man what else
Did Ted tell you I don’t really remember Hastings said I kind of went dark when he said she’s looking at you man and you’d better be careful anything else that you can remember she pressed no I just wanted to get off the phone Hasting said I was so angry once I
Realized what that meeting between us had really been about who else have you talked to about this did you tell the councilman no I was going to tell him all about it tomorrow when I told him you needed to be fired I talked to Rita about it but she hasn’t
Told anyone he held Ballard’s eyes for a long moment you can’t talk to anybody else about this Ballard said not the councilman and certainly not Ted rolls R it too we keep quiet while you do one what Hastings asked continue the investigation Ballard said we’re very
Close and you and the councilman will be the first we call when we get there what if Ted calls me Hastings said what do I say just don’t take the call if you talk to him he might be able to read that you know something my God I really can’t
Believe this Ballard stood up and Bosch did the same he knew that she understood that they had to get moving on RWS if it wasn’t already too late Hastings remained seated and looked like he was deep in thought I just realized something he said what Ballard asked that I gave my
Kidney to the guy who killed Sarah Hastings said and Laura Wilson and who knows who else I kept this guy alive to do that Nelson we don’t know that yet Ballard said we are working this one step at a time you’ve been very helpful but we need to
Continue our work I promise I will personally keep you in the loop Hastings was staring blankly at nothing are you okay Nelson Ballard asked yeah Hastings said in a flat voice I’m just dandy they left him there with his thoughts Bosch looked around for Rita Ford as they were exiting the house but
Didn’t see her it looked like Hastings was on his own for now chapter 33 the first thing Ballard did after she and Bosch got back in her City car was call Paul masser on his cell Paul I need you to come in she said really he said
It’s Sunday what’s going on I need a search warrant and I want it to be Ironclad it can never come back on us in court and you need this today I need it 10 minutes ago can you come in I’ll have it roughed out for you I promise you’ll be in and
Out can’t you just email it to me I can go over it on my phone no I want you at the Pod so we can do it together uh okay give me an hour and I’ll be there thank you and Paul don’t tell anyone on the team that you’re
Rolling into work no one she disconnected before he could ask her what was going on she started driving down the hill to Sunset you don’t need me for that right you and Paul will write it up Ballard looked over at him I guess but you’ve written more search warrants than Paul
And me combined where do you have to go I was thinking I’d get my car go sit on RWS if I can find him Ballard nodded it was the right move good idea I can get his home address out of my team files he also has an office above one of his
Stores the first one he opened in Santa Monica it’s the flagship and he runs all the others from there you can look the address up it’s called DGP mailboxes and more got it DGP I once heard him tell the others in the Pod that it stood for
Don’t go postal but nobody’s supposed to know that nice thoughtful what about his car I have copies of all the paperwork he filled out when he joined the team including a description of car and plate number for security at almanson good get that to me too let me out on Sunset and
I’ll grab a lift back to my place save you some driving you sure my car is in the opposite direction of aminon you need to get there and start writing Ballard had a green light and made the turn from Sunset Plaza onto Sunset Boulevard she pulled to the curb in
Front of a real estate office Bosch paused before getting out as he looked at the glass facade of the business what nothing I worked a case that involved that place when it was a high-end jewelry store two brothers were murdered in the back room oh I remember
That that one ended up being about bent cops too Bosch got out of the city car and looked back in at Ballard before closing the door I’ll call you when I get eyes on RS Roger I mean sounds good that was close calm myself good luck with the
Warrant he closed the door and Ballard pulled back into traffic drawing a horn from a driver who thought she had cut him off she checked her rear view and saw Bosch standing on the sidewalk looking at his phone he was summoning a ride an hour later Ballard was at her
Workstation at almanson she was putting the finishing touches on the probable cause statement that would be included in an application for a search warrant allowing her to take a DNA swab from the mouth of Ted RS Paul masser arrived he was wearing shorts and a tucked in polo
Shirt oh I pulled you off the golf course Ballard said not a big deal masser said I was on the 17th green at Wilshire when you called I would have had to walk in from there so I just played the last hole took a quick shower and came directly here he gestured to
The golfing outfit he was wearing I got these in the golf shop because I didn’t have anything in my locker to change into well I have the PC statement I’ll print it and you can start a search warrant was all about the probable cause statement it had to
Convince a judge that there was enough legal cause to allow for a search and seizure of a citizen’s property or person everything else in a search warrant was largely boilerplate the judge it was submitted to would likely skip over all of that and go directly to the
PC who’s up today masser asked did you check yet no Ballard asked why don’t you do that while I get this from the printer master was inquiring about which judge from the criminal courts division was up on rotation to handle after hours search warrant requests this was a key
Question because judges had particular viewpoints and practices that became known to the trade the lawyers who appeared before them and the police officers who went to them for search warrant approval some judges were Fierce Defenders of the Fourth Amendment protections against unlawful search and seizure others were Fierce Law and Order
Judges who never saw a search warrant application they didn’t like in addition they were elected to the bench while they were charged with wielding their power without personal or political bias it was a rare judge who didn’t occasionally peek out from under the blindfold at the possible electoral
Ramifications of a ruling like whether to allow the state to take a DNA sample from an ex cop suspected of being a killer Ballard came back from the printer and handed Mass the two-page PC statement just as he was hanging up his desk phone judge canterberry is up he said
And that is not good he’s very strict on search and seizure I’ve heard Ballard said I might have another way to go most detectives worked on establishing a relationship with a go-to judge whom they could count on to be sympathetic when it came to questions of
Probable cause it was a form of Judge shopping but it was practiced widely Ballard from her years on the midnight shift at Hollywood division had woken more than a few judges up in the middle of the night to get a search warrant signed she had a few names on her
Contact list that she could call if she and masser didn’t want to go to judge canterberry Ballard pointed to the document now in masser’s hands you’re going to be upset by what you read she said and I don’t want you repeating any of it to any anybody
Clear yes clear Master said now I can’t wait she left him at his workstation and went back to hers while master was going through the PC document she opened one of the original murder books from the Pearlman case and started leafing through the transcripts from the interviews conducted by the original
Detectives her memory was correct there were apparently no interviews with Nelson Hastings or Ted rolls and this carried through to the original lab reports neither one of them had ever had their palm print compared to that found on the window sill in Sarah pearlman’s bedroom this was a serious flaw in the
Original investigation Hastings and rs were close friends of Jake pearlman’s and were acquainted with his sister they should have been interviewed and printed as Kramer had been the fact that they weren’t interviewed contradicted what had appeared to Ballard to be a tight and thorough investigation since the ODS on the case
Were no longer available Ballard felt there was only one person she could talk to for clarification of this issue she called Nelson Hastings did you arrest him he asked immediately no and we’re not there yet Ballard said we are proceeding carefully then what do you need from me Hastings asked I’m reviewing interview
Transcripts from the original investigation there is no interview with you or Ted RS I don’t understand that you were Jake’s friends and I assume you both knew Sarah do you remember this why didn’t they interview you I was out of town with my parents when the murder
Happened Hastings said they talked to my parents and confirmed it so they never talked to me and Ted wasn’t around then what do you mean I mean he was around but he wasn’t as tight as Jake Kramer and I were he was sort of the new guy it was our senior
Year and we were all about to graduate we had gotten our College acceptance letters and the three of us got into UCLA then that summer we heard Ted got in too so we kind of started including him in stuff we took him under our wing because we’d be going to college
Together only that didn’t happen why not well for one thing I changed my mind joined the army and never went to UCLA and neither did Ted something happened and he ended up going to Santa Monica Community College and then he joined the cops out there could it have
Been a lie about getting into UCLA he only said he got in so he could get close to you guys I don’t know maybe you mean like he glommed on to us so he’d hear stuff about Sarah and the investig that’s sick it’s possible but at the
Time of the murder he wasn’t close enough to Jake that the detectives would want to talk to him yeah exactly did he know Sarah he could have she went to an all girl school so she’d come to our dances and events to meet boys Jake would bring her so Ted could have known
Her or at least known who she was from that Ballard noticed that mass was now standing next to her she saw that he had redlined her probable cause statement she held a finger up indicating she was almost finished with her call I have one more question Ballard
Said in ‘ 05 RS was a cop in Santa Monica he wasn’t part of the Pearlman campaign was he there was another silence before Hastings answered you’re thinking about the campaign button Hastings said the answer is yes he was a volunteer Kramer recruited him he’d work his shift for Santa Monica and
Then come meet us at Green blats where we would gather all the volunteers before going out to Canvas he did that several times knocked on doors so he could conceivably have knocked on Laura Wilson’s door and given her the button Ballard said it was a statement not a question yes Hastings said
Thanks for your time Ballard said I’ll be in touch she disconnected and held out her hand to mass for the document you don’t have it Renee he said I’m sorry she looked at the print out he had drawn a red box around the statement of facts in support of the search what’s
Wrong with it she asked it’s weak Mass said the DNA collected in the Wilson case indicated kidney disease RS got a kidney from Hastings because he had kidney disease but there is no linkage between RS and Wilson her having a campaign button from Pearlman is nothing it could be happen stance there
Were probably thousands of those buttons and I’m afraid that’s how canterberry or any other judge will look at this you’re asking for a swab of his DNA to search his home his car even his desk here you want the Moon Renee and I’m sorry but if
I was still a DDA I wouldn’t let you go with this to a judge well that’s what you’re here for let’s just look at the DNA have you thought about surreptitious collection he’s a cop and he already knows we did that with Hastings he’ll be too careful
Now I mean go look at his desk it’s so clean it looks like nobody sits there he probably came in here yesterday and cleaned it after he figured out what we were doing with Hastings well this is all hard for me to wrap my head around are you sure you’re
Looking at the right person we’re sure he’s a suspect but that’s what we need the search warrant for to gather evidence that either proves or disproves the suspicion we Harry Bosch is working this with me he should be watching RS right now so what if she didn’t finish because she was
Still thinking it out what masser said that was Hastings I was just talking to Ballard said he confirmed that RS was a volunteer with the campaign back in ‘ 05 he knocked on doors and handed out those pins did Hastings say he knocked on Laura Wilson’s door or was even in her
Building anything that directly connects RS to Wilson no nothing that close he did join Jake pearlman’s social Serv almost immediately after his sister’s murder Mass shook his head these are pluses to the document he said but it’s not enough to get it by canterberry do
You have a go-to judge you could take it to my go-to retired two years ago Ballard thought for a moment before answering she had a judge in mind but it was complicated judge Charles Rowan was often more interested in Ballard as a woman than as a detective going to his
House to get a search warrant signed would require a dance that she wasn’t keen on or proud of prior to Rowan she’d had a female go-to with whom no dance was required but Carolyn Wickwire had lost re-election when a popular ex prosecutor ran against her claiming she was weak on
Crime I have a judge I could go to I think Ballard finally said well letun add in what got from Hastings and Pad this a little bit Master said and we’ll see what happens chapter 34 Ted RS Flagship DGP store was on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica Bosch
Cruised by slowly and saw a man inside the front room of the shop using a key to open a mailbox BOS checked his rear view and then pulled to a stop to watch for a moment he had already cruised by Ted r ‘s home on nearby Harvard Street but
There appeared to be no one home the DGP shop was on the ground level of a two-story structure called simply enough the Montana shops and Suites it was a block long with retail shops running side by side on floor one and small offices on the second level staircases
At the East and West Ends allowed for access to the walkway that ran the length of the building in front of the offices the DGP store was divided into two sections up front behind the pl glass window was the bank of private mailboxes accessible to customers 24/7 through a front door
With a key card lock beyond the mailbox room was the shipping and packaging center with a counter and displays of cardboard boxes and shipping materials Bosch watched the man take a small package out of his mailbox close it and then leave he then saw a man
Appear from the back of the business and take a seat behind the counter it wasn’t at RS but this didn’t mean RS was not there or in the office he kept directly above the store Bosch started cruising again and turned left on 16th Street he then took
Another left into the alley that ran behind the shopping center he cruised slowly reading the names of the businesses stencl on the rear doors there were no cars in the alley and no parking signs were spaced every 50 ft or so as were dumpsters pushed up against
The rear walls of the businesses BOS checked for security cameras but did not see any back here when he got to the door marked DGP he slowed even more and looked up at the windows of the office on the second floor they offered no clue as to whether
RS was in phenician blinds have been pulled tightly closed behind the glass he picked up speed and continued to the end of the alley at 17th Street then turned left and drove back out to Montana he saw a street side parking place opening up and quickly claimed it
S swinging the Cherokee in behind a compact van the spot gave him a solid view of the shops and the walkway to the offices on the second floor he decided it was the best he could do for the moment RS knew him he couldn’t go into the DGP store or the office without
Possibly revealing himself to the suspect he decided he would wait until he heard from Ballard about the search warrant and learned what the next move should be he put kkjz on the radio and caught an Ed Reed cover of the old Shirley horn song ear to life Reed sang it slowly his
Voice carrying the experience of his years he had to turn the radio down when his phone buzzed and he saw it was Ballard Harry what’s happening I haven’t found RS yet looked like nobody was home at his house no car no sign of life now I’m watching the office on Montana I
Haven’t seen him or his car how about you sounds like you’re driving I’m heading to Brentwood what’s in Brentwood Charlie Rowan I’ve got the search warrant app M helped me write it Bosch knew she was talking about Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Charles Rowan is Rowan up on rotation or is he
Your judge my go-to master thinks it’s going to be a squeaker and I’m hoping I can use my charms with Rowan to push him across the Finish Line yeah I remember back in the day he had a reputation you want me to meet you there thanks Harry
But you’re not my father do dealing with guys like Rowan is nothing new I can handle him sorry I asked I can come to you afterward brentwoods nearby we have to figure out if RS is even here he may have figured out from what Hastings told
Him that we were only a few moves away from getting to him that’s what I was thinking once I get this signed we’ll knock on doors and figure out if he’s flown the coupe okay I’ll be here they disconnected Bosch looked across the street at the D GP store he had a
Viewing angle through the front window to the shipping counter where it looked like the employee was reading a book while waiting for the next customer Bosch liked the vantage point he had and wasn’t sure the parking space would be available if he left it to drive another circuit around the
Building Montana was a major shopping area and parking spaces weren’t left open for long but that back door bothered him he didn’t know whether there was an interior stairway that connected the shop with the office above it either way it was impossible for a single set of eyes to keep a complete
Watch on the business in office he was hoping Ballard would get there soon with a signed search warrant chapter 35 judge Charles Rowan’s eyes lit up when he saw Ballard at his front door Renee my favorite detective in all the City of Angels how are you my dear I’m doing
Fine judge how are you better now that I get to look at you what have you brought for me he actually took a step back to better appraise her his gaze lingering on her for too long Ballard was disgusted but maintained her all business front I think you know she said I’ve got
A search warrant app on a case that is breaking as we speak can I tell you about it of course Rowan said come in come in Rowan stepped further back but opened the door only enough for Ballard to pass close by him as she entered her discomfort level went up another
Notch Rowan was well into his 60s easily too decades older than Ballard he had a full head of silver gray hair and a matching beard his prodigious ear hair was a match in color as well she had been in Rowan’s home before and knew he lived alone after several failed
Marriages she also knew to turn to the right where the dining room was located as opposed to the living room where the judge might try to sit too close to her on the couch don’t you want to be comfortable in the living room Rowan asked but Ballard was already to the dining room
The table here is fine judge she said my partner is sitting on a location by himself and I don’t want to leave him hanging it could get dangerous so if I could get you to take a look at this I’ll be able to get back out there of
Course Rowan said but first things first what can I get you a glass of iced tea a Chardonnay what would you like really judge uh what I would like is for you to read the warrant and hopefully find that everything adds up and is in order she
Gave him the most winning smile she could manage under the circumstances she then put the warrant application down on the table and pulled out the chair for him she was going to remain standing Rowan looked at her and seemed to get the message that this wasn’t
Going to turn into a social visit he moved to the chair and sat down well let me see what you have here he said I can talk you through it Ballard said but if you just want to read it everything is right there did you go through the
District attorney’s office with us not exactly I’m now running the Cold Case unit judge and we have a retired Deputy da assigned to the unit who reviews and helps us write our warrants he came in from home today to work on this because he knew time was of the essence really
What’s this deputy’s name Paul masser he worked in Major Crimes at the daas I know him a capable prosecutor he is so let’s see the judge started reading the first page and Ballard felt her guts tighten the first four pages of the application were standard boilerplate legales that was virtually the same on
Every warrant a judge was presented with Rowan could have flipped through these to the meat of the application the case summary and probable cause statement but he wasn’t doing that and Ballard had to believe it was because she had deflected his attempt to turn this into a social visit if not something
More still she said nothing for fear she might anger the judge and cause him to reject the warrant she shifted her weight from one leg to the other and just watched Rowan remained silent until he flipped to the third page and spoke without looking up from the document are
You sure I can’t get you something Renee no judge I’m fine my partner is waiting out there I understand I’m going as fast as I can I have to be thorough I don’t want this to come back and bite me in a pellet Court should I see fit to sign it
And send you on your way of course sir Charlie we’re old friends Renee Charlie then finally he got to the statement of facts regarding the case and then the piece statement Ballard checked her watch she was worried about what was going on with Bosch as he waited for her to get to Montana
Avenue checking your watch does not help Rowan said you may be in a hurry but I can’t be not when we are considering the search and seizure of a man’s properties and body I understand sir Ballard said I mean Charlie she was now sure that Rowan was
Going to reject the warrant because she had rejected him she was chasing down a serial killer and this judge would be so petty as to thwart that effort because his pride was bruised Ballard wished she had just taken her chances with canterberry Renee would you go into the living room Rowan suddenly
Asked uh why Charlie Ballard asked because in the living room is a door to my home office on the desk you will find my stamp and its ink ped would you retrieve them so I can sign and seal this search warrant of course surprised and relieved Ballard
Quickly crossed the entry hall and went through the living room to a set of double doors that opened to an office she spotted the stamp that carried the Seal of the Superior Court sitting on an ink pad on the desk on the way back to the dining room she heard her phone buzz
It was Bosch she didn’t take the call she wanted to get the search warrant signed and stamped and then get away from the judge she’d call Bosch back after chapter 36 the K Jazz presenter sent out best wishes to Ron Carter on his 85th birthday celebrated at Carnegie Hall in
New York in the past week he then played a song for you a cover off Carter at his best album released when the Great bass player was a young 59 years old the song Went 8 minutes long and when it was over Bosch turned off the
Radio so he could call Ballard again and see if she was heading to Montana Avenue yet but before he could make the call he saw the light inside the DGP store change the far recesses of the store behind the shipping counter were momentarily illuminated and Bosch guessed that someone had just opened the
Back door of the shop and let in daylight he immediately started the engine and pulled out of the coveted parking space this time he drove by the Western entrance to the alley rather than turning in this gave him a two-c glimpse down the straightaway and he saw a car
Parked about halfway down the alley which put it in the vicinity of the DGP store the car had its trunk open preventing BOS from identifying its make or seeing whether the plate number matched raws he continued on to Idaho Avenue took a left through a residential neighborhood and drove down to 17th
