The Reversal

“Harry, not so loud and watch what you say,” I said. “My daughter’s on the other side of that wall. Now, please, go back to the story. What did Jessup do?”

Bosch hesitated. Maggie didn’t.

“He just sat there,” Maggie said. “For about a half hour. And he lit a candle.”

“A candle? In the car?”

“Yeah, on the dashboard.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“Who knows?”

Bosch couldn’t remain sitting. He jumped up from the couch and started pacing.

“And after a half hour he drove off and went home,” Maggie said. “That was it. We just came from Venice.”

Now I stood up and started to pace, but in a pattern clear of Bosch’s orbit.

“Okay, let’s think about this. Let’s think about what he was doing.”

“No shit, Sherlock,” Bosch said. “That’s the question.”

I nodded. I had that coming.

“Is there any reason to think that he knows or suspects he’s being followed?” I asked.

“No, no way,” Bosch said immediately.

“Wait a minute, not so fast on that,” Maggie said. “I’ve been thinking about it. There was a near-miss earlier in the night. You remember, Harry? On Breeze Avenue?”

Bosch nodded. Maggie explained it to me.

“They thought they lost him on a walk street in Venice. The lieutenant sent a guy in with a pizza box. Jessup came out from between two houses after taking a leak. It was a close call.”

I spread my hands.

“Well, maybe that was it. Maybe that planted suspicion and he decided to see if he was being followed. You show up outside the lead investigator’s house and it’s a good way to draw out the flies if you’ve got them on you.”

“You mean like a test?” Bosch asked.

“Exactly. Nobody approached him out there, right?”

“No, we left him alone,” Maggie said. “If he had gotten out of his car I think it would’ve been a different story.”

I nodded.

“Okay, so it was either a test or he’s got something planned. In that case, it would’ve been a reconnaissance mission. He wanted to see where you live.”

Bosch stopped and stared out the window. The sky was fully lit now.

“But one thing you have to keep in mind is that what he did was not illegal,” I said. “It’s a public street and the OR put no restrictions on travel within Los Angeles County. So no matter what he was up to, it’s a good thing you didn’t stop him and reveal yourself.”

Bosch stayed at the window, his back to us. I didn’t know what he was thinking.

“Harry,” I said. “I know your concerns and I agree with them. But we can’t let this be a distraction. The trial is coming up quick and we have work to do. If we convict this guy, he goes away forever and it won’t matter if he knows where you live.”

“So what do I do till then, sit on my front porch every night with a shotgun?”

“The SIS is on him twenty-four/seven, right?” Maggie said. “Do you trust them?”

Bosch didn’t answer for a long moment.

“They won’t lose him,” he finally said.

Maggie looked at me and I could see the concern in her eyes. Each of us had a daughter. It would be hard to put your trust in anybody else, even an elite surveillance squad. I thought for a moment about something I had been considering since the conversation began.

“What about you moving in here? With your daughter. She can use Hayley’s room because Hayley’s going back to her mother’s today. And you can use the office. It’s got a sleeper sofa that I’ve spent more than a few nights on. It’s actually comfortable.”

Bosch turned from the window and looked at me.

“What, stay here through the whole trial?”

“Why not? Our daughters will finally get a chance to meet when Hayley comes over.”

“It’s a good idea,” Maggie said.

I didn’t know if she was referring to the daughters meeting or the idea of Bosch and child staying with me.

“And look, I’m here every night,” I said. “If you have to go out with the SIS, I got you covered with your daughter, especially when Hayley’s here.”

Bosch thought about it for a few moments but then shook his head.

“I can’t do that,” he said.

“Why not?” I asked.

“Because it’s my house. My home. I’m not going to run from this guy. He’s going to run from me.”

“What about your daughter?” Maggie asked.

“I’ll take care of my daughter.”

“Harry, think about it,” she said. “Think about your daughter. You don’t want her in harm’s way.”

“Look, if Jessup has my address, then he probably has this address, too. Moving in here isn’t the answer. It’s just… just running from him. Maybe that’s his test-to see what I do. So I’m not doing anything. I’m not moving. I’ve got the SIS, and if he comes back and so much as crosses the curb out front, I’ll be waiting for him.”

“I don’t like this,” Maggie said.

I thought about what Bosch had said about Jessup having my address.

“Neither do I,” I said.

Twenty-four

Wednesday, March 31, 9:00 A.M.