Where he turned left again and came up on the other end of the alley this time he could see the distinctive BMW Grill and the metallic blue paint finish on the hood Ballard had earlier texted him a description of a blue 2021 bmw5 series with a vanity plate reading
Dgp1 the car was too far down the alley for him to read the plate on the front bumper but he could tell that it was only four characters long he felt confident that it was Ra’s BMW and he was inside the shop because the BMW was pointed East
Bosch assumed that RS would drive out of the alley on the east side when he left his business he put his car in reverse and backed down 17th Street and into the driveway of the first home south of the alley the spot gave him a direct view of the Alley’s
Exit he had just put the transmission into park When A call came in from Ballard RS is here his car is in the alley behind the shop and I think he might be about to take off where are you do you have the warrant I got it signed
I’m just leaving now if he takes off it’s going to be tough to run a onear follow on a guy probably looking for it I understand I’m on my way Bosch disconnected and focused his attention on the Alley exit he didn’t like not having eyes directly on the BMW
But he also didn’t want to leave his vehicle and risk being seen by RS or losing him if he drove off and Bosch was separated from his car because he was looking to the right through the windshield he didn’t see the man come up on his left side and wrap
His fist on the roof of the car BOS startled and turned didn’t mean to startle you the man said but do you mind telling me what you’re doing here uh I’m waiting for somebody Bosch said Bosch turned from him to check the alley then looked back someone living in this
Neighborhood the man asked it’s not really any of your business Bosch said well I’m going to make it my business this is my driveway and I want to know why you’re sitting in it sorry about that I’ll move out on to the street he started the engine that’s not good
Enough the man said if you’re hanging around here then I need to know why or I’m going to call the police mister I am the police Bosch said he turned from the man and dropped the car into gear he drove out onto the street and took a
Right he crued slowly past the alley and took a quick glance toward the BMW it wasn’t there his eyes were drawn to a set of brake lights flaring at the far end of the alley as a car turned right onto 16th Street Bosch said he hit the
Gas and drove up to Montana at the stop sign he crept the car out into the intersection and looked down to his left he saw the blue BMW pull out onto Montana and head West Bosch did the same and started to follow maintaining a block and a half distance from the
BMW he guessed that RS was heading to Lincoln Boulevard which in turn would take him to the 10 freeway and then anywhere he wanted to go he called Ballard again he’s on the move I think he’s heading to the freeway where should I go if he gets on the 10 he’ll be
Heading toward the 405 I’m right by the 405 so jump on and head south I’ll call you back when we’re heading that way if we pull this off you take lead I think he made me how do you know he turned around in the alley so he didn’t have to drive by my
Location one car follow what can I tell you I know my fault no not your fault it just is what it is what if he’s just going home that would be perfect but I don’t think it’s happening the college streets are east of here he’s taking a roundabout way if that’s where he’s
Going up ahead RS turned South onto Lincoln as predicted Bosch reached the intersection and as he made the same turn he didn’t see the BMW ahead as he passed through the next intersection he slowed and quickly looked one way and then the other the BMW was nowhere to be
Seen I think I already lost him what where he turned on the linkoln and when I fed he was gone I’m checking the side streets but don’t see his car anywhere we need to get that swab I know that so now it’s my fault I’m not blaming you Harry I’m just pissed where
Do you think he was going the freeway and from there who knows maybe he’s going to the airport or he could be driving South to Mexico or north to Canada Bosch had now passed through three intersections and had not seen the blue BMW where should I go now keep going to
The 405 and head south I’ll do the he didn’t finish the sentence his phone flew out of his hand as he felt a sharp impact on the rear corner of the car suddenly he was in a counterclockwise spin the Cherokee SL sideways through an intersection and then sheared off a stop
Sign before slamming into a parked car and coming to an abrupt stop Bosch was stunned for a moment and then a sharp pain in his right knee cut through the fog and brought Clarity he grabbed his knee and looked around trying to get his bearings and determine what had just happened through the
Windshield he saw the blue BMW he had been looking for it was sitting in the middle of Lincoln its front passenger side headlight shattered from the impact Bosch quickly formed an understanding of what had happened RS had hit his car from behind with a pit maneuver a Pursuit tactic designed to
Spin a car out by clipping the rear corner changing the direction of its momentum and Swinging it into an out- ofc control fishtail only slightly damaged the BMW didn’t take off it sat Motionless in the middle of the street until the driver’s door was suddenly flung open and rs got
Out he came around the front of the car and at first Bosch thought he was going to check the damage to his car but he didn’t even glance at the BMW’s front end instead he calmly started walking toward Bosch’s car Bosch could see that he was carrying a gun down at his side
You got to be kidding me Bosch said he leaned across the center console and groaned as he felt pain in his ribs he opened the glove box reached in and wrapped his hand around his own gun leaning back into his seat he held the gun on his thigh he had no idea what
Kind of Confrontation was about to occur rolls continued to advance and as he got closer he suddenly raised his gun up into a ready fire position no no no no no no Bosch said he raised his gun to aim but rolls fired first and Bosch felt a searing pain spark through his
Brain chapter 37 Bosch’s voice was cut off by a loud crashing sound followed by the squeal of tires on asphalt and then a final sound of crunching metal Harry Ballard yelled into the phone she got no response Harry are you there there was still no answer
And then she heard his voice but it was muffled and distant she couldn’t make out the words Harry can you hear me then she heard him clearly though it was also obvious he was not talking into the phone no no no no no no and then came the shots clear clear sharp reports
First one shot followed by the shattering of glass then a hail of gunfire too many shots in too few seconds to count and then a final shot muffled and spaced long enough after the others to be the cudra the killshot Harry Ballard yelled she yanked
The wheel of her car into a U-turn she hit the siren and code three lights hidden in the front grill and took off toward Santa Monica part two Hallowed Ground chapter 38 Bosch was sitting sideways on on the examination bed not wanting to lie down because that might lead to him being
Admitted and spending the night and he had no intention of staying any longer than the minimum UCLA Santa Monica might be a great hospital but he wanted to get home to his own bed he needed to call his daughter but he didn’t have his phone it had flown
From his hand when his car was hit from behind he waited for the E doctor to come through the curtain do a final check and hand him a prescription slip before releasing him his injuries were minor though technically he had been shot he had bruised ribs a knee contusion and a
Handful of minor lacerations from flying glass and a bullet had clipped the upper Helix of his left ear it was about as near a Miss as he could possibly have had if the bullet had been an inch more On Target he’d be spending the night in the morg for that he was certainly
Thankful otherwise he was mostly upset Ted rolls was dead and whatever Secrets he he kept had probably died with him the wound had been cleaned and stitched clothes with black thread by the ER physician who needlessly warned him not to sleep with that ear on the pillow
Bosch could hear lots of activity and medical talk in the other curtain examination Bays but no one had been in to see him in more than 20 minutes he decided he would wait another 15 before he’d part the curtains until the supervising nurse he had to get back to
Work but that didn’t happen 5 minutes before his self-imposed deadline the curtain opened and Maddie entered still in her uniform she was far off her beat dad he stood as she hurried to him they hugged tightly while he did his best to protect his damaged ear are you okay
Renee called me I’m good everything’s fine really she pulled back and looked first at his face and then his ear that’s got to hurt uh at first it did but now it’s okay the doctor said there aren’t a lot of nerve endings up there the doctor had
Told him no such thing but Bosch didn’t want his daughter to worry and the guy heun dead she asked unfortunately BOS said we wanted to talk to him and now well it’s not your fault have you talked to FID yet the lapd’s force investigation division would investigate
His actions even though the shooting was in the city of Santa Monica SM smpd would do its own investigation as well I gave a preliminary interview at the scene Bosch said but I know there will be more they’re probably still at the scene looking for Witnesses and cameras
And all of that stuff do you have to stay overnight Maddie asked no I’ve been waiting for the doctor to come in and discharge me as soon as he does I’m out of here aren’t you supposed to be on patrol in Hollywood the captain let me
Go when he heard what happened so glad you’re all right thanks mats tell you what though my car is still out there at the scene and I don’t think I’ll be getting it back for a while if I can get out of here you think you can give me a
Lift home of course but Rene is in the waiting room and she said she was going to need to talk to you after me case stuff she said okay then I’ll get her to drive me and we can talk in the car you sure yes no worries and if you have to
Get back we can talk later I’ll check in on you I didn’t even know you work Sundays yeah I work Thursday to Sunday now cool maybe we can have lunch tomorrow or Tuesday I have a feeling my knee will be too sore for me to want to
Go sit at a desk uh yeah she seemed hesitant to commit I just haven’t seen you very much lately Bosch said I know she said and it’s my fault I get so busy but yeah let’s do it I’ll check on you in the morning and if you’re too sore
We’ll go for Tuesday I’d like that Maddie bye dad I love you so glad you’re okay she hugged Ed him again love you too Bosch said I’ll find Renee and tell her you’re clear she said and then she was gone Bosch now waited for both the doctor and Ballard he tentatively
Reached a finger to his ear to see if it could Bend without sending Sparks of pain shooting through his brain don’t touch that Bosch turned to see that the ER dock had entered he went to a sink and washed his hands and then came over to Bosch he looked at the sutures in
Bosch’s ear this is going to look pretty nasty for a while but something tells me you won’t care he said the only thing I care about right now is getting out of here BOS replied well you’re free to go I have a prescription waiting for you at
The hospital pharmacy take it only to manage pain if there is no pain don’t take it stay sharp got it and thanks Doc I appreciate it doing my job just like you were doing yours but you should come back in a couple days and let me look at
That make sure there’s no infection I will will thank you what about the stitches we’ll check them then but I think we’ll need to keep them in longer you don’t want that ear flopping over like my dogs right 10 minutes later Bosch was in Ballard’s car and they were
Pulling out of the emergency vehicle parking area outside the ER entrance he decided not to pick up the prescription and would manage the pain with over-the-counter measures let’s get you home go by the scene first I want to see it Harry they’re not going to want you there just
A driveby it’s 5 minutes out of the way Topps all right but no stopping doesn’t FID or Santa Monica want to talk to you they already did there will be more tomorrow but I was cleared to leave Maddie said you had something to tell me
Yeah the Box what box there was a box in the trunk of the BMW the trunk was open when I saw the car in the alley there could have been a box but but I didn’t see it how big is it 16x 16x 6 it seted on the box it’s a
Shipping box like they sell in his shop I could have missed it what’s in it it’s filled with keepsakes from his kills there were more victims most likely between Pearlman and Wilson and then afterward probably a lot and we’ll be going through the box for a long time
Damn and it’s probably why he did himself at the end wait a minute what he killed himself no I hit him I saw it you did but that wasn’t the Fatal shot you knocked him down in front of your car but then he put the gun in his mouth it was his last
Bullet Bosch thought about the shooting it had been so quick and intense that it was hard for him to remember every microsecond of detail he knew the first shot from RS went through the windshield and ripped through his ear he he returned fire getting off half a clip the windshield shattered allowing his
Remaining shots to fly true as RS continued his charge and fired back one round hit RS in the right shoulder and he went down he fell out of sight and BOS remembered hearing the last shot but didn’t realize it was self-inflicted he had opened his door and tumbled out onto the ground blood
Was running down the side of his head and at the time he thought he had been more seriously injured than he was limping on the injured leg and not being sure of what he had left in his clip he moved cautiously around his car and came
Up on the front from the passenger side he saw RS dead on the ground and he thought he had killed him the FID guys didn’t tell me that well that’s what they told me Bosch went silent and stared out the window as Ballard drove after a while she got
Concerned are you doing okay Harry don’t get sick in my car I won’t I was thinking about that shop and the others RS had what about them we know he started his business after he left the cops and got a new kidney and a new lease on life right right so why that
Business what did it have to do with what he was really doing you think it helped him in some way maybe finding victims I don’t know but we should look at it people rent those private mailboxes and most of them are legit but I would bet some of them aren’t a lot of
Them do it because they have Secret Lives or at least compartmentalized lives you want to have a place where you can get some things sent to you privately stuff you don’t want sent to your home because your wife or your husband might see it and he had access
To all of it that’s what I was thinking he was on the other side of that wall of private boxes and he could sort of see everybody’s business I don’t know if that helped him in his own secret life of targeting women and I guess it’s another thing we’ll never know because
He’s dead I think we’ll find that out out when we start identifying other victims and from what I know I’m not too upset he said I know people will think he got away with it for so long where’s the Justice in that but I think there
Are Untold lives out there that are now saved I guess so it’s not a guess Ary it’s the truth they were on Lincoln now in the intersection where the shooting had gone down was barricaded by Traffic Control Officers Bosch could see that the green chair had been put on a flatbed for
Towing to a police yard as far as he knew his phone was still in it somewhere they were waved by Traffic Control Officers onto a side street and never got close enough for Bosch to see what else was happening inside the orange barricades Ballard kept driving have you talked to the
Councilman yet I talked to Hastings so he’d know what’s going on but I don’t want to talk to Pearlman until we have a dead bang DNA match to RS same thing with Laura Wilson’s mother I’ll go by the coroner’s office in the morning pick up blood and Prince then go to the lab
Darcy Troy will be standing by to jump on the blood I don’t really have a go-to in Leighton so we’ll see what happens there and what about the brass you going to get blamed for having this guy on the open unsolved Team Hell No if they try
To blame me I have the emails from Hastings telling me in no uncertain terms to put RWS on the squad I’m not worried about that I’m more worried about you Harry me why I brought you onto the team and what in barely a week you already got shot up
And dinged up plus your car’s wrecked it’s not wrecked that thing’s a tank well I hope somebody can find a new windshield somewhere there are plenty of Parts out there then good I like you in that car Harry like a square peg in a round ho World Bosch thought about that for a
Little bit then told Ballard his plan I think I’m going to take a couple days off stay off the knee as much as I can then I want to get back on Gallagher sounds like a plan chapter 39 they made Ballard sit in the waiting room for 35 minutes before she finally
Was told that the councilman was ready for her it was Tuesday afternoon and the RS story had held firm in the news since Sunday night it was the mystery that kept it afloat few of the details had leaked into the public discourse largely because the LAPD was waiting for the confirmation of
Genetic linkage between RS and the murders of Sarah Pearlman and Laura Wilson so far the story had centered on the fact that an investigator with the open unsolved unit had exchanged gunfire with a murder suspect on a public Street leaving one man dead and another another wounded no names had been released or
Had leaked so far but all of that would change in a few hours when the chief of police held a press conference in the plaza in front of the police administration building it was Ballard’s job to give the councilman a heads up on what the chief would be announcing she entered pearlman’s office
To find the councilman waiting with Nelson Hastings and Rita Ford there was a seating area to the right of the C man’s Grand desk that consisted of two couches facing each other with a glass topped coffee table between them Pearlman and Hastings anchored the corners of one couch while Ford held a
Corner of the opposite couch Ballard was signaled to sit in the remaining Corner detective Ballard I’ve been waiting for an update Pearlman said what can you tell us thanks for seeing me councilman Ballard began at 4:00 this afternoon the chief of police will be holding a press conference he will
Announce that DNA and a palm print from Ted RS have been matched to the murders of your sister and Laura Wilson this will bring those cases to a close but investigation of RS and evidence gathered from his car and elsewhere is continuing it is possible that he is
Linked to other cases as well several other cases Pearlman shook his head oh my God he said wow is it really over yes sir as far as your sister’s case Ballard said the da will review and approve our closing of the case I know there is no
Such thing as closure but maybe this will give you some measure of peace and the other case Pearlman said he met her or picked her because he was door knocking for me it looks that way Ballard said there was a pause and then Hastings spoke this cannot come back on the
Councilman he said I’m not sure what you mean Ballard said that last part detective Hastings said you have no proof that RS met or targeted Laura Wilson while knocking on doors for a candidate you have a campaign button that she could have gotten anywhere so do not put that conjecture out in the
Media if you’re Chief chooses to do so then he will no longer enjoy the support of this office I will carry that message to media relations Ballard said they’ll be putting out the press release after the chief speaks how are you handling the inclusion of RWS on the cold Cas
Squad Hastings asked how do you mean Ballard asked I think you can count on some smart reporters asking how RS ended up on the squad Hastings said and a follow-up question will be to ask what kind of background check was conducted well I assume that kind of
Question won’t come to me Ballard said but if it does I’m not going to lie to the media or anybody else you told me that the councilman wanted him on the team I spoke to my captain about it and we did what was asked I still have the
Emails from you she wanted to make sure he understood that if he tried to throw her or the LAPD under the us it would likely backfire on him yes the emails were from me Hastings said I told you to put him on the team not the councilman that is the truth and
That is all you have to reveal if asked Hastings was willing to sacrifice himself to protect proman Ballard saw the Valor in that rare to find in politics her respect for Hastings grew in that moment I understand she saidh does the chief hold his presser Ford asked at 4 Ballard said we should
Hold our own right afterward Ford said so we’re part of the same news cycle excellent idea Hastings said detective a question for you would you be willing to stand with the councilman and state that his being instrumental in the reboot of the open unsolved unit led to the
Identity of the Killer and to solving these two cases I’d have to get Department approval Ballard said then please do Hastings said we would love to have you and I’m sure you would want to show your respect for the man who led the charge and reinstating the unit
After many years I’ll check with my captain and let you know Ballard said sensing that the meeting was over Ballard stood up Pearlman seemed to come out of the days and stood stood up as well it was then that Ballard saw tears on his face while she had been parrying
With Hastings and Ford Pearlman had apparently been thinking about his lost sister and having to accept that it was someone from his life a friend who had killed her detective thank you he said when I pushed for the reinstatement of the unit it was because I didn’t want my sister’s
Case forgotten to know that we have solved the case validates everything I said about the unit’s importance that’s the message I will convey at my press conference I can’t thank you enough and I’ll be sure to say that as well I hope you will join us he put his hand out and
Ballard shook it thank you sir she said as she walked the half block down Spring Street from City Hall to the PAB Ballard reviewed the answers she had given during the the intense meeting and believed she had acquitted herself well she had no intention of asking permission to stand with councilman
Pearlman at a press conference even if he was going to sing the Praises of her and the unit that would be mixing politics and police work and that was a recipe for eventual disaster she would take a pass on that when she got to the PAB she saw a handful of Television
Crews setting up in front of a lecturn with a large gold replica of the LAPD badge affixed to it on the badge was the image of City Hall the iconic building Ballard had just come from Old Faithful as it was called by the Dennis of the Civic Center when the chief took the
Lecturn for the press conference the 27f floor Tower would be reflected behind him in the glass facade of the pib it would be a reminder that politics and police work could never really be separated Ballard badged her way into the building and took the elevator to the 10th floor
Where a pre-press conference meeting was scheduled in the media relations office just down the hall from the ocp the office of the chief of police the Department’s Chief spokesperson was a civilian a former reporter for Channel 5 News named Ramon Rivera he welcomed Ballard into his
Office and she was surprised to see the chief of police sitting there as well they were going over the statement the chief would read at the press conference a copy of the statement would be distributed to the reporters Ballard sat down and Rivera gave her a copy to read the statement
Included the case details Ballard had given Rivera in an earlier phone call it was a strict recitation of The Facts of the case that would be the easy part of the press conference the difficult part would be anticipating what question s would be asked and deciding how to
Answer them a year earlier the chief of police had urged Ballard to return to the department after she had resigned in frustration it was his promise to give her the assignment of her choosing which had resulted in her getting the job running the reconstituted open unsolved
Unit he now asked her the questions he anticipated the gathered media would hurl at him when he was finished reading the statement why was Bosch following RS by himself he asked following him wasn’t the plan actually Ballard said but he had no choice Bosch saw R’s car outside
His place of business he was keeping watch while I went to see a judge to get a search warrant signed when RS took off before I got there Bosch had no choice but to attempt a onecar follow it’s unclear whether RS knew he had a tail from the start or spotted Bosch’s car
While while he was in transit and you recruited Bosch for the open unsolved unit I did he’s the most experienced detective on the team did you know about his issues when he was with the Department issues sir he’d been involved in several previous shootings he didn’t leave the department on good terms some
Might say he retied before the department retired him some of that I knew yes but I wanted to put together the best team of volunteers I could find and he was at the top of my list we solved this case largely because of moves he made how would you feel if we
Had to remove him from the team I don’t understand it was his work that led us to RS and now you want to kick him to the curb I’m not saying that at least not yet but we will have a perception problem with the unit when it is
Revealed that one of your selections was a killer I’m sure you will agree that it’s not a good look detective Ballard and I’m wondering if we want to start over you mean clean housee for lack of a better term first I want to say that RS
Was not my selection he was pushed on us by the councilman’s office I didn’t want RS but councilman pearlman’s chief of staff made me take him I talked to Captain gandal about it and we agreed to take him on to keep the support of the council
But I still don’t see why this should result in cleaning house we have a good team we have a former deputy da who is our legal sounding board an IGG expert and other capable investigators with Harry Bosch being the best of the bunch well let’s put that decision aside
For now and go down and talk to the media we’ll see how things go before making any decisions somehow Ballard felt that a decision had already been made the chief stood up and Rivera did as well let me get the handouts from the printer he said after Rivera left the room Ballard
Stood and faced the chief of police sir if you decide you need to start over with the unit then you will have to do that without me if Harry Bosch goes I go the chief looked at her for a long moment before responding are you threaten in me
Detective Ballard he said not at all Ballard said I’m just telling you the facts sir if he goes I go understood but let’s take things one step at a time let’s see how this thing goes and then we can decide the future yes sir chapter 40 the LAPD press conference was carried
Live on K Cal’s 4M newscast Bosch watched from his home and had to sit and Marvel at how the chief of police managed to tell the story of Ted RS with such command Authority and yet leave out so many Salient details of the story he spun a tale of a serial killer
Being identified through DNA by members of the newly reformed Cold Case Squad and then killing himself as members of the unit closed in not mentioned was the fact that the killer was a member of the unit that was closing in on him or that he had been placed on it by count cman
Jake Pearlman his longtime friend RS was simply described as a man who made a living from a chain of small businesses no names of the open unsolved unit investigators were mentioned and Renee Ballard who stood behind the chief at the podium was not called upon to speak the chief finished his five-minute
Reading of a prepared statement by lavishing Praise on the unit in Ballard its lead detective the upshot of the whole thing was that another serial killer was taken out of play thanks to the hard work and dedication of the OU team as well as the foresight of the administrators who had reconstituted the
Previously shuttered unit apparently feeling confident in his spinning of half truths the chief said he would take a few questions that was when things didn’t go so well for him the first question was a softball about why he had decided to reboot the Cold Case unit but the second question was a
Curveball that tailed right into the strike zone my S ources tell me that the investigator who exchanged fire with RS before he killed himself was none other than Harry Bosch Bosch was involved in numerous shootings before he retired from the department now he’s back and my question is were you consulted and did
You approve of Bosch being added to the team the woman who had asked the question was unseen because the camera was trained on the podium in the chief of police but Bosch thought he recognized her slight Caribbean accent the chief tried to deflect as I said in my statement there are
Components of the investigation that are continuing one of those components is the officer involved shooting and I’m not going to comment on what is an ongoing investigation in Personnel matter that would not be fair at this time suffice it to say our internal investigation will be fully and independently reviewed by the District
Attorney’s office as is our protocol with all officer involved shootings as the chief raised his arm to point to another reporter the original questioner loudly fired a followup at him in court documents regarding prior shootings by Harry Bosch he was described as a gunslinger did that weigh
In the decision to put him on this unit the word Gunslinger made the chief blink uh I am unfamiliar with that he said as I just said I am making no comment at this time regarding the officer involved shooting and that’s all I have time for today he quickly turned from the podium
And headed across the plaza to the safety of the PAB questions shouted after him were neither answered nor acknowledged Ballard and a tight grouping of media relations people followed in his wake Bosch had watched Ballard as she turned to follow the chief he could see dread clearly drawn on her
Face after the press conference the broadcast switched to a live report from the scene of the raw shooting a female reporter introduced recorded interviews with residents in the the normally quiet neighborhood it was strictly filler but in her wrap-up the reporter mentioned that councilman Pearlman had scheduled a
5:00 p.m. press conference to discuss the case and his personal connection to it at 5:00 p.m. Bosch switched from KCAL which went to non-news programming to the start of a NewsHour on KMBC the anchor immediately queued up councilman pearlman’s live appearance on the granite steps of City Hall behind a
Podium adorned with a city seal in a brief address Pearlman praised the work of the open unsolved unit noting that his office had played the key role in reinstating it he also said that the identification of RWS as the killer of his sister and Laura Wilson did not
Bring his family closure but finally knowing the truth was enough to hopefully bandage the wounds of the past he too left out many key facts namely that he and his chief of staff had placed RWS on the very unit that unmasked him as the Killer he also failed to mention that RS had
Likely chosen Laura Wilson as a victim while knocking on doors in support of pearlman’s first bid for office in 2005 the councilman ended his short statement by saying that he would be taking no questions and asking that his and his family’s privacy be respected botch cynically viewed this last part as
A means of avoiding inquiries that could result in political damage Bosch turned off the screen and sat there thinking about how the truth was was always manipulated by those in power it bothered him to know things that shouldn’t be kept secret he thought about the look of
Dread he saw on Ballard’s face and wondered if she had been forced in some way to stand next to the Chief and be part of the manipulation he wished she had at least called him to give him my heads up it was then that he realized Ballard
Might have done so but he wouldn’t have known because his phone was either in direct police custody or still somewhere in his Cherokee after being Jarred from his hand when Ral sent his car into the tail spin the Cherokee was presumably in a police impound yard Bosch got up and went to the
Kitchen he used his house phone to call his cell phone number and check for messages he had two the first was a heads up call from Ballard that came in at 2 p.m. and outlined the timing of the two press conferences the second was a message left just 10 minutes earlier
From Monita Wilson in Chicago she asked him to call her back Bosch grabbed a pen and posted out of a kitchen drawer and wrote her number down the landline was a cordless phone he took it out to the back deck of the house to make the call
Mrs Wilson detective Bosch I’m sorry to disturb you thank you for calling me back so quickly you’re not disturbing me did detective Ballard call you she did she told me what happened that the man who killed my Lura is dead yes he killed himself when we were closing in on him
I’m sorry I wanted we wanted to take him alive so he could be punished don’t be sorry I believe he is being punished he’s in hell yes ma’am call me Wanita Wanita I called because I want to thank you for what you did detective Ballard
Told me I hope you’re okay and we heal quickly I’m fine Wanita and I want to thank you for the answers I told you I was holding on for answers I understand thanks to you and detective Ballard I can let go now and I can join Laura and my
Husband Bosch wasn’t sure what to say he knew that almost everybody believed in something holding a hope that there wasn’t just an empty void at the end I understand he said he looked out across the Kanga pass to his sideways view of the Hollywood sign he felt the
Inadequacy of his response to her I’ll let you go now Wanita said once again thank you detective Bosch Harry thank you Harry goodbye goodbye Wanita Bosch clutched the phone in his hand as he thought about Wanita waiting years for answers and then not even getting the full truth of things a deep
Font of anger started to well up inside him Bosch limped back inside the house and used his laptop to searched for a phone number he called it and asked by name for the reporter whose voice he had heard at the LAPD press conference as he waited for the transfer he went back out
To the deck he was staring out across the pass when the voice with a slight Caribbean accent came into his ear kha Russell how can I help you you called me a gunslinger on live television Harry BOS it’s been a while he remembered how she said his name it
Sounded to him like she was taking a bite out of a crisp apple I thought you were in DC covering politics I got tired of the winters plus I almost got killed at the capital last year decided it was time to come home to my first love covering crime I thought covering
Politics was covering crime funny and funny that you called me I wanted to call you but couldn’t find anybody around here who would share your number did you call just to complain or is there something you want to say Bosch gave one last thought to holding back but quickly the images he carried
From the case Sarah Pearlman Laura Wilson and even Wanita Wilson crowded such consideration out you’re being used he said you were smarter than that the last time you were on the beat really Russell said used by who the source who told you I was the shooter they told you
About me but not the rest of the story they’re more concerned with getting rid of me than getting the whole truth out is this conversation on the record not yet then I’m going to have to go I’m on Deadline if you want to meet me after I
File then I’d definitely be up for that it’s been a long time maybe we get a drink and you can school me on who’s who in the zoo it was an old LAPD expression a caution that was just as useful when answering the code 3 radio call lights
And siren authorized as when delving into the abyss of Department politics step one was assessment determining who’s who in the zoo maybe after things shake out a little bit Bosch said if I’m still here I wouldn’t bet against it Russell said you may or may not be a gunslinger but you’re definitely a
Survivor anything you think I really need to know before I file the story right now you only have half the story then tell me the half I don’t have it’s not my place what if I lay off the Gunslinger stuff and keep it on point with what happens Sunday
I do you that favor what do you do for me where did that come from Gunslinger ah had to dig deep that was a honey Chandler quote from a motion she filed back in the ’90s remember her the actual quote was botch is a gunslinger who shoots first and asks questions later
She also called you a cowboy in the motion I love that and I’m definitely going to use it in my story Bosch caught a flash memory of the civil rights lawyer before she was was murdered by someone trying to impress him honey Chandler had been Bosch’s Nemesis and he didn’t doubt that she
Would have labeled him a gunslinger in one of her documents or even in open court but he had respected her in the end he dropped his gaze down to the freeway at the bottom of the pass it was in full Rush Hour inertia yes he said I remember Chandler
Like I remember you being a reporter who always wanted to get it first but still get it right that’s a low blow Harry it’s always blame a messenger but I’m asking you to help me get it right if you don’t want to then who is to blame
Bosch hesitated for only a moment before speaking there was a fox in the hen house Kesha that was followed by a long silence before Russell responded what does that mean she asked you didn’t get this from me Bosch said confirm it somewhere else RS was the fox you’re
Talking in riddles What house are we talking about RS was a volunteer for the unit he was working on the Pearlman and Wilson cases right there with us the open unsolved unit are you kidding me I wish and they’re trying to hide that to avoid the embarrassment you
Wanted to know who’s who in the zoo so let me get this straight Renee Ballard put a serial killer on her own Cold Case team no it wasn’t her call he wasn’t her choice then who you should maybe call Nelson Hastings at the councilman’s office and ask him that
Question Bosch could hear Russell’s muffled laugh even though it was apparent she had put her hand over the phone then she came back clear this is just too good she said remember confirm it on your own Bosch said not from me don’t worry Harry I will you
Trust me you used to that was a long time ago I’ll know if I can can trust you when I read the paper tomorrow you see it online at 10 I don’t subscribe then wait till tomorrow but let’s get that drink soon you do this right and
Drinks are on me that’s a deal and I got to go deadlines in an hour and thanks to you I still have a lot of work to do happy Hunting Bosch disconnected and looked down into the pass again nothing was moving the city’s arteries were cloged chapter
41 Ballard wanted to be the first one into work but as she entered the archive room she heard the rhythmic mechanical sounds of a multi-page job being printed in the copy room she looked in and found Bosch sliding documents over the three rings of a binder as more were being
Printed Harry what are you doing here he looked at her for a long moment before for answering uh I work here unless I’m fired and they didn’t tell me no I meant I thought you’d take some time to heal up two days was enough I’m fine I’m good
Last time I saw you that knee looked kind of wobbly I bought one of those compression sleeves at CVS it works pretty good you should see the market leaves on my leg Ballard stepped all the way in and looked at the binder he was obviously putting together a murder book
So what’s this I’m copying the files they don’t have on the Gallagher family case I’m going to start back on it I thought we were clear on copying files and yet here you are Bosch said nothing as he put a stack of documents back on the rings of one of the original murder
Books Ballard put the Box she was carrying down on a counter next to the binder Bosch was stacking talk to me Harry what’s going on look I haven’t been in the department for a long time but I still know how to read the tea leaves they’re going to tell you to get
Rid of me and that’s fine I don’t want to cause you any more problems than I already have but when I go who’s going to work this he pointed to the case’s seven binders on the counter so I figure I’ll take it with me and I’ll keep
Working it I’ll call you when I find mcshain Harry I’m not going to you and tell you everything is copasetic but I told them if you go I go I said that directly to the chief Bosch nodded I appreciate that I really do but you shouldn’t have done it it won’t stop
Them from doing what they want we’ll see we will and probably pretty soon what was in the times this morning doesn’t help did you read it I don’t read The Times They got a lot that wasn’t said during the chief’s press conference it’s what they do this Kesha Russell the
Reporter do you know her uh yeah but last I heard she went to the Washington Bureau that was like I don’t know a long time ago years I’m surprised she’s still around yeah well she is and she’s in La now and she laid the whole thing out RS
Being in the unit and that the councilman’s office put him there that’s why I’m in early because Nelson Hastings called me at 6: this morning I bet he was hot is that the the box from RS car he was hot and still is and don’t change the subject whoever fed Russell that
Story really put me in deep the copy machine finished its job and the room was silent I’m sorry to hear that there was nobody named in the story sources said that it was for attribution and Nelson thinks I’m one of those sources I mean
She did call me three times in fact but I never talked to her to her didn’t even return the calls to say how’d you get my number and no comment nothing like being blamed for something you didn’t do I know how that is I’m sorry but maybe it’s good that it’s out there
And the public knows don’t you think not if they shutter the unit again what Pearlman gives he can also take away and why not his sister’s case is solved he already got what he wants out of it you really think they’d shut the thing down
Because of RS you and I have both seen worse decisions made that’s why you can forget about Gallagher for now what do you mean Ballard picked up the box again and turned toward the door RS is still Priority One she said if we connect him to other cases and start clearing them
Then maybe they won’t cut us and if they try maybe somebody will leak that to Kesha Russell then they’ll look bad and have to back the off Ballard walked out of the room leaving Bosch there she had no doubt that he was behind the story in the times when she
Didn’t recognize the name of the reporter that Hastings yelled over the phone at 6:00 a.m. she did a search on the times website of Russell’s prior stories and saw that in the ’90s she covered the Cop Shop several of her stories were about cases worked by a detective named Harry Bosch she was
Annoyed with Bosch not so much for what he did she had to acknowledge that getting the full story out there was something the department should have done in the first place she just wished he had come to her first and they had planned it together on top of that she
Wished he had owned up to his part in the story it showed he did not trust her as much as she had thought she took the box to the interview room it was more than an hour before the other investigators started to trickle into their station in the Pod
By then Ballard was at hers and Bosch was at his keeping his head down even though Ballard knew he was there Colleen hatus was the first of the others to report for work and she immediately started peppering Ballard and Bosch with questions about RS the shooting and
Other aspects of the case she too mentioned the time story but her questions mostly came because this was the first time she had seen Ballard and Bosch since the shootout on Sunday Bosch had been off and Ballard had borrowed a desk at PAB and worked from there Monday
And Tuesday so that she could be easily reached by the FID investigators as well as by the media relations people and Command Staff Colleen hold on a second Ballard said I don’t want to have to answer the same questions four times as the others come in so let’s wait for everybody to
Get here and then I’ll tell everyone what I know and what I want everybody to be working on this week okay okay hatus said I get it but I just want to go on the record and say I got a bad vibe from Ted RS I didn’t want to say anything
Before because he was a colleague but I felt it when he was here a super dark Aura I have to admit I thought it might be coming from Harry but now I know it was definitely Ted thank God such a relief to know my aura isn’t super
Dark Ballard heard Bosch say it but couldn’t see him because of the privacy wall she leaned down over her desk so hatus wouldn’t be able to see her smiling at the rejoinder then she got serious um you know something Colleen she said I’m going to have to write up
An after action report on RS and this whole thing so I don’t want you to stop with the IG stuff keep working it and see if you can further establish genealogical links if we can show the value of that in this case I think it
Will go a long way with Command Staff on it boss hatus said and now that we know the family tree has RWS on the LA Branch I can start working it back the other way that’s good Colleen let me know when you have it altogether Roger that
Ballard rolled her eyes those two words were becoming her biggest pet peeve by 8:30 Mass lefant and aafi were all in place at the Pod and Ballard stood up so everyone could see her okay guys listen up she began first off I appreciate you all coming in on
Short notice because I need the whole team on this we are not finished with what is now known as the Ted RS case when he took his own life Sunday in fact one reason he probably did so there was a box in the trunk of his car we
Recovered it and it contains personal items that may have come from other victims I’m talking about jewelry hairbrushes makeup compacts little statuettes and knickknacks all kinds of things souvenirs hatus said stating the obvious yes souvenirs Ballard said and I want all of us to see what we can do to
Possibly connect these items to other victims all we know for sure is that he killed Sarah Pearlman in 94 and Laura Wilson in ‘ 05 that’s a big gap and it’s a big gap between’ 05 and Sunday when RS thanks to Harry Bosch was put out of
Commission here here Mass said he stood up and raised a hand over the privacy wall offering Bosch a high five Bosch obliged though it appeared to Ballard to be a reluctant and half-hearted effort I’ve spread these items out on the table in the interview room Ballard
Continued I want us to go in there look them over maybe pick a piece or two and go to work I know it is a long shot but let’s see if we can possibly match some of this property to some cases she pointed to the archive shelves
Where all the unsolved cases were kept we all know there are lots of families out there waiting for answers Ballard said you all might have a different view but I would focus on those years between Pearlman and Wilson we know RS got sick after Wilson he got a kidney transplant
And it may have put him out of the killing business but I think he was probably active during the years between those two kills I’ve invited councilman Pearlman to come here to look at the items in case he can identify something belonging to his sister but I don’t know
If he’ll take me up on that meantime I bagged everything individually yesterday after the lab took swabs and looked for Prince what you have on the table are items that yielded no forensic followup any questions the font raised his hand like he was a student in a classroom Tom Ballard said what about
His home and office leant asked anything there good question Ballard said detectives from RH spent almost all day Monday searching his house office and a storage unit he rented they found nothing of evidentiary value most of you know he was married and had a young daughter and it looks like he kept that
Part of his life separate needless to say they remain in complete shock about all of this it looks like RS kept his souvenirs in his office in Santa Monica and that was why he went there Sunday to grab them and go there was also also a
Packed suitcase in the car he was about to split any idea where he was going aafi asked not at the moment Ballard said there was nothing on his phone in his pockets or in the car indicating where he was going his passport was in his pocket so possibly Mexico or Canada
We think he was just trying to get out of Dodge after he realized that we were on to him Ballard looked at everyone expecting more questions if that’s it let’s get to it she said the elephant in the room is that RS was one of us and the Optics on that are not
Good so let’s get on this and see if we can improve those Optics by closing more cases let’s show them our value Ballard sat back down while the others stood up to go to the interview room all except Bosch he waited till the others had filed into the room to look
At the souvenirs then spoke to Ballard from the other side of the wall Kesha Russell was the one who called me a gunslinger at the press conference so I called her on it I didn’t know she was back in town and back on the cop shop
And then I hear her voice calling me a gunslinger just to get a rise out of the chief and then I let it slip I said we had a fox in the hen house because I knew from that press conference what they were going to do they were going to
Just sweep that under the rug like they always do and I didn’t think it out Renee I should have known it would have come down on you and I up I’m sorry Ballard nodded slightly not because Bosch had confirmed what she already knew but because he had come
Clean with her and admitted it the trust she thought was broken was now restored it’s okay Harry just go in there and find something that closes a case for us you got it boss she smiled chapter 42 Bosch stood up and looked over the privacy wall at Ballard she was working
On her computer her fingers moving at an amazing speed as she typed but he couldn’t see the screen to know what she was doing she spoke without taking her eyes off her work whatever it was did you find something in there to run with no not yet the others are still in there
I’ll check it out later see what’s left I was thinking about taking a drive up to Santa Monica first I just heard you on the phone asking about some kind of hauling schedule is that it yeah there’s something that’s been bothering me about what RS was doing
Sunday Ballard now looked up at him from her screen what all right just hear me out on this Bosch said on Sunday when I drove by the alley and saw his car behind the shop the trunk was open and he was nowhere to be seen yeah he was inside his office Gathering his
Souvenirs right we think think he was doing that and you said that after the shootout the box of souvenirs was found in the trunk of his car and there was also a suitcase there yeah on the back seat okay so why do you open the trunk before going inside the shop Ballard
Shrugged because he knew he was bringing out the box but would you open the trunk before you went inside or would you wait till you were coming out with the box I mean it wasn’t this big box he’d need two hands to carry I don’t know Harry I think you’re overthinking things maybe
But when I saw you with the box today it hit me that box could have easily fit in the back with the suitcase or on the passenger seat next to him why’d he put it in the trunk does it matter it’s one of those things we’re never going to be
Able to nail down and know a Known Unknown every case has them yeah but what if the trunk was open because he was taking things out what if he was getting rid of stuff evidence other souvenirs he took it all from his house or his storage unit wherever he had it
Put it in the trunk then drove to the shop where the back alley was lined with dumpsters behind the businesses maybe I didn’t see him in the alley because my view was blocked by the dumpsters the hauling schedule have those dumpsters been emptied this week not till tomorrow
So you’re going to go dumpster diving it’s going to bother me if I don’t let me finish this email and I’ll go with you I don’t think you should be climbing into dumb ERS with those ribs and that knee and I have csos in my car Bosch knew she meant crime scene
Overalls most detectives kept work boots and overalls in their trunk for working messy crime scenes my ribs and my knee are fine we’re going to need a step stool or a ladder no matter who goes in go check with Building Maintenance to see what we can borrow I’ll send this email and meet
You at my car on it chapter 4 43 they were searching the fourth of five dumpsters in the alley behind Montana shops and Suites they had started at the West End of the alley and worked their way East nothing related to RWS or the case had been found in the
First three searches Ballard wearing rubber boots and navy blue overalls was standing waist deep in a green dumpster located behind a women’s apparel shop it meant the refu was large innocuous and dry the first dumpster they searched had been filled with coffee grounds and other garbage from The Breakfast Cafe
That anchored the West End of the plaza each dumpster search required the excavation of 3 days worth of refu since they were looking for something that RS may have dumped on Sunday there’s nothing here she was using the long handle from a push broom to poke around in the bottom layer of
The dumpster Bosch had borrowed it from the maintenance department along with the stepladder all right then come out of there he held his hand up to her she took off a work glove grabbed his hand hoisted her hips onto the steel rim and swung her legs over to the ladder Bosch
Helped her down the things I do for you Harry hey I didn’t ask you to come out here if it makes you feel better I’ll do the last one no you’ll get your clothes all dirty I’m just giving you a hard time because we haven’t found out
Here and these csos are hotter than hell once she was off the ladder Bosch started throwing the bags of trash and other refu they had removed back into the bin Ballard moved on to the final dumpster carrying the step ladder with her she put her glove back on then
Flipped the heavy plastic cover back and started Excavating the top layer of bags and boxes the east side of the the property was anchored by a large home decor store it sold smaller Furnishings like lamps artwork and candles the trash here was similar to the last dumpsters
In that it wasn’t wet didn’t smell particularly bad and was easy to excavate it had largely been deposited in shipping boxes stuffed with form fitted foam packaging and Buble wrap there were also broken pieces of wood shipping crates Bosch joined her and they quickly emptied the top half of the dumpster
Dropping everything they pulled out onto the Alley’s asphalt I can’t believe nobody’s coming out of one of these places yet to ask what the hell we’re doing maybe my pal the angry homeowner on 17th Street will come over who some guy who lives in the neighborhood back here I posted up on
His driveway Sunday when I was waiting for RS to make a move he came out and went full Mrs Kravitz on me Mrs Kravitz the busybody neighbor on that old 60 show Bewitched you never watched the reruns when you were a kid before my time I guess geez I’m
Old once they had removed the first layer of debris Ballard climbed the ladder put her gloved hands on the rim of the dumpster for support expertly swung her legs over the edge and dropped into the bin you’re getting good at that the Olympics are coming to town in a few
Years you’re the Simone biles of homicide you’re a funny guy Harry this is just another useful skill I’ll hopefully never need again she started handing boxes over the rim to Bosch who found places for them on the ground she eventually found space for her feet on the floor of the bin and was
Better able to brace herself to lift the heavier debris she focused on an open crate in the corner it held a sculpture of a woman and child that had a 1in wide crack running through the plaster she attempted to lift it but realized it would be too heavy to raise over the rim
To Bosch she instead lifted it slightly and swung it to her left to reposition it when she turned back to the corner she saw a crushed cardboard box that had been beneath the sculpture crate Harry take a look she heard His Feet clunk on the steps of the ladder then he was
Leaning over the rim be careful with that knee she pointed to the crushed box in the corner same siiz box as the one in the BMW trunk she took off her gloves and tucked them under an arm she then pulled her phone out of a zippered pocket in her overalls and opened the
Camera she took three photos from three different angles by leaning one way and then the other then she opened the video camera and handed the phone to Bosch I’m going to open it you run video got it Ballard put her gloves back on and squatted down next to the crushed box
While Bosch hit the record button on the phone other than having its Dimensions 16 by 16 by6 stamped on its side it was an unmarked cardboard box that appeared to be a match for the one recovered from rs’s BMW that Ballard had carried into the homicide archives that morning it
Was unsealed but the top had been crushed and this forced Ballard to rip its flaps to get it open inside at the top was a folded piece of clothing Ballard leaned back on her heels to make sure Bosch got a clear view with the video it looks like a night gown let’s
Get it out of here before we start looking through it you can kill the video Bosch did so and handed the phone back to Ballard she then stood up with the Box and handed it over the lip to Bosch I’m going to make sure there’s nothing else in here Bosch took the box
Over to Ballard’s City car and put it down on the hood Ballard spent the next 5 minutes moving debris around in the dumpster so she could determine that nothing else had been deposited by RS after climbing back over the rim and down the ladder she helped BOS throw the
Debris they had removed back into the bin she stripped off her work gloves and put them in the back pockets of her overalls she then pulled a pair of latex gloves from a front pocket and put them on as she walked to her car she could
Tell when she had handed the box out of the dumpster to Bosch that there was something heavy beneath the clothing folded on top Bosch followed her to the car you want to go through it here or wait I want to take a quick look see what we’ve got she handed her phone back
To Bosch so he could record record her further examination of the Box contents she lifted the item of clothing out and confirmed it was a white flannel long sleeved night gown with an embroidered Fringe at the collar and cuffs there was no label inside the neckline and there were no other
Identifiers it appeared to be clean no blood or other stains on it Ballard shifted position so she could look down into the box Harry get this BOS moved in next to Ballard and focused the camera on the box at the bottom was a pair of pink slippers that looked like
Stuffed bunnies with the nose at the point of the big toe beneath these Ballard could see part of a wooden handle holding the night gown up with one hand she reached in with the other and pulled out the bunny slippers at the bottom of the box was a stainless steel
Hammer with a polished wood handle they both stared down at it for a long moment without speaking murder weapon what I was thinking maybe now we just need to find the case she did not touch the hammer because she knew the handle might hold fingerprints and its steel head and Claw could hold
DNA she carefully put the slippers down on top of the hammer in their original position then with both hands held the night gown up by its shoulders and folded it lengthwise when she did this the right sleeve swung against her and she felt the heft of something more solid than an embroidered
Cuff she ran a hand down the length of the sleeve and closed it around something caught inside the cuff she worked her fingers inside the cuff and pulled out a bracelet it was a thick braided metal band with one charm attached a painters palet with six tiny
Dots of of color along the rim and the word go engraved at the center ID bracelet it probably belonged to a boyfriend and was too big for her wrist it must have slipped off when she took off the night gown or when someone else took it offer there’s that do you
Think it’s go or go is that the engraving it’s too small for me to make out yes G I wonder what it means you’ll know that when you connect a case to it Ballard nodded and looked down the alley toward the back door of the DGP
Store so he Parks down there carries a box up here to the farthest trash bin and then dumps it but then he leaves the second box with his other souvenirs in the BMW and drives off does that make sense no but I’ve been thinking about that and come over here Bosch walked
Away from the car and headed toward the end of the alley 20 ft away Ballard put the night gown back in the box and placed the bracelet on top of it she then caught up to Bosch when they got to the end he pointed diagonally across
17th Street to a 1950s Ranch that was the first residential house behind the Montana shopping district that’s the driveway I backed into after I saw R’s car in the alley his car was pointed East so I thought that when he left he would come out this
Way and I’d see him and then follow That’s Where Mrs kravits confronted you yeah I was looking this way at the alley when the guy came up alongside me banged his fist on the roof of my car and started giving me what for it was a
Distraction and I took my eyes off the alley to deal with it he was kind of loud because he was King of the castle and didn’t want me there so I was thinking maybe RS took the one box down to the dumpster and then he heard the
Dust up out in the street he checks it out sees it’s you and figures he’s got to get the hell out of here right so he runs back to his car turns it around in the alley and takes off but he still got the other box in the trunk I pull out of
The driveway cruise by the alley up here and that’s when I see him when he’s pulling out down at the other end they walked back to Bosch’s car in silence Ballard guessed that they were both rethinking the scenario they had just spun looking for holes in the logic of
It it feels like something is off something missing why would he use the dumpsters behind his business it wasn’t smart there had to be another reason for him coming here there was I didn’t tell you this but rhd interviewed the guy who was working in the shop Sunday he told
Them that RS came in the back door said hello and then went right to the safe in the back room that’s used for keeping backup cash for all the shops the employees said RS took all the money we know from what was In rs’s Pockets that it was
$900 his go money right but the story he told his employee was that he needed the cash to put down on a car he was buying so he took what was in the safe and then left by the back door that works he goes there to get the cash and dump the boxes
Of souvenir he pulls up Pops the trunk but goes into the store first to get the money that’s when I drive by and see the trunk open but no sign of RS then I go around the block and post up in that driveway RS comes out of his store takes
The first box up the alley to the last dumpster distancing it from his store just in case but after he dumps it he hears the guy yelling at me RS checks it out sees me and hauls ass back to his car he makes a U-turn in the alley so
You won’t see him leave and goes out the other end it works but we’ll never know for sure was he going to put the second box in a different dumpster why didn’t he carry both boxes to the dumpster at once we could spin our wheels on this forever one of the known unknowns
Exactly so now what Ballard pointed to the Box sitting on the city car’s front hood I want to take this back to almanson and go to work on that bracelet and I’ll get the hammer to forensics I Had a Hammer case once it was the murder
Weapon and we recovered it from the LA River in a spot where there was actual water in the channel it had been in there for something like 36 hours and looked clean as a whistle but they still found blood in the wood where it connected to the steel head the victim’s
Blood we made the case so maybe we’ll get lucky with this one and connect it to a victim let’s go back she picked up the box and headed to the trunk when we get back to aminon I’m going to go Ballard popped the trunk and put the Box
In she closed closed it and moved to the driver’s side door she looked at Bosch over the roof of the car go where Sheila Walsh has percolated long enough it’s time I go see her what about RS I figure you’ve got RWS covered you’ve got everybody else working it you’re going
To see Walsh by yourself yeah like before better that way Bosch opened his door and got in the car Ballard did the same what if her son is there not a problem he’s scared of me probably with good Reason chapter 44 Bosch had rented a car on Tuesday picking it up at Midway after meeting his daughter for lunch at a veget Arian restaurant on Sunset he had earlier made an inquiry about his own car at the police garage but was told detectives from the force investigation division
Had not released it yet The Helpful garage attendant also told him that the car was inoperable because the frame had been bent during the accident that preceded the shooting with RWS despite his claim to Ballard that the old Cherokee was invincible Bosch now knew that he had most likely driven it for
The last time he pulled up in the rental in front of Sheila Walsh’s house if she was on the watch for him she wouldn’t recognize the car he sat for a minute collecting his thoughts and deciding how he was going to play this it had been almost a week since Walsh
Had called him and angrily told him to stay away from her and her son Bosch needed to put her in a mindset that told her he would not be going away until she broke and revealed whatever secret she knew about finnbar McShane he got out and walked up the
Stone path to the front door he knocked Sharp ly the kind of wrap that would hopefully startle anyone inside nothing happened he reached into the pocket of his jacket and brought out the paper clipped packet of documents to have them ready raising his fist to hammer on the
Door again he heard Sheila Walsh’s voice from the other side go away you’re not coming in Mrs Walsh Sheila open the door I have a search warrant here I don’t care go somewhere else with your damn search warrant do doesn’t work that way if you don’t open the door I’m going to
Kick it in sure an old man like you go ahead and try I’ve got the dead bolt on I’ve been kicking indoors for 40 years Sheila it’s not about strength it’s about the placement of the pressure one of the first things they teach you you hit the right spot and the lock itself
Breaks the jam it will then cost you $300 or $400 to fix it and you have to figure out a way to secure your house till you get somebody out to do it nobody ever thinks about that they don’t show that part on the TV shows a long moment of silence went by
MOS stepped back as he would have if he were going to kick the door in there was a peephole and he believed she was watching him stand back he said I don’t want to hurt you at the moment he would have raised his leg and reared back to
Kick Walsh’s voice came through again okay okay don’t kick my door in he waited and heard the locks turn the door finally opened and Sheila Walsh stood there pure hatred in her eyes smart decision Bosch said what do you want Walsh asked to be honest I would
Rather just talk to you than have to search your house that would take the rest of the day when we probably could clear this up with a simple conversation she didn’t move a conversation about what she asked do you want to do this out here in front of
Your neighbors Bosch asked or can we sit down inside she stepped back and let him in BOS had not lied to her he did in fact have a search warrant but it was a copy of a warrant from another case and signed years earlier by a judge who was
Long retired now in here Walsh said she led him to the dining area instead of the kitchen this time an open laptop and paperwork were spread on the table on the wall to the left of it several unfolded pamphlets and flyers were taped to the sky blue paint BOS saw maps of
What looked like the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico as well as photos of cruise ships floor plans of State rooms and schematics for entire decks the dining room was the headquarters of her online travel agency before I say another word I want to hear you say you will leave my son
Alone she said he’s been through enough and he has nothing to do with this I can’t make that promise BOS said four people are dead Sheila a whole family and I’m going to find the man who did it if I have to use your son to get there I
Will it’s as simple as that but it’s you who controls this you cooperate and there will be no need for me to put pressure on your son or tell his employers about his involvement in this that isn’t right he isn’t involved you think it was right that the whole
Gallager family was buried in a hole out in the desert of course not but I had nothing to do with it you don’t think I feel the hor of that I do I think about it every single day what did Finn bar one her head rocked back in surprise at Bosch’s
Directness what are you talking about she asked come on Sheila BOS said you know what I’m talking about your son was the one who broke in and stole from you you got lucky when they found mcshan’s print and you could lay it on him but it
Was your son not him McShan was here at some point before the break-in and I want to know why you’re crazy you won’t let this go and this is harassment I could file a complaint against you you could but if you think this is harassment you haven’t seen anything yet
I’m never going to stop coming here not until you tell me what you know she shook her head and then put her elbows on the table and her face in her hands oh my God what am I going to do she said you won’t stop BOS pulled the paperclip off the
Documents he had brought they were folded lengthwise he thumbed off the last page and slid it across the table to her oh open your eyes Sheila and take a look at that BOS said I think it will help you do the right thing here she dropped her hands to the table the right
Thing she protested what are you talking about just look at it Posh said she pinned the paper to the table with her thumbs and leaned over to read it soon she started shaking her head help me she said what is this it’s a copy of a page from the California Penal Code Bosch
Said PC3 32 it deals with the crime of aing and abetting murder what it was a shriek more than a question oh my God she followed what are you look at the last line Bosch said read it I read it I don’t know what it
Means I don’t know what you want it’s a statute of limitations 3 years for aiding and abetting a homicide what that tells you is you’re in the clear Sheila no matter what you did you can’t be touched now you think I had something to do with killing them those beautiful
Children are you out of your mind get out get out of my house she pointed toward the door as she Rose from her seat sit back down Sheila Bosch said calmly I’m not going anywhere she didn’t move she held her arm out raised her finger pointing
Toward the door I said sit down Bosch yelled his voice scared her she dropped back into her seat her eyes wide with panic listen to me Bosch said his voice returning to an even tone I checked you out 8 years ago once I figured out the date the Gallaghers disappeared I
Confirmed you were on a boat in KML I got photos verified witness accounts credit card statements everything I know that McShan waited until you were gone to do it so there’d be no chance of a witness nobody to call the police but you know something Sheila you know
Something and now is the time to tell it you’re in the clear legally so it’s time to clear your conscience as well talk to me Sheila you do that and I leave you and your son alone I’ll be out of your life forever she put her elbows back on the
Table gripped her hands in front of her face and looked down at the photo copy soon Bosch saw tears drip onto the paper time to do the right thing Bosch said think about those beautiful children and tell me what was mcshain doing here she she worked her fingers against
Themselves and then looked up over her Knuckles at Bosch for the first time he saw that they were haunted by something something she had been carrying inside he was here she said he came to see me Bosch nodded it was a thank you it was now time to draw out the whole
Story when he asked promise me Walsh said he will leave my son alone I already told you you tell me about Shane and I will leave you and your son alone that is a promise Walsh nodded but took a long moment to settle herself and composed the
Story he came because he wanted money she finally said he said he had lost all of his in a bad investment he threatened me I gave him what he wanted and he went away threatened you how I promise you I didn’t know about Steven and his family
What happened to them I mean but in the year that they were gone before anyone knew I figured out what Finn was doing to the business the bus out what’s that selling equipment and ordering more to be sold as well eventually the business collapses but before that happened mshan
Took off whatever it’s called I knew what he was doing I worked at Shamrock from the beginning and knew how to read the books at that time we didn’t know what had happened to Steven but I could see the business wasn’t going to make it
I had my son to think about so I told Finn I wanted my cut and what was your cut C I knew what he was bringing in because I’d seen the purchase orders and I made some calls to our customers to find out what he was selling things for
I told him I knew what he was up to and that I had added it all up and wanted half 400,000 or he’d go to jail he gave it to me Bosch said nothing hoping his silence would keep her talking but then they were found she
Said up there in the Mojave and Finn had disappeared appeared I knew how it would look like I had been part of it I couldn’t tell you what I knew I couldn’t tell anybody because I looked guilty Bosch nodded as part of the story fell together after so many years he
Thought about Sheila mentioning The Arc of the moral Universe when he’d been here last he wondered if she knew then that the ark was bending toward her you said he came back here for money Bosch said how much did you give him all 400,000 Sheila said every sent I never
Touched it I couldn’t after I knew what he did when exactly did this visit occur how long before the burglary you reported a few weeks maybe a month he said a few minutes ago that he threatened you exactly how did he threaten you he said to give him the
Money or my son would get a hot shot and the next time I’d see him he’d be on a slab at the coroner’s office he said he’d then TI the police about the money and I would be arrested I didn’t know about any statute of limits or whatever
It’s called but my son back then he needed me I couldn’t let that happen BOS nodded and stayed silent but he didn’t have to threaten me Walsh said or my son I didn’t want the money not after mavi BOS nodded again but this time he spoke why’ you call the police after the
Burglary he asked you knew your son did it I didn’t she said I had no idea you think I would call the police on my own son I didn’t know until Jonathan told me when he found out I had called the police he told me and said I had to
Protect him when they called and asked about McShan and his Prince I knew how to do it just say it was McShan where is he Sheila my son you know where no McShan where is he I don’t know how would I know are you saying you had $400,000 in cash under your mattress
And you just gave it to him and he left there had to have been some kind of transfer it was in Bitcoin that was how he gave it to me and that was how I kept it I transferred it back to him on my laptop right here and that was when he
Picked up my paper weight while he was watching me and showing me how to do it Bosch knew that tracing such a transfer would be almost impossible it would never lead to a physical location what business did he invest in that he lost his half he asked he had to
Have told you something he said never invest in a bar Sheila said I remember that that was all what was the name of the bar he didn’t say where was it again he didn’t say and I wasn’t really interested in asking I just wanted him to leave Bosch knew that tracing a bankrupt
Bar with no name and no location six years or more after the fact would be like trying to trace Bitcoin impossible he now had the Fuller story but was no closer to finnbar mcshain he looked down at the old search warrant on the table and started to paper clip it back
Together he did say one thing that might help you Sheila said bosun’s eyes came up to hers but I want assurances that none of this can ever come back on me or my son she said and Jonathan can never know what I did she was crying again
This time not trying to hide it with her hands BOS nodded the Ark of the moral Universe bends toward Justice Sheila he said what did Shan say that can help me she nodded and used her hands to dry the tears on her cheeks he looked at my pamphlets up on
The wall there and said there’s only one place in the world where you can see the sunset at dawn BOS looked up at the wall but couldn’t make the connection I don’t get it he said what does it mean there’s a ship called the dawn she said part of
The Norwegian line it Moors in Tampa Florida and every week it sails down to Key West stops for for a day and then navigates out to the Bahamas before turning around and coming back it’s a popular itinerary I’ve sold many trips on that boat and made a lot of
Commissions I knew exactly what he meant when he said it because I’d heard that line before it’s part of the sales pitch they get great sunsets in Key West especially from the deck of the Dawn Bosch looked up at the pamphlets taped to the wall and saw the Norwegian
Dawn Sheila reached over to one of the stacks of folded pamphlets she had at the side of the table chose one and handed it to Bosch here she said take it thank you Bosch said Bosch looked at the pamphlet and opened it it showed happy people in bathing suits frolicking in
The ship’s pool or in colorful boat cloes strolling on the deck there was even a photo of people lined up at the deck rail and watching a sunset Key West Bosch thought he knew now where he was going to look for Finbar mcshain chapter 45 Ballard cranked the shelves just wide
Enough apart for her to slip in and move down to the 2002 cases she ran her finger along the case numbers on the spines of the murder books and then pulled the binder she was looking for when she got back to her workstation Colleen hatus was standing there waiting
For her what’s up Colleen not much I was wondering if you need any help with what you’re doing she gestured toward the Box on Ballard’s desk it was the one recovered from the dumpster in the alley behind Ted rs’s business in Santa Monica I think I’ve got it Ballard said
There’s not really an IG angle on this yet I could make calls if you want me to hatus said there’s no call to make yet this is the sth of seven possible cases the first six didn’t match up in my opinion what exactly are you looking for a case
That matches a missing white night gown bunny slippers and a bracelet there was also probably going to be blunt force trauma as cause of death Ballard sat down and opened the murder book she had just retrieved she then flipped over the table of contents to the initial incident
Report you want me to backread hus said I’m not really doing much the IG stuff on RWS has dried up I’m just waiting on responses I could go back to what I was working on before but I feel bad dropping off RWS when there are so many unanswered questions what about the souvenirs
Aren’t you working on those I was but I hit a wall I found no connects to open cases Ballard knew that if she didn’t give Hatter something to do she would probably hover over her all day tell you what she said while I go through this
Last case why don’t you take this and see what you can find out as she spoke Ballard reached into the cardboard box and retrieved the bracelet that had been found in the sleeve of the night gown she had since encased it in a plastic evidence bag she handed it to hatus all
Right hatus said what are you looking for anything and everything Ballard said who made the bracelet where was it sold there are initials on the charm at least I think they initials I would love to know who did the engraving and whose initials they are I already ran it
Through digitized property reports and got no hits so what’s left is we try to find out where it came from I know it’s a long shot but give it a try okay you got it thanks hatus went to away like a dog with a bone even though Ballard
Believed it would be a failed Mission but it would be worth it in terms of covering all bases and not having hatus constantly interrupting her she read the initial summary of the 2000 case she had just retrieved from the archives the victim’s name was Belinda King she was
Only 20 years old when she was murdered her naked body was found on the floor of the bathroom of her apartment in the oak wood section of Venice she was a student at nearby Santa Monica Community College studying creative writing Ballard remembered that R had gone to Santa
Monica CC and it would likely have just been a few years before Belinda King but that might be no more than a coincidence Belinda King matched almost all the parameters Ballard had entered in her search of digital records she had gleaned these from the items found in the box from the dumpster
And the known elements of Ted R’s kill patterns Ballard believed she was looking for a victim who was young female and attacked at night in her home by an unknown Intruder who left no DNA the victim would also have been found naked considering that RS had
Taken her night gown and cause of death was likely blunt force trauma if not specifically attributed to blows from a hammer the victim may have also had a boyfriend or fiance who had given her a charm bracelet the final box Ballard had to check on the search protocol was that
The case had to be open and unsolved the search brought back seven Hits and The King case was the seventh book Ballard had pulled the first six were not completely dismissed but they didn’t feel right to Ballard for various reasons she was hoping the seventh case
Would be a conclusive hit but as she moved on from the written summary to the crime scene photos she quickly dismissed it as a possible Ted rolls kill the victim was found nude and had been beaten to death but Balor judged that she was too heavy in the Torso to have
Worn the night gown comfortably Additionally the circumstances of the case LED investigators to believe she knew her killer and may have engaged in consensual sex with him before he turned violent there were no indications of sexual assault disappointed Ballard leaned back in her chair she flipped the murder book
Closed and put it on top of the stack of books from the other cases she had reviewed she decided she would not return them to the shelves in the archive she’d have Harry Bosch with his long experience as a homicide detective review the cases to confirm or deny her
Conclusions about each one she put the frustrations of a wasted day aside side and decided to take one more run through the Department’s digitized crime data this time removing one of the descriptor filters to see if it brought up more matching cases the descriptor she dropped was the requirement that matching cases be
Unsolved she checked the all cases box and the new search returned nine more case extracts with matching similarities because the aminon archive contained only murder books from UNS cases Ballard stayed on the database and reviewed the digital case extracts ready to write down any victims names and case
Numbers she thought might require a fuller look this more exacting review would require her to go to the original investigators to pull murder books from closed case files and conduct interviews she moved through the nine extracts quickly and didn’t write down a single case citation in her notebook
Though all were similar in methodology to the murders of Sarah Pearlman and Laura Wilson they were all closed by conviction following a jury verdict or in two of the cases a guilty plea Ballard knew that any of these could have had a wrongful conviction or even a false confession but with the
Abbreviated extracts alone it was impossible for her to see anything suspicious about the cases in extract form they were all cut and dried case summaries and mug shot nothing else Ballard logged off the database and sigh frustrated with the knowledge that she had been spinning her Wheels all day
She felt the need for Harry Bosch’s supportive words she knew that she could complain to him about wasting her time and he would come back with wisdom and encouragement he would remind her that there were always more dead ends in a homicide investigation than there were
Leads that panned out to him that was a basic equation of the job he had once told her it was like baseball the best hitters failed more than half the time it was the same chasing leads in homicide work she pulled her phone and called Bosch but it went straight to
Voicemail Harry it’s me call me back when you get a chance I need to talk to you about how up today has been bye she stood up and put the phone in her pocket she saw how is hunched over her desk in the next station in the Pod
Colleen she said I’m going to take a walk to clear my head and then get a coffee from upstairs you want anything no I’m fine hus said you knew this was a locket right Ballard had already started walking away from the Pod when she heard the question she turned on her heel and
Moved back toward hatus what she asked the charm hatus said it has a hinge it opens and there’s a little photo inside Ballard leaned over haas’s shoulder and saw that the painter’s pet charm did indeed have a hinge that allowed it to be opened like a tiny book
There was a face shot photo of a young man with jet black hair and a struggling mustache above a wide smile you shouldn’t have taken that out of the evidence back she said I had to hatus said I wouldn’t have gotten it open if it was still in the
Plastic I know but I hadn’t had it processed for Prince and DNA I’m so sorry I thought you said everything had been run through forensics but not that we just recovered it today hatus dropped the bracelet on her desk as if it were red hot it doesn’t matter now Ballard said
You’ve handled it Ballard was staring at the small photo she leaned down to see it closer the young man looked familiar to her but she couldn’t quite Place him do you by any chance have a magnifying glass Colleen no but Harry does I saw him using it the other day Ballard went
Around to the Pod to Bosch’s station there was a small magnifying glass on top of a stack of printouts she grabbed grabed it and returned to Hatter’s desk let me look at it she said hatus got up and Ballard sat down she used the glass to magnify the image in the open
Locket that’s got to be the go hatus said don’t you think Ballard was silent the young man in the photo she was looking at was clearly Latino with brown skin dark eyes and a full head of swept back back black hair she now identified the familiarity she realized she had seen a
Version of that face just minutes before I think I know this guy she said she got up and went back to her station handing hatus the magnifying glass as she passed you know him hatus asked I think I just saw him Ballard said she sat down and quickly rebooted the Department’s
Crie Data Bank on her screen she pulled up the last search and quickly scanned through the case extracts she had just finished reviewing with each one she went immediately to the mug shot of the defendant convicted in the murder the seventh extract contained the mug shot of a Man convicted of killing his
Girlfriend in 2009 let me see the locket and the magnifier she said can I touch it hatus asked you already have bring it to me hatus brought both items to her Ballard used the magnifer again to look closely at the face in the locket photo and then
Turned back to the computer to make the comparison she was sure she was looking at different photos of the same young man in one shot he was smiling in the other looking Grim she stood up and signaled hatus to switch into her seat she held out the magnifying
Glass Colleen look at the mug shot on the screen and compare it to the photo in the locket Ballard said tell me it’s not the same guy hatus went back and forth from computer screen to lock it three times before rendering a verdict they’re the same she said
Definitely okay let me get to the computer Ballard said hatus jumped up and Ballard quickly took her seat back she clicked off the photo on the screen and pulled up the details of the convicted killer his name was Jorge AOA he was 36 years old and he was serving a
Life sentence for murdering his girlfriend Olga Reyes Jorge AOA Ballard said he could have Americanized it used the name George G hatus said I think you’re right Ballard scribbled down the case number and the names of the victim and suspect the extract also contained the location of the crime on Riverside Drive
In Valley Village it was a North Hollywood division case the extract had no crime scen photos and details were limited the victim’s cause of death was listed as blunt force trauma but that was a wide catchall classification Ballard needed the murder book from the case to confirm that it
Was connected to the items found in the discarded box Colleen I’m going up to the valley to pull this case Ballard said I won’t be coming back today can I go with you hatus said I feel like I had something to do with this whatever it is you did
Have something to do with it you did good work but this is field work and your job is the IGG work I’ll see you tomorrow if you’re coming in I’ll update you then I’ll be here okay good and great work Colleen thank you Ballard quickly loaded her laptop and files into
Her backpack grabbed her van Houston jacket off the back of her chair and moved toward the exit leaving hatus watching her go when she got to the parking lot Ballard pulled her phone and called Harry Bosch again she was once more greeted with his outgoing greeting telling all callers to leave a message
Harry me again where are you I think I know who the white night gown belonged to call me back as soon as you get this she put the phone away and jumped into her car chapter 46 the drive from Miami to Key West was 4 hours on the Overseas Highway along
The way it was mostly mom and pop motels restaurants sandal factories and KY t-shirt and souvenir shops all punctuated by long Bridges across startling turquoise water on which the sun was reflected in diamonds BOS had arrived late to Miami the night before picked up a rental car
And got into kargo before he pulled into the parking lot of a motel with a glowing neon vacancy sign and shut things down for the night now it was morning and his plan was to hit Key West by noon and start looking for Finn bar mcshain his starting point would be the
The Key West Police Department he had made no Advanced call and had no appointment he liked the idea of coming in blind just past Marathon a backup behind an accident on the 7mile bridge added almost an hour to the drive it was after 1: p.m. when he pulled into the kwpd
Parking lot when Bosch got out of the rental his injured knee was stiff and throbbing from the long drive he had not taken any pain medication because he wanted to stay alert while while driving but now he popped the trunk unzipped the duffel bag he had packed in LA and
Popped two tabs of Advil he hoped the Advil would be strong enough to reduce the pain soon the police department was painted in Orange in pink pastels its front desk was actually an exterior window behind which an officer sat at a counter Bosch waited in the sun second in line behind
A man asking how to report the theft of a bicycle BOS could feel the humidity coating his skin the air even felt heavy in his lungs finally it was his turn and Bosch limped up to the window holding his badge out there was a speaker and microphone set in the
Glass hello he said I work with the Los Angeles Police Department cold Cas Squad I’m here on a case and wanted to see if I could speak to somebody and missing persons the glass was tinted almost as dark as a limousine rear windows botch could barely make out the outline of
Someone sitting on the other side but could not tell whether he was talking to a man or a woman a male voice came through the speaker a missing person’s cold case he asked uh no Bosch said but I think a missing person’s detective will be able to help me locate the
Individual I tracked here and your name Harry Bosch did that badge say retired it did I work as a volunteer investigator I previously worked cold cases when I was in the department they asked me to come back after after I retired okay let me call back there if
You wouldn’t mind step back from the window so others can come forward no problem BOS stepped away from the window and posted up on its left side he turned looked around and saw that there was nobody else waiting to come forward 5 minutes went by slowly he
Leaned against the wall next to the window to take weight off his knee the pills he had ingested had yet to reduce the pain no one else approached the window and The Man Behind it offered Bosch no information Bosch could feel his shirt starting to stick with perspiration to
His back he took off his sport coat and held it over his arm finally there was a metal clack of a heavy door opening and Mos saw a man in a GU bear shirt step out but hold the door open the shirt barely disguised
That the man had a gun and badge on his belt LAPD he said that’s me BOS said come on back thank you he held out his hand as Bosch approached the door Ken Osborne Bosch shook his hand Harry Bosch he said thanks for your time got to make
Time for the LAPD Osborne said that’s the big time Bosch smiled uneasily there had been a slightly sarcastic tone in Osborne’s voice Osborne LED Bosch to a detective Bureau where he counted desks for 16 detectives there were no signs hanging for the ceiling denoting crime sections
Half the desks had men or women sitting behind them and most of them had eyes on Bosch as he came in Osborne’s desk was the last in the first row he pulled a chair from an empty desk and rolled it over in front of his have a seat are you
Hurt you’re limping I was in an accident Sunday messed up my knee looks like you messed up your ear too yeah both men sat down Osborne checked something on the screen of his desktop computer and then looked at Bosch so what can I do for you
LAPD he asked I don’t know if the guy behind the window explained anything but I work Cold Case homicides Bosch said I’m working at quadruple case four members of a family murdered with a nail gun and then buried in the desert that’s got to hurt BOS did not acknowledge the
Poor attempt at Gallow humor the case is almost 9 years old he said we recently reopened it and there’s a person of interest we have a solid witness that puts him here but that was at least 6 years ago Osborne frowned 6 years in Key
West is a long time he said this town turns over quick people come and go why’ you ask for a missing persons dick BOS had not heard the term applied to a detective in a long time and possibly never in the real world because of the
Crime in La he said this guy played a long game took a job worked his way up over over the years until he was a valued employee then killed the owner and his family and looted the business in a classic bustout scheme my guess is
He came here to do it all again as far as I know we got no families murdered here LAPD my witness back in La said he’d invested in a bar in Key West and then the bar went belly up I think if he’s here he’s moved on to something else and
The missing person’s part do you have a case involving a prominent person like a business owner who’s Gone Missing Osborne leaned back in his chair and swiveled it back and forth as he considered the question nothing like that that I know of our cases are mostly about bored teenagers going up to Miami
Tourist getting so shitfaced at Sloppy Joe’s they can’t find their way back to the motel can’t think of a prominent citizen going missing what about a bar going under six or seven years ago Osborne let out a laugh there isn’t a shortage of those he said nothing comes
To mind Bosch pressed I’m talking something substantial my guy put 400,000 into it and lost it tell you what the guy you should talk to is Tommy over at the chart room the chart room that’s a bar at the Pier House the Pier House you don’t know do you LAPD it’s a hotel
At the end of Duval I think you got to stay there to get into the chart room these days place was a dive back in the day now they keep the Riff Raff out and Tommy he’s been slinging booze there 40 years plus and he knows a local B trade better
Than anybody in this building Bosch nodded he then raised his sport coat up with one hand reached into a pocket and pulled out a document he had copied from the Gallagher family murder book he handed it to Osborne who unfolded it it was a bolo flyer at the top of it it had
A California driver’s license photo of finnbar mcshain below it were four smaller copies of the photo that had been been altered by a police artist to show four possible new looks that McShan could have adopted after fleeing in the altered photos McShan alternately had a full beard a goatee long hair or a
Shaved head BOS had put out the bolo on McShan shortly after originally being assigned the case that made the photos almost 8 years old and of questionable value but it was all he had to offer this is your guy huh Osborne said yeah BOS said recognize him seen him around
Can’t say I have how old is that bolo about 8 years he’d be 44 now that’s a long time ago they couldn’t come up with new stuff they’re working on it how would you feel about showing that at roll call see if any of your street
People have seen him I guess I could do that it’s a long shot though I would appreciate it anyway Osborne grabbed a Post-It pad and put it down in front of Bosch write your cell number down and I’ll call you if I come up with anything I
Don’t have a phone I lost it and need to buy one today I can also call you tomorrow from the hotel Osborne made a face as if to ask who doesn’t have a cell phone what hotel he asked instead I’m going to see if they have a room at
The pier house I guess LAPD must have a nice hotel allowance that place will run you at least 500 a night this time of year Bosch nodded thanks for your help he said and the roll call not a problem Osborne said you sure you’re okay
LAPD yeah why I don’t know seem kind of shaky there it’s the humidity not used to it yeah we get that a lot around here back in the parking lot Bosch took a moment before getting back in the rental to look up at the sky a row of
Cumulus clouds was moving over the island Bosch felt that the light was different here not as soft as in in California there was a bright harshness to it he got in the car and thought about Osborne wondering if he could trust him he wasn’t sure he started the engine and pulled out chapter
47 Ballard held her badge cued in one hand while she knocked on the door with the other it wasn’t long before a short woman with the same coloring and features as Jorge AA answered the door Mrs AOA Ballard asked see the woman said Ballard immediately wished she had
Gotten a Spanish-speaking officer to go with her she could step away and call North Hollywood division to see if one was available but instead pressed on she held up her badge La polia a engl the woman frowned but then turned away from the door and yelled in rap
Rapid fire Spanish back into the house the only word Ballard identified was POA the woman then turned back to Ballard and nodded as though she had just fixed the problem after an awkward and Silent minute a young man appeared behind the woman at the door his dark
Hair disheveled from sleep he was almost a carbon copy of what Jorge AOA looked like in the mug shots she had reviewed when reading the murder book what he said he was clearly annoyed with the early wakeup even though it was almost noon Ballard quickly assessed the VB
Tattoos on his arms and read him as a member of the vinand boys street gang she knew that a gangster’s day typically started in the PM hours this was early you’re Oscar right Ballard said I want to talk to your mother about your brother my brother’s gone Oscar said
And we don’t talk to Cops adosa he started to close the door but Ballard reached her hand out and stopped it you call somebody who wants to help your brother a help him you could have helped him when he said he didn’t do it but no you people just
Threw away the key I want to show something to your mother it might be what gets Jorge out of prison if you want me to leave I’ll leave but next time you visit your brother you tell him I was here and you sent me away Oscar didn’t move or speak then his
Mother spoke to him in a whisper Ballard knew enough Spanish to know she had asked her son what the woman wanted Mrs AOA had heard Jorge’s name mentioned Oscar didn’t answer her he turned back to Ballard and made room for her to enter sure he said Ballard
Stepped in she she had spent the night before reviewing the murder book she had pulled at North Hollywood Station her first effort in the morning was to attempt to track down the family of Olga Rees but it appeared that her family had left Los Angeles after her murder and
Balard had not yet been able to locate them the closest she came was a neighbor who said she thought the family had gone to Texas that left the Jorge AOA side of the equation and here she was at his mother’s cookie cutter house and a post World War II tract in
Sunland Ballard was led to a small modestly furnished living room where she immediately saw signs that she was on the right track several framed paintings and sketches that had the look of prison art hung on the walls all were on butcher paper and signed in pencil did Jorge want to be an artist
She asked he is an artist I Oscar said show her what you got and then go Ballard was annoyed with herself for not thinking through her question okay she said tell your mother I’m going to show her a photo of a piece of jewelry and I want to know if she’s
Ever seen it before while Oscar made the translation Ballard swung her backpack off her shoulder and opened it on the floor She removed a file folder containing an 8×10 color photo of the bracelet with the artist’s pallet charm which she had printed at home that morning she gave
The file to Oscar to give to his mother she wanted him invested in this as well Oscar opened the file and looked at the photo with his mother Ballard watched the woman for a reaction and saw the recognition in her eyes she’s seen it before Ballard said quickly Oscar and his mother exchanged
Words and Oscar translated she said it was my brothers he gave it to Olga because they were in love where did you find it Ballard knew the question had come from him I can’t tell you right now Ballard said but I think your brother is going to get out of
Prison with it how I think I can prove that somebody else killed Olga suddenly Oscar’s tough shell cracked and Ballard saw hope and fear in his eyes he then turned away and translated for his mother she said she reached out and grabbed Ballard’s hand please she said Oscar’s
Hard shell slipped back into place you better not be with us he said I’m not Ballard said ask your mother if she knows where Jorge got the bracelet The Exchange in Spanish was quick she doesn’t know Oscar said what about the charm Ballard asked the next exchange didn’t need to be translated
The woman shook her head Ballard looked at Oscar what about you Ballard asked what do you mean Oscar asked was your brother in Vinland boys no but you people at the trial should tried to make it look that way what I’m getting at is where do vinin boys get their
Chains Oscar didn’t answer his hesitation rooted in the gang rule about talking about the gang to the police it could get him killed do you know what providence means Ballard asked besides having your mother identify the bracelet as your brothers I may need to establish
Where Jorge got it then I would have two confirmations when I go to the district attorney’s office he was not a gangster Oscar said he was was an artist Ballard knew from the review of the case File that the prosecution presented photos of street art attributed to Jorge AOA and used it to
Suggest gang affiliation it was an underhanded way of tilting a jury’s view of him I’ll leave you my card Ballard said if you think of anything maybe a local store where Jorge might have gotten the bracelet call me I don’t talk to the polia Oscar said
Even if it might help your brother prove he didn’t kill Olga Oscar was silent on that question Ballard looked at his mother gracias she said in cont as soon as she was back in her car Ballard pulled her phone and called Harry Bosch adrenaline had started coursing through her veins the moment
Jorge aoa’s mother recognized the bracelet Balor needed to tell someone about the twist the case was now taking and Bosch was her first choice but the call once again went directly to message Harry it’s me again where the hell are you things are happening fast and I need you on RS I’ve connected
Another case to him and get this somebody’s in prison for a murder RS did I’m sure of it I need you to call me back as soon as you get this she disconnected and sighed in frustration but soon her annoyance with Bosch turned a concern he was old and not in the best
Health besides inflicting the obvious injuries the crash on Sunday had seemed to take something out of him Ballard opened up her contacts list on her phone and called Bosch’s daughter he had previously mentioned that Maddie was working a midwatch shift so she figured she should be neither asleep nor at work
Maddie Bosch answered answered promptly Maddie it’s Renee Ballard hey what’s up uh have you talked to your dad lately we’re supposed to be working on something and I can’t seem to reach him well I saw him Tuesday when we had lunch and then I dropped him off to pick up a
Rental car but I haven’t talked to him since then what’s I’m sure everything is fine but I really need to talk to him do you mind doing something for me he once told me that you let him track your phone and you track his is it still that
Way yes so you want me to see where he’s at that would help if you don’t mind I really need him on a case I’m working hold on Ballard waited while Maddie used her phone to check her father’s location by tracking his cell phone um okay I have him at the OPG lot
At West Bureau no wait that’s old his phone must be off or the battery said that’s from Sunday night and it’s the last location I have Ballard put two and two together the official police garage would have been where they took Bosch’s car after the RWS incident
Sunday it’s in his car she said he was talking to me when his car got hit by RWS and the phone went flying his phone must still be in the car and the battery probably died Sunday night so then where is he Maddie asked starting to sound worried the middle ground between
Concern and panic had entered Ballard’s thinking I don’t know Ballard said does he still have a land line at the house he does Maddie said let me call it and either he or I will call you right back they disconnected and Ballard sat in the car and waited knowing that her next
Move would be dictated by who called her back when the call came in a minute later it was from Maddie he didn’t answer I left a message but now I’m worried when do you go in today I’m actually off do you have a key to Harry’s house I think we should check
It out I have a key when I’m up in the valley I could get there in about 30 minutes stops okay it will take me the same I’ll meet you there okay if you get there first maybe you should wait for me before going in we’ll see well I’m on my
Way they disconnected and Ballard started the car her tires squealed on the asphalt as she pulled out she wanted to get to Bosch’s house before his daughter did chapter 48 BOS sat on the bed with his bad leg up he had a bag of ice on his knee and
It seemed seemed to ease the discomfort the second dose of Advil hadn’t yet reached he was in his room at the pier house and studying the tourist map of Old Town that he had received from the front desk clerk when he checked in clearly marked on it were the sunset
Viewing spots and the Wares with the cruise ships docked he planned to check these out in his needle in a hay stack search for finnbar McShan his room had a small balcony in a view of the turquoise water his eyes were drawn to it because he was so used
To the the coldly forbidding blue black water of the Pacific he now saw a large catamaran cruising Slowly by seemingly every inch of deck space occupied by a passenger painted along the side of the hall was a phone number for reserving a spot on a Sunset
Cruise before coming to his room he had used a resort map also given to him at check-in to locate the chart room and learned it did not open until 5: he planned to be there then with the hope of talking to the bartender before the place place got crowded he had an hour
To wait so he decided to use the time walking through Oldtown and showing around the bolo flyer with the many possible faces of Finn bar mcshain on it he got up and put the bag of ice in the bathroom sink the ice in the painkiller had combined to make the knee feel
Usable for a while he left the room in the hotel and started making his way up Tov Street stopping at Sloppy Joe’s and other bars and asking bartenders if they recognized the man in the photos he got no takers but he did get the idea that most of the bartenders and
Waitresses he showed the flyer to had fled from something themselves before landing in Key West a bad life a bad relationship a bad crime it didn’t matter but it made people hesitant to finger a fellow traveler on The Runaway Trail Bosch didn’t mention to any of
Those he spoke to that the man on the flyer was the only suspect in the killing of a whole family he didn’t want to upset set their romanticized version of running away from the past he got back to the Pier House by 5: and went directly to the chart room
Which was tucked into a first floor hallway in the main wing of the hotel a man with gray hair pulled back into a ponytail was unlocking the door when he got there he entered and Bosch followed him in the bar was small about the size of a hotel room because that was clearly
What it had once been there was a six stool bar on the left side and there were a few small tables and sitting spots on the right it looked to Bosch like the place would be over capacity with just 20 people Bosch took the first stool and
Waited for the man with a ponytail to come around behind the bar it was all dark wood with lights under the three tiers of liquor bottles creating an Amber glow there were many photos pinned on the walls almost all of them yellowed by time there were no windows with the
View of the water this was a place for worshiping alcohol not not the Setting Sun that looks like it hurts the bartender said he pointed at Bosch’s ear it’s not bad BOS said fish hook the bartender asked I wish bullet then how do you know that I know Fish Hooks from
Key West bullets from Vietnam right who are you with over there Marines 1 n The Walking Dead Bosch knew about The Walking Dead the first Battalion nine Marines took more casualties than any other unit during the war hence the name they came to be known by what about you the bartender
Asked Army Bosch said first infantry Engineer Battalion the tunnels yeah the bartender nodded he knew about the tunnels you in the hotel he asked room 202 Bosch said don’t look much like a tourist I guess I got to get some short and sandals and maybe a Hawaiian shirt that’ll help are you
Tommy the bartender stopped his busy work behind the bar getting ready for the night and looked directly at Bosch do I know you he asked no first time in Key West BOS said over at the police station I was told that you were the man
I needed to talk to about what B trade in Key West trying to locate a bar that closed down six maybe 7 years ago well what was it called that’s the thing I don’t have a name seems kind of fuzzy you a cop used to be now I’m just trying
To find a guy who came here from La invested in a bar and then lost it all my name’s Harry By the way he offered his hand across the bar top Tommy wiped his hand on a b towel and shook it how long you been here Tommy Bosch asked put
It this way longer than anybody else Tommy said this guy you’re looking for he’s got a name right he does but I don’t think he’s using it here finnbar mcshain he’s Irish BOS studied his eyes to see if there was any flare of recognition there was the Irish gallion
Tommy said what’s that Bosch asked that’s the bar two irish guys opened it about 8 years ago well one guy did and then the other guy came over and they were Partners like we needed another Irish pub in Key West fixed it up outside so it looked like a
Spanish gallion you know Place lasted a couple years and then it got shuttered they lost their asses left a shitload of creditors and never got paid Bosch knew there would be records of ownership with state and local agencies monitoring alcohol licensing maybe a bankruptcy filing as well
Getting the name of the bar was a good lead did you know them the partners he asked no they were Outsiders not locals Tommy said what about their names nah not sure I ever knew the names of those guys who would it’s a good question let me think you going to drink
Or just ask questions bourbon I’ve got mters Colonel Taylor and a little bit of Blandon left Blandon neat that’s good cuz I’m still waiting on my eyes Tommy used the hand towel to polish a rock glass and then poured a generous shot of Blandon he put the glass down in front of Bosch
It looked like there was enough left in the round bottle for one more shot slancha he said cheers Bosch said a man entered the bar carrying a large stainless steel bucket full of ice he hoisted it over the bar and Tommy took it and poured it into a bin he
Handed the bucket back thanks Rico Tommy looked at Bosch and pointed to the ice bin I’m good Bosch said Tom Tommy held up a finger like he wanted to pause everything while he considered a new idea I think I know somebody he said you’re going to take care of me for this
Right I am Bosch said he watched his Tommy pulled a corded phone out from under the counter dialed a number and waited BOS then heard Tommy’s side of a brief conversation hey remember the Irish gallion what happened with those two guys Bosch wanted to take the phone and
Ask the questions but he knew that was probably a quick way to end the call and Tommy’s cooperation oh right yeah I think I heard something about that Tommy said what were their names Bosch nodded it was turning out he didn’t need to coach Tommy and where did Davey go Tommy asked
The call ended a few seconds later and Tommy looked at Bosch but didn’t report what he had just heard Bosch got the message and reached into his pocket he had hit an ATM for $400 at the airport report before takeoff the day before the money had come in denominations of 50s
And 20s he now peeled 450s off the fold of cash and put them down on the bar the original owner was Dan Cassidy Tommy said but he left the island after they closed the bar down where did he go Bosch asked my guy didn’t know his
Friend from Ireland that he took on as a partner was Davey burn but everybody thought that was what do you mean it was an alias clear as D Davey Burns was the name of a pub in Ulisses the Joyce novel about Dublin supposedly it’s a real place over there still in
Business after a hundred years so people around here thought he was like an IRA guy or something who came here and changed his name because he was too hot to handle back there Bosch didn’t say that the troubles were largely in Northern Ireland not Dublin Did your guy say whether he ever
Met him he asked instead think he could pick him out in the photo he didn’t say but I doubt he ever did meet him Tommy said he’s got the bud distributorship for all of Monroe County so he knows what’s going on in every bar in the keys
But he hasn’t driven a delivery route himself in years he did say these guys stiffed him for a couple Grands worth of beer when they shut it down you have a cell phone sure can you take a photo of this and shoot it to your friend anyway
You never know Bosch unfolded the bolo flyer on the bar top Tommy looked at it for a long moment then he slid it down the bar until it was directly under one of the pendant lights took a cell phone out of a pocket and took a photo of the
Flyer he handed the flyer back to Bosch Los Angeles Police Department he said I thought you weren’t a cop anymore I’m not Bosch said that’s old from a case I had when I was still carrying the badge he’s like the one that got away or something
The white whale call me ishmail and all that Moby Dick right yep first line of the book Bosch nodded he had never read the book but he knew who wrote it and that Moby Dick was the original white whale between the references to Joyce and Melville he got the idea that he
Might be talking to the most well- read bartender in Key West Tommy seemed to know that’s what he was thinking when it’s slow in here I read he said so what did he do your white whale he killed a family of four Bosch said with a
Nail gun the girl was nine and the boy 13 then he buried them in a hole in the desert oh man Tommy put his hand down on the 50s and slid them back across the bar top toward Bosch I can’t take your money not for something like that you’re
Helping me here I’m sure no one’s paying you to chase this guy down Bosch nodded he understood he then asked the most important question did your friend the beer distributor say whether Davey burn is still on the island he said last he heard Davey was working on the Old
Charter Docks but that was a few years back when he heard that where are the Old Charter docks right below the Palm Avenue Causeway you got a car I do Tommy pointed toward the back of the bar easiest ways to take Front Street out of
Old town and get on eaten he said eaten becomes Palm Avenue you go over the bridge and there’s the marina you can’t miss it how many boats are we talking about out there Bosch asked there’s a lot my buddy didn’t know which boat this guy was supposedly
Working okay and if I were you I’d go now this part of town is going to start filling up for Sunset traffic will be a and you’ll never get out of here Bosch lifted his glass and took the first and last last sip from it the
Bourbon was sweet on his tongue but fire in his throat he realized he probably should have ordered something that would have gone down easier like a port or a Cabernet thanks for your help Tommy he said sey sey Tommy said apparently accepting the Marine salutation from a non-marine those tunnels man what a
up Place Bosch nodded what a up world he said it’s Angry World Tommy said people do things you’d never expect Bosch took two of the 50s off the bar top and put them in his pocket he slid the other two back toward Tommy finish off the Blandon for me he said
Glad to Tommy said on his way out Bosch held the door for a couple in shorts sandals and Hawaiian shirts on their way In chapter 49 Ballard was leaning against her car in front of Bosch’s house thinking about the last conversation they’d had Bosch had said he was going to do the follow-up interview with Sheila Walsh about the Gallagher case he had hoped she would trade protecting her son for revealing what she knew about Finbar
Mcshain Ballard decided that if she didn’t find Bosch by the end of the day then she would locate Sheila Walsh and pay her a visit as well mty Bosch’s car came around the bend and she pulled into the empty carport Ballard met her at the front door I knocked Ballard said no answer
Then I hope heun not in there Maddie said why don’t you let me do a quick circuit before you come in I’m a big girl Renee just wanted to make the offer I get it thank you Maddie took a set of keys out of her pocket and unlocked the
Door without hesitation she pushed it open and entered ahead of Ballard dad there was no answer Ballard stepped into the living room and looked around to see if anything seemed out of place she checked Bosch’s stereo and saw that the record on the turntable was the King Curtis album he had been playing
When she picked him up the week before she guessed that his joining the cold Cas Squad had fully consumed him to the point where he hadn’t had time to listen to his music dad you here nothing I’ll check the back Maddie said she disappeared down the hallway while Ballard went into
The kitchen to check the sink and trash can for any signs of Life both were clean and empty Ballard went back to the living room and stepped into the dining room where two neat stacks of documents sat on the table she moved around behind it and leaned over to read what Bosch
Was last working on here she could hear Maddie’s steps on the wood floor and knew she was continuing to move about a sign that her father was not back there soon Maddie emerged from the bedroom wing of the house he’s not here she said the kitchen is clean and the trash can
Is empty Ballard said like he didn’t want to leave anything that would SNK up the house while he traveled but where would he go that’s the question do you know what sort of suitcase he has oh yeah he has one suitcase it’s old and beat up with wheels that barely turn
Anymore why don’t you see if it’s here I’ll check his closet Maddie went back down the hallway and Ballard leafed through one of the two stacks on the table they were documents from the gallager family case Ballard noticed that the table had a drawer most likely to hold silverware or
Napkins if it was being used as an eating table instead of a work table she reached down and slid it open it contained mostly utensils from to go meals as well as some pens paper clips and Post-it pads there were also several loose pills in the drawer and an
Envelope with Maddie written on it curious she lifted out the envelope and saw that it was sealed then she picked up one of the pills it was light blue and dis shaped there was no brand stamp or other identification other than the number 30 imprinted on it she guessed
That this meant the pill was a 30 mgram dose she heard Maddie’s steps coming back down the hallway without giving it much thought Ballard palmed the pill and closed the drawer as Maddie came into the room the suitcase is there Maddie said but he also has this duffel bag
That he uses for short trips that’s gone he went somewhere without telling me has that happened before Ballard asked well not that I know of he called me last week when he was just going to Chicago for one night but who knows he could have made lots of trips without telling
Me there’s no way for me to know right but now don’t feel good about us being in here invading his privacy I think we need to leave sure I have an appointment downtown I’ve got to get to Maddie pulled her keys and stepped back so Ballard could go out first before she
Locked the door once she was outside Ballard turned back to Maddie I’m sorry if I overreacted Maddie it’s just that we were in the middle of a case and with him getting banged up Sunday I was a little worried about him sort of dis disappearing without a word but I’m sure
Heun turn up Maddie nodded sure she said but she seemed unconvinced how did he seem when you saw him Tuesday for lunch Ballard asked uh okay normal I mean he was still sore from the crash his knee was hurting him but he was Dad he was talking about
Wanting to get back to work on a case the usual stuff for him nothing from him since that lunch no should I be worried Renee I don’t really know last we talked he was going to see a witness that he had spoken to before but who was not
Going to like seeing him and that was it maybe we have to go see that witness we I’m off today but I’m a cop and he’s my father who was the witness wait a minute let’s not jump the gun here maybe he who’s jumping the gun you said he went
To see a witness in a murder investigation I assume and no one has heard from him since what’s wrong with this picture okay look I have to go downtown for a meeting at the DA’s office let me do that and then I’ll run down a location on the witness if your
Dad doesn’t show up by then we’ll go see her tonight Maddie said nothing and Ballard could tell she was frustrated by the delay what you should do Ballard said is go back inside and write a note to your dad that says he needs to call you as
Soon as he gets home just in case he’s just out of pocket without a phone and we worrying over nothing will you do that yes Maddie said solemly okay then I’m going to go and let’s keep each other in the loop you okay I’m okay good I’m sure everything’s
Fine I’ll talk to you later they went went their separate ways Ballard to her car and Maddie back into the house Ballard drove down the hill and jumped on the Hollywood freeway she headed south to downtown checking the time on the dashboard she saw that she could just
Make it to the Sid lab before her appointment at the District Attorney’s office she wanted to find out what the pills she had found loose in Bosch’s workt drawer were and what he would be taking them for she knew knew she was committing a breach of Bosch’s privacy
That was far beyond what his own daughter had objected to earlier but there was something going on with Bosch and she needed to find out what it was chapter 50 the parking at charter boat row was wide open all the action for the day was complete and most of the boats had been
Buttoned up for the night Bosch walked along the seaw wall reading the names of the boats and the signs showing contact information and Charter availability the boats rang from 30ft open Fishers to deep sea Cruisers with multiple decks cabins and Lookout towers near the end of the row a man was
Using a hose to spray the decking of a large cruiser with an open salon and room for a large Fishing Party it was low tide so the boat and the man were below Bosch in the seaw wall eventually the man looked up and saw Bosch he wore
A salt crusted baseball cap that said deck do on it he pointed to the faucet where the hose he was using was attached hey pal can you turn the water off for me he called up Bosch walked over and turned off the hose you get back in late
Bosch asked casually everybody else is gone I don’t go out the man said I just clean boats got it deck doctor do you clean Davey Burns boat the man shook his head uh he doesn’t have a boat he said the CJ is Henry Jordan the CJ Bosch said which one is that
About 9 or 10 down you walked right by it Calamity Jane oh right I saw it Davey might act with a tourist like he owns it but Henry kept the majority ownership I know that for a fact so Davey’s just an investor more like an employee but you’d
Have to ask Henry about that when he gets back back from where no idea can you hand me down the charge line Bosch looked around and saw a thick yellow electric cord coiled and left on a hook attached to a steel girder the girder supported the corrugated shade structure
That ran the length of the boat row one end of the cord was attached to a high voltage plug he unhooked the coil fed some of it out and then tossed the rest down to the deck doctor the man walked the other end over to an electric attachment Port beneath the gunnel and
Plugged it in Bosch assumed it would recharge the boat’s batteries and other electric devices so Bosch said how long has Henry been gone almost a year I guess the deck doctor said he supposedly took Burn’s money and said see you he and the wife took off on a trip around the world and
Left Davey to run the boat live on the floater everything a sweet deal you ask me but that’s none of my business what’s a floater house pooke on the other side of the causeway there’s the Marine on Garrison bite that’s where all the floaters are including Henry’s a lot of
The guys with boats here live over there get to walk to work Bosch nodded sweet he said you don’t know which one is Henry’s floater do you you mean the address no the deck doctor said but his is the one with a smiley face pirate on the roof Bosch wasn’t sure what that
Meant but didn’t ask for clarification you’ll know it when you see it the deck doctor said you some kind of cop or something or something Bosch said how long have you been doing this working on the boats the quick answer is all my life but if you mean
Here on the charters I’ve had my cleaning business about 8 years how long has Davey burn been around here he definitely showed up after Me Maybe six years ago I remember because Old Henry was looking for a partner and I was trying to scrape the cash together but
Then Davey burn came along and beat me to it to this day I don’t know how he supposedly lost his ass on that pubby ran before he showed up here I heard about that yeah he couldn’t run a bar right then he shows up here and thinks
He knows all about Charters and catching fish Bosch nodded he now had a solid grasp on the deck doctor’s sour grapes so you said Henry’s been gone almost a year Bosch asked I don’t know at least eight or nine months the deck doctor said supposedly they’re hitting all
Seven continents but that’s according to Davey burn listen thanks for your help can you do me me a favor if you see Davey don’t mention me don’t worry I don’t talk to that guy Bosch walked back down the road to his car he saw that the
Sun was riding low in the sky it would be sunset soon he had planned to be at the mallerie Docks Key West Sunset mecca for the island signature moment but he was Juiced by the idea that he might know where Finn bar McShan was there would be another sunset tomorrow if he
Was still here to see it the parking Lane was one way it took him on a swing under the causeway and then out at the entrance to another Marina he saw boat ramps and Beyond them the houseboats grouped together on the water like a floating village most of them had
Smaller runabouts with Outboards attached to backdoor docks and decks the house boats were painted in pastels two-story structures sitting on barges and lashed together to create a community from Bosch’s angle of view he counted Eight houses extending out into Garrison bik F the second the last house
Had a sloping gray roof with a large yellow smiley face painted on it it had a black eye patch in a red bandana with a skull and crossbones pattern the siding of the house was a matching yellow and a small outboard boat was tied up to its back
Porch the parking lot in front of the floaters was crowded Bosch had to park in the next lot down and walked back his knee was beginning to hurt again but he had left the bottle of Advil in the hotel hotel room by the time he got to
The ramp down to the floaters he was limping there was no security gate on the gangway leading down to the floaters Bosch held the railing and carefully stepped down the Steep ramp until he was on the wide and level concrete pier that connected all of the houseboats he casually walked down the
Pier like a tourist marveling at this floating neighborhood he spent equal time checking out each residence on either side of the pier as he moved when he came to the yellow house that was second from the end he saw that the sliding door on the second floor balcony
Was open with a screen pulled closed across it he could hear music coming from inside a reggae beat but it wasn’t a song he could identify BOS used his injury to his Advantage here he stopped and leaned against a light pole at the end of the
Pier he raised his left leg bringing his foot up and down as if working out a stiff joint and he studied the yellow floater he saw that the decking extended down the right side of the house offering a narrow access to the back deck and the skiff tied up to it he also
Noted the double locks on the front door satisfied with the Intel he had gathered Bosch headed back to the gang way he had seen enough he believed that the man he had been chasing for many years was inside the yellow house he needed to go back to his hotel room he
Needed to take more Advil and work out the plan for when he would come back under the cover of night chapter 51 Ballard had been 10 minutes late to her 4:00 appointment with Vicky blodget the prosecutor assigned to handle cases from the unit Ballard had always had an
Easy and open relationship with blet but she was off her game and giving the case overview leaving out details and delivering them out of order she had been in a fog since leaving the lab the Olga rea’s case had been pushed out of her brain by Ballard’s need to find Harry
Bosch let me make sure I understand the chain on this blet said Bosch saw RS put the box in the dumpster but then you waited 3 days to go retrieve it why no no that’s not what I meant and I’m sorry if I’m confusing you Ballard said Bosch
Did not see him dump the box it just came to him later that RS might have have been in the process of dumping evidence when he saw Bosch and decided to make a run for it so in other words he dumped the Box saw Bosch then ran
Back to his car and took off but why did you wait 3 days to go back see that’s a problem if you didn’t see RS dump the Box we’re going to have a difficult time linking it well who else could it be the dumpster is literally 60 ft from the
Back door of a serial Killer’s business BOS got banged up pretty good in what happened Sunday he up his knee and ribs in the crash not to mention a bullet whizzing by his head and clipping his ear it took him a couple days to put two and two together and then we went
Dumpster diving blet nodded as she wrote a short note on a legal pad well that’s the thing she said those three days it could have been anybody who dumped the box as you know the shootout with RWS hit the media in a very big way somebody
Could have seen the story and then gone down there to dump the Box hoping it would be found and linked to RS the fog was burning away Ballard stared at blet incredulously you’ve got to be kidding me she said what is going on here this
Kid’s been in prison for 13 years I mean he’s not even a kid anymore he shouldn’t be there are you 100% sure about that blet asked yes I am Jorge Ooa is innocent it was a DNA match yeah and she was his girlfriend that was his defense
They had sex that night he went home and the killer came next and now we know that’s what happened it was RS not AOA the murder weapon was in the Box you have the autopsy report right there in front of you blunt force trauma circular impacts to the skull 1 in in diameter
Those were Hammer blows Vicki it’s obvious I know all of that Renee that’s not the point we need linkage to RWS were there any prints on the box anything that directly ties it or its contents to him no I had it processed no prints no fibers no DNA from rolls but
Remember he was getting rid of the box he would have made sure it was clean and not traceable to him the only flaw in the plan was that we were on to him and Bosch was watching he didn’t count on that until he saw Bosch and tried to
Flee there are just too many holes in it I can’t take it across the street not yet I need you to get more evidence bit’s office was in the Hall of Justice which was directly across Temple Street from the downtown criminal Courthouse where the elected DA’s office was located on the 16th
Floor you said Bosch got into an argument with a resident there blet said did you talk to this man did he see R dump the box I doubt he had an ankle on it Ballard said but no we haven’t talked to him I didn’t think it was necessary
When the rest is so obvious and nothing in property or evidence storage from the case no after Ooa lost his last appeal there was an Evidence disposal order from the court there is nothing but what you have right there no crime scene to go back to no witnesses to show photos
Of RS 2 just the Box blet nodded and wrote something down then there’s nothing I can do at the moment she said I’m sorry Renee this is because of the recall isn’t it Ballard said the district attorney was facing a recall election because his liberal policies of making it more
Difficult to send offenders to prison had resulted in a surge in crime stats across Los Angeles County new directives from the 16th floor which did not require bail for most crimes prevented prosecutors from adding penalty enhancements for use of guns in the commission of crimes and deferred prosecution for misdemeanors and even
Some violent felonies had created a revolving door justice system the media routine reported on suspects freshly released from jail without bail or without being charged and then committing exactly the same types of crimes sometimes within hours though the da attempted to blame this on the covid pandemic and the need
To lessen crowding in jails during the crisis he had lost the support of the law enforcement agencies in the county as well as a significant percentage of the populace a well-funded recall campaign was underway a story about the DA’s office putting an innocent man in prison even though it was long before the
Current da was elected was not going to help him keep his job look I’m not going to deny the reality of what is happening across the street blet said but I know how this will go I go over there with this case as it is and they’ll kill it and Ooa
Never gets free so you’re telling me to wait until after the recall Ballard said make Jorge Ooa wait up there in Corin for another 6 months for something he didn’t do never mind all the years he’s already spent there what I’m telling you is that if I take it across the street
Right now and it gets rejected then good luck taking it a second time no matter who was in the corner office on 16 Ballard nodded and held her tongue she knew blet was not her enemy the situation was what it was and she needed to keep blet on her side because there
Would be future cases with issues that would come in wobbling she would need bludget then Ballard also knew this was not the only place she could take the case there was an alternate way to free Jor Ooa if she wanted to risk it okay she said thanks for hearing me
Out but I’ll be back with this one when the time and evidence is right I hope you do bring it to me Renee blet said Ballard got up to leave as she left the major crimes unit her cheeks grew hot with humiliation as she thought about the meeting earlier
That day at the house where Jorge Ooa grew up the distrust that Jorge’s brother had voiced about the police and the justice system had just been validated Ballard had promised to stay in touch with Jorge’s mother and brother but now she had no idea how she would
Ever be able to face them again waiting for the elevator Ballard checked her phone and saw she had no signal this was not surprising the major crimes unit was located in the former Jail at the top of the Hall of Justice though renovated into offices years earlier the floors
And walls were still concrete and reinforced with steel to prevent escape the structure was Notorious for knocking out cell service it wasn’t until Ballard stepped out of the elevator on the ground floor that her texts and voicemail messages came through there were several from Maddie Bosch call me
Need to talk ASAP where are you there were also two voicemails but Ballard didn’t bother to listen to them deciding to quickly call back instead as she headed down Spring Street to the PAB Maddie picked up the call right away and spoke as if they were already in midcon
Conversation this is weird after I went back into to the house to write my dad a note I found this envelope in a drawer with my name on it so I opened it and it was this long letter to me about how good a person I am and how I’m strong
And what a good cop I’ll be like stuff he wanted me to know after he’s gone you know Ballard knew exactly what the note was meant for but didn’t want to make Maddie any more upset than she was well Maddie she said maybe it was just something he and then I missed a
Call from him Maddie interjected I was so stressed about this note I found and I couldn’t get you so I went and worked out at the station and he called while I was in the shower afterward did he leave a message yes he said he was in Key West
And he was fine but it was kind of weird what do you mean how is it weird well not like him he was saying he was fine and he was was working a case and that he loved me very much he just didn’t sound right he said I was the
Best thing that ever happened in his life and then with the note I found I don’t know I’m really worried do you have the number he called from on your phone yes I called it back as soon as I heard the message it’s a hotel in Key
West and I asked for Harry Bosch’s room and they put me through but he didn’t answer I’ve called three times and he doesn’t answer what’s the hotel it’s called the peer house okay I’m on it MD I’ll call you back as soon as I know something and listen there’s one more
Thing that adds to the weirdness of what’s going on with him what I was looking for paper to write a note on and I opened a drawer in his workt that’s where I found the note to me but there were also some loose pills in there and
The the unit I’m on now we’ve backed up enough Narco operations for me to know counterfeit fentanyl when I see it I don’t know where he got it or why but he has fentol in that drawer it was a confirmation of the information Ballard had gotten earlier
At the lab okay Maddie try to stay calm Ballard said there’s got to be an explanation for that and he’ll tell us once we find him so let’s just calm down until we get to that point okay I’ll try Maddie said but please find him and let
Me know what I can do to help I mean it I understand and I will Ballard disconnected then immediately did an internet search on her phone for the Key West Police Department she called the main number identified herself and asked for the commanding officer on duty she
Told a lieutenant named Burke that she needed an emergency welfare check on a guest at the peer house she gave him Bosch’s details and asked for a call back as soon as he was checked on not knowing how long it would take the kwpd to react Ballard next called the peer
House and talked to the man in charge of the hotel security she explained the situation and asked him to go to Bosch’s room for a welfare check he in turn explained that their policy did not allow them to force entry into a possibly occupied guest room without the
Police being present well they’re on their way Ballard said she disconnected and felt useless waiting on word from people 3,000 miles away she opened a search window on her phone and tried to figure out how fast she could get to Key West 15 minutes later she had just
Reserved a rental car to go with the Redeye flight to Miami that she had booked When A call came in with the 786 area code it’s Bob Burke k WPD did you check his room we did but it was empty Bosch is not there and there’s no indication of anything a miss two
Shirts on hangers in the closet a toothbrush a duffel bag his wallet is in a drawer next to the bed one of my guys asked around and the bartender in the chart room said Bosch was in there earlier and had an expensive shot of bourbon I don’t know if it helps but the
Bartender said he was asking about an Irish guy named Davey burn that ring any bills Ballard hesitated it sounded like Bosch might have located Finbar McShan or at least the Alias he was using uh the name isn’t right she said but he was tracking a suspect in a cold
Case we’re working out here the suspect’s Irish well maybe he found him Burke said but there’s no sign of Foul Play in his room room I’ll do some digging around here check with our day side people to see if they know anything about this please do and call me as soon
As you know something I’m flying out tonight and we’ll be on the ground in Miami at dawn you got it and oh I nearly forgot this there was one other thing with the room there was an envelope on the desk it was sealed and address to someone named Renee does that mean yes
That’s me why would he have a note there for me I’m in La that I don’t know maybe he knew you’d be flying out that suggestion gave Ballard pause was Bosch manipulating her from 3,000 mil away none of this is adding up she said another thing is why would he go out
Without his wallet it doesn’t make sense it was in a drawer maybe he forgot it may maybe he didn’t want to risk losing it neither possibility seemed plausible to Ballard her anxiety about Bosch was growing could you go back in and open the envelope addressed to me she asked
Uh no we’re not going to do that without being able to show cause Burke said right now we have no crime and no evidence of a crime we can’t go beyond the welfare check we already conducted I’m sure I don’t need to scool you on the fourth amendment and unlawful search
And seizure you don’t Lieutenant it’s just that I’ll get back to you if I learn anything from our day side team okay detective okay thank you Bard disconnected and checked the time her red eye was scheduled to take off in 4 hours that left enough time for her to
Track down Sheila Walsh and find out what had sent Bosch to Key West chapter 52 Bosch sat in the parking lot at Garrison bite and watched the floating houses in darkness the full moon above cast a line of undulating yellow reflection on the water like a pathway
To the house with a smiley faed pirate on the roof he watched the lights inside the houses go out one by one the house where Davey burn lived was the last to go dark Bosch watched and waited for another hour the bourbon from hours early ier still backing up like fire in
His throat he contemplated his plan and the risks involved knowing that one way or another there would be Justice Before Dawn for Steven Gallagher his wife and his young son and daughter finally at 3: a.m. he got out of his car and walked toward the gangway leading down to the floating homes he
Was wearing clothes as dark as the sky his hands were gloved and he carried a screwdriver he had bought at the CVS across Front Street from from the Pier House the gang way was slick with moisture caused by the night’s dropping temperature he gripped the handrail and moved down it slowly and carefully
Mindful that any misstep would set off a flare of pain in its knee he was managing it at the moment with a fresh dose of painkillers once he was on the concrete pier he expected to be exposed by motion sensitive lights on the houses but no light flashed on he suspected that the
Gentle movement of the floating homes would be a constant trigger and that had led to the banishment of such basic security measures when he got to the second house from the end he crossed the gang way onto the for deck without hesitation he stopped there and waited and listened
Attempting to determine if his arrival had been noticed nothing happened and he moved to the side deck that led to the rear of the house he had brought the screwdriver so he could pop the sliding door on the rear deck and gain entrance but when he
Got to the back back he saw that the slider had been left open a foot and that a screen door was the only thing between him and entrance to the house the screen door was locked but he used a screwdriver to easily poke a hole through the screening then his fingers
Tore it wide enough to fit his hand through he reached in unlocked the door and then carefully and quietly slid it open he slipped into the home stepping out of Moonlight he found complete darkness inside he waited a few moments for his eyes to adjust he saw a large
Flat screen TV attached to a wall and a couch set against the wall opposite a low table in front of it beyond the room where he stood was a dining room and a pass through window to a kitchen the glow from a digital clock on a microwave told him it was now
310 on the right he saw the form of a set of stairs leading to the second level he took a step toward the stairs but stopped when he heard a voice from behind don’t move Bosch froze a light came on behind him he raised his hands to shoulder height
And slowly turned he dropped the screwdriver down his sleeve as he did so a man sat on a stuffed chair in the corner next to the sliding door BOS had entered and walked right by him in the dark the man was holding a gun pointed at Bosch’s chest it was finnbar mcshain
Bosch easily recognized him from the photos on the bolo sheet in his back pocket he had a full beard now that had gone to Gray and shaved scalp that was Darkly tanned from days on the open water on the Calamity Jane he had obviously been waiting in the dark for
Bosch who are you he asked doesn’t matter who I am Bosch said who told you I was coming Bosch hoped it hadn’t been Tommy the bartender at the chart room nobody had to tell me McShan said I saw you out there today trying to look like
A tourist in your cop clothes I know tourist and I know cop cops I’m not a cop not anymore what the does that mean it means this is over there are others and they know I’m here they’ll follow you’re done McShan the use of his real name put a
Momentary alarm in his eyes but then it was quickly gone replaced by the confidence of knowing he had the gun and the upper hand turn around all the way around Bosch was wearing black jeans in a maroon dress shirt he hadn’t planned on working on under cover of night when
He had packed for the trip he turned keeping his hands up showing he had no weapon he came all the way around and they were looking at each other again letun see your ankles McShan said Bosch nodded McShan was playing it smart not coming close to Bosch in case he was
Hiding a weapon Bosch reached down and pulled the legs of his pants up careful to keep the screwdriver from falling out of his sleeve he showed that he wore no ankle holster no weapon McShan said you came to kill me and you didn’t bring a weapon I didn’t come to kill you bot
Said then what why are you here I want to hear you say it say what stop talking in riddles that you killed the Gallagher family Jesus Christ you’re from LA but you came a long way for nothing old man to end up at the end of
An anchor chain and 40 ft of water is that what happened to Henry Jordan and his wife he wrapped them in Chains put them in the water how about Dan Cassidy is he down there too now BOS saw a momentary look of surprise on mcshan’s face like I said
There are people who know all about you Bosch said and they’re coming right behind me this time you don’t get away really you think I know so you have a choice tell me about the Gallaghers and we go back to LA or you make your move
Here and try to run McShan laughed boy I guess that’s what you call a no brainer he said I doubt you’ll get much further than Marathon Bosch said yeah well you got some balls old man I’ll give you that but I also got news for you I’m not
Going back and what makes you think I’d even try to drive out of here because before I came here I visited your boat Calamity Jane it’s not going anywhere with water in his fuel tanks you’d better be bluffing you I guess he could take a plane but that’s so easily
Tracked the Overseas Highway is your only real CH and that’s a long drive they’ll pick you up before you get to the mainland you got it all figured out don’t you Bosch didn’t answer he just stared at the gun ready for it ready for the end McShan stood up keeping it aimed
At his heart so you’re wearing a wire then sent in here to get me to confess open your shirt Bosch lowered his right hand and started unbuttoning his shirt no no wire he said opening his shirt just you and me I want to hear you say it then do
What you have to do McShan took a step closer I’ll give you what you want old man I’ll tell you but they will be the last words you ever hear were they asleep what Emma and Steven Junior the kids were they asleep when you killed them or did they know it was coming
Would that make it better for you if they were asleep if they didn’t know were they no they were on their knees and they knew what was coming just like their parents what do you think of that mcshan’s eyes were bright with the memory and in his dark pupils Bosch saw
An emptiness that was void of all Humanity a deep rage welled up in him as he flashed on photos he had once carried of Emma and Steven Jr a primal scream for justice came from the darkest folds of his heart McShan seemed to sense what was coming and lurched toward Bosch
Raising the barrel of the gun toward his face turn around get up against the wall Bosch was ready for it he dropped his hands and dipped his shoulders to the right as if about to turn as instructed but then he took a half step back to his left dropping the
Screwdriver out of his sleeve and into his hand as McShan came in close BOS shot his right hand out to grab the gun and deflect its aim Upward at the same moment he brought his left arm up and drove the screwdriver into mcshan’s ribs mcshan’s body tensed with the impact and
He groaned still holding him close Bosch pulled the screwdriver back and then savagely drove it in a second time this thrust delivered at a new and upward angle he threw his full weight into McShan and rode him 4 feet back and crashing into the wall he pinned him
There holding the hand with the gun up and keeping pressure on the screwdriver he felt mcshan’s sticky and warm Blood on the hand that gripped the tool leaning into mcshain Bosch was close enough now to feel his last desperate breaths on his face he had not killed a
Man so close since the tunnels of 50 years before he held mcshan’s eyes as he felt the tension and strength in his body weaken and start to EB away with his life mcshan’s grip on the gun weakened and finally released the weapon bounced off Bosch’s shoulder and clattered to the floor then McShan
Started to slide down the wall his eyes holding a surprised look in them Bosch let him go and he dropped into a sitting position propped against the wall still pierced by the screwdriver his blood soon flowed down his body and to the floor Bosch kicked the gun across the
Floor stepped back and watched mcshain bleed out his eyes losing their focus and finally staring blankly at nothing at all chapter 53 the redey landed at Miami International at 6: a.m. and Ballard was on the road to Key West within an hour a large coffee in the cup holder of her
Rental car her biggest concern at the moment was staying alert during the 4-Hour drive and keeping the rental between the lines on the Overseas Highway the plane from La had been full and she had booked one of the last seats she’d been assigned a middle seat in
Economy and ended up bookended by two men who had no trouble falling asleep and snoring for the whole flight she in turn didn’t sleep a wink instead she thought about Harry BOS and what he might be doing so far from home halfway down the archipelago to her
Destination she moved out of range from the Miami radio stations and ended up listening to a Florida Keys weather station which repeated the same news every 15 minutes an unusual preh hurricane season storm had formed off the coast of Africa and was heading toward the Caribbean the anchor at the
Weather station in Marathon said they were watching the this development closely she was less than 10 miles from Key West and about to call the kwpd when her phone buzzed it was a call from La where it was not yet 8: a.m. she took the call this is Renee balard Mick
Holler you left me a message last night yes I did sounds like you’re driving can you talk I can talk I’m a detective with the LAPD I’ve worked with Harry B a brother from another mother I know who you are Ballard is this about Harry is
He all right she didn’t want to get into the possibility that Bosch was not all right it’s about a case I think you should take on a little unusual to get a referral from the police but go ahead talk to me let me start by saying this
Is a non-referral referral you can’t say I tipped you to the case I understand I need to hear you say say it it’s a non-referral referral if I move forward with whatever it is you’re about to tell me your involvement ends with this call and I will not reveal it to anyone good
Good then talk to me I have to get ready for court olgo Reyes LAPD case number 09- 0418 you should write it down she was murdered in 2009 her boyfriend Jorge AOA was wrongfully accused and convicted of murder a habus case you know how hard a habus case is but you’ve gotten innocent
Men out Harry told me yeah once in a blue moon this is a blue moon then AOA is innocent and the LAPD and the DA’s office know it they’re sitting on it because of the recall election there was silence on the other end are you still there I’m here go on I
Run the open UNS unit you heard about the Ted RS case of course I also heard it was Harry who was on one side of that gunfight I’ve left him five messages this week but he hasn’t called me back he probably didn’t get them his phone is still in evidence anyway AOA was
Convicted of killing his girlfriend it was a slam dunk DNA case only he didn’t kill her R did so the shorthand is you found evidence linking RS to Olga r and the da sitting on it you’re good good and pissed off this guy Jorge is where now
Corrin okay what do I subpoena who do I subpoena you subpoena me and all evidence related to the Olga Rees case I gave you the number we found items missing from the Rees crime scene in a dumpster behind rs’s business office he had just dumped it when he saw that
Harry was watching him the rest you know from the the news holler made a slight whistling sound then spoke what’s the evidence her night gown and a bracelet Jorge gave her I went to see his mother and she confirmed the bracelet that’s how I get into this I go see the mother
Sign her up and take it from there nobody will ever know the tip came from you I appreciate that also we have the murder weapon a hammer RS kept it all you can match the hammer to the autopsy report you’re putting this on a silver platter for me you got the mother’s name
And address handy as soon as I’m off the road I’ll send them to you okay then I think I’m good to go thank you for doing this a pleasure detective Ballard you’ll be hearing from me and if I get this into court and put you on the stand you
May regret this phone call I’m not worried about that if you treat me as a hostile witness it will be good cover but you’ll also be calling Harry Bosch he worked this with me I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it after disconnecting Ballard called the
Kwpd to arrange for an officer to meet her at the peer house so she could have the door to Bosch’s room opened by security she wanted to read the note he had sealed and addressed to her she believed it would give her insight into where Bosch was and what he was up to
When she got to the Pier House 15 minutes later there was already a kwpd car in the parking lot Ballard parked next to it and entered the lobby and found two uniformed officers waiting for her with the Resort’s head of security she showed her badge and credentials and
The resort Security man Munos said he had a key card to Bosch’s room ready to go they all walked out a rear door of the lobby and onto a pathway through a maze of lush tropical trees and plants around a pool and toward a building containing four floors of
Rooms they squeezed into a small elevator because the security man said it was closer than the stairs to room 202 at the door of the room the security man knocked and leaned his head toward the door jam to listen Resort security he called out Mr Bosch Security he waited a few seconds and
Then knocked again he pulled a key card from his pocket to unlock the door security he said we are opening the door chapter 54 botch was so deeply asleep that the first knock on the door barely penetrated his dream about the tunnels he was moving endlessly through a dark
And tight space with no beginning and no end on the Second Knock he opened his eyes he was on a bed in a strange room it was dark the curtains drawn save for the light from the bathroom he heard the click from the room’s door he sat up
Don’t shoot he called out don’t shoot they opened the door came in and walked down the entrance hallway and into the room he saw it was Ballard along with a man in a suit and two uniformed officers Harry are you all right Renee what are you you
Came she didn’t answer him she turned to the men behind her and held her hands up in a back gesture he’s fine false alarm everything’s okay you can all are you sure ma’am the suit said he looks confused you woke me up Bosch said yeah I’m confused he checked his hands and
Clothes for blood but all were clean he had fallen asleep in his clothes his hair was still slightly damp from the shower after the long night’s cleanup the older of the two officers pushed past Ballard and entered the bedroom he turned on the lamp on on the
Bedside table and looked at Bosch who was now sitting on the side of the bed Bosch’s feet were bare and he was wearing a clean long sleeve shirt and pants he had not packed anything to sleep in sir are you all right the officer asked I’m fine BOS said I’m just
Not used to people coming into my room in the middle of the night sir it’s almost noon have you ingested any drugs or alcohol no nothing I’m fine I’m just tired I stayed up too late would you like medical attention no I don’t want medical attention are you planning to
Harm yourself or others BOS forced to laugh and shook his head are you kidding no I have no plans to harm anyone including myself okay sir we’re going to leave you with your colleague is that okay that’s okay that would make me happy okay sir you have a good day thank
You sorry for the call out I’m just a deep sleeper I guess the officer turned and headed to the door followed by his partner he had a radio mic on his shoulder he turned his mouth toward it and reported to dispatch that they were clearing the scene without incident the
Man in the suit followed the officers out thanks guys Ballard called after them sorry for the false alarm Bosch heard the door shut he waited for Ballard to speak first Harry what the what what are you doing here like them making sure you’re okay you flew
Across the country to make sure I was okay I think you wanted me to the Sheila Walsh interview the call to Maddie you were leaving breadcrumbs if you say so I do Bosch stood up and looked around for his socks and shoes they were on the
Floor by a chair in the corner he walked over sat down and started putting them on you found McShan didn’t you Bosch didn’t answer he concentrated on the task of tying his shoelaces he then stood up and pulled the curtain open he squinted at the harsh sunlight reflecting like cut diamonds off the
Water and into his eyes where’s the note you left me Bosch looked back at her she was still standing by the door from the entry hall like she didn’t want to come all the way into his room what note this wasn’t the first wellness check on you
Harry they came in last night you were gone but your wallet was in the drawer and there was an envelope with my name on it on the desk breadcrumbs I don’t know what you’re talking about sure you do there’s no note Renee she was silent and Bosch knew that she had figured out
Everything then I guess that means you did find him what happened Bosch looked back out at the water let’s just say the case is closed and leave it at that Harry what did you do it’s closed that’s all you need to know sometimes sometimes what sometimes you
Do the wrong thing for the right reason and this was that time and this was that case oh Harry BOS read her disappointment and anguish all in the way she said his name he still couldn’t turn to face her would it help you to know I had no choice no
Not really whatever happened how ever it happened you put it in play Bosch nodded he knew that was true can we just talk about something else like what like about your little blue pills what are you talking about the knockoff fent andol I found in the drawer at your
House that your daughter also found Bosch turned away from The View and looked at her you were in my house you were missing an action I was worried so was Maddie she found the pill and the note you left for her that’s been in there for a long time months well she
Read it and is understandably upset add in the pills and it’s a goodbye note what’s going on with you Harry I’ll talk to Maddie she wasn’t supposed to find that note for at least a few months what does that mean Bosch moved over and sat
Down on the end of the bed your empath Colleen she was right what are you talking about about the dark Aura she thought at first was coming from me tell me what that means I told you about that case I had where I found the missing cesium yes yeah well it’s come back
Around the pills they were giving me only delayed things it’s in the marrow now there was a long pause before Ballard reacted I’m sorry Harry are they still treating you I’ve had some radiation yeah what is the prognosis how long before I haven’t asked because
I don’t want to know I keep those pills in the drawer for when it’s time for the end to watch Harry you can’t do that Maddie doesn’t know any of this no and I didn’t want her to Bosch looked up and over his shoulder at
Her okay but you need to tell her in fact we need to call her right now to tell her I found you and you’re okay we can call her but she doesn’t need to know about this other stuff she’s starting her life she shouldn’t have to worry about
Me this really sucks it is what it is I take those pills out of the drawer every morning then I put them back at the end of the day when it’s the right time I won’t you can’t do that Harry if I don’t it’s going to get messy
I don’t want that I want Maddie to have the house and a life without any ghosts but that’s exactly what you’ll be leaving her a ghost I really don’t want to talk about this anymore Renee I’ll talk to Maddie when I get back to LA
Right now I need to make a call a call to who Steven Gallagher’s sister in Ireland what will you tell her not much just that Justice is done and I’ll leave it at that I think they’re 5 hours ahead of us over there I don’t want to wait
Too long should be daylight for her when I call then what then I’m going to drive back to Miami and try to catch a plane home will you at least text your daughter and tell her you’re okay I don’t have a phone why don’t you text
Her and say I’ll talk to her tomorrow I have to think of what to say all right Harry I’ll do that thank you what about you you just got here you want to go back with me Ballard looked past him and out at the water I was thinking of sticking around
For Sunset there’s supposed to be awesome here BOS nodded that’s what I hear tell me one thing off the Record or whatever way you want to I’ll try did you come here to kill him botch was silent for a long time before he answered no he finally said that wasn’t the plan at
All epilogue by prior agreement ballor drove because Bosch didn’t want to put the miles on his rental she picked him up at 6 and they were at the spot off the old Spanish Trail before 8 thanks to her use of the car’s code 3 lights in a steady 90 mph
Pace Bosch got out with the wooden box that carried the ashes of the Gallagher family years before Siobhan Gallagher had asked BOS to scatter the ashes of her brother and his family because it didn’t seem right to send them back to her in Ireland the place Steven had left
So long ago BOS said he would do it but he had waited deciding not to carry out the final task until he had closed the case and brought Justice for the family now was the time they walked through the brush to the place where the four Rock sculpture
Stood near the mosqu tree none of the towers had crumbled since Bosch’s last visit they stood solidly balanced at four different heights father mother son and daughter Ballard and Bosch had not spoken much during the drive it had been that way since Key West but when he had
Told her of his plan to go to the desert to scatter the ashes she had immediately asked asked if she could join him and now they were there at the Hallowed Ground where she knew Bosch had drawn the fire and the drive to take the case
To its end to a place where he had done the wrong thing for the right reason they stood in front of the Rocks BOS holding the box with two hands a dry wind was coming down out of the North gently moving the Petals on the flowers at their feet Ballard started with an
Easy question how’d things go with Maddie BOS seemed to consider an answer for a while before speaking we talked and she now knows what’s going on with me she’s not happy that I kept it from her but I think she understands why I did she said she
Wanted to move back home to take care of me but I said no she’s got her own life to live I just hope I don’t become a distraction that makes her lose focus on the job Ballard nodded she’s a good cop I think she’ll be fine Bosch offered
Nothing else Ballard squatted and picked one of the small white flowers holding the stem between her thumb and forefinger she spun it like a pin wheel why did McShan pick this spot was it random probably but we’ll never know one of the known unknowns I guess I thought
Maybe he would have told you Bosch turned his eyes from the rocks to look down at her no he didn’t that’s too bad did he own up to any of it she stood up next to him and he nodded yeah all of it he told me he did it under
Duress Bosch scoffed he had the gun not me Ballard understood now how it had gone down you know what I think I think you went there to trade yourself for that confession you left your breadcrumbs and were willing to sacrifice yourself if it meant someone would be able to follow
And take him to the ground that we’d get him for you if not for everything before but then something happened and you changed your mind Bosch maintained a silent vigil for almost a minute then he nodded toward the two shortest towers of rock they were awake and aware when he killed them
Those two kids it was the question I always carried and that haunted me more than him getting away with it he stopped there but Ballard said nothing it’s an Angry World people do things you’d never expect expect that they’d never expect themselves Ballard nodded I get it no I
Hope you never get it silence followed Ballard looked around checking the distant ridg line and the salt flats and then bringing her eyes back to the flowers at her feet it’s so easy to forget that there’s great Beauty in the desert Bosch nodded and these flowers
They’re amazing Desert Star I know a guy says there a sign of God in this up world that they’re Relentless and resilient against the Heat and the cold against everything that wants to stopped them Ballard nodded like you Bosch added Ballard looked at him he said nothing
Else it took her a moment to find her voice thank you Harry for telling me the truth they stood silently for a long moment before he spoke again you know I’m not coming back to the unit right yes I know he opened the top of the wooden box
And stepped closer to the Rock sculptures he reached in and took a handful of the gray dust he held his hand out and let it fall through his fingers he did it three more times and then he turned the box over and let the rest pour out a gust of wind taking much
Of it away and across the land hashes to hashes he said isn’t that what they say he then closed the Box turned and started walking back to the car I’m ready he said Ballard followed they got in the car and drove off back to the City This has been a hashed audio production of Desert Star written by Michael Connelly read by Christine Laken Peter Giles and Titus Welliver executive producer Michelle mcle produced and directed by Dennis Koo sound editing by Shawn Bolter mixing by John kavar mastering by Jeremy Wesley recorded at Literati audio
Studios Desert Star is also available in print and digital formats from Little Browning Company a division of haset book group for more haset audio Productions visit us at haset audio.com thank you for listening text copyright 2022 by herous Inc audio production copyright 2022 haset audio All Rights Reserved haset book group supports the
Right to free expression and the value of copyright the purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce the creative works that enrich our culture the duplicating uploading and distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author’s intellectual property if you would like
Permission to use material from the book other than for review purposes please contact permissions at hbg usa.com thank you for your support of the author’s rights this audiobook is a work of fiction names characters places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously in
Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead events or locals is entirely coincidental
18 Comments
Thank you for the upload 🙂
Thankyou ❤
Thanks 😊
😮❤thanks
This is the best narrator for the part of Bosh
Loved it always enjoy. stories about Harry Bosh 👍👍👍👍looking forward to more
I've read the books, so now i listen to them when i go to bed. His voice is just right to go to sleep to. I wake up when it's over. Lee Child's Reacher books are good for this too, though not the computerized read books.
❤❤❤
Excellent. Thank you
Absolutely excellent!
I personally will deeply miss Bosch, but am looking forward to hearing Hallar free Horhay
Great story and thank you for a great naration.
Great book, very well narrated. Just a bit too much drama concerning the wellness of Bosch drawing the book out.
Oh Harry😢Don't leave us
There are not enough great guys like you left in the world.
Is this it? Is detective Bosch leaving us?
Excellent in every way. Thanks for the upload.
Absolutely excellent in every way.
Loved this book. Thank you.