The Overlook

Serial 9: The Greater Good?

Skip to next paragraph Paolo Ventura

Chapter 1: The Crime Scene Chapter 2: No Mushroom for the Feds Chapter 3: ‘Where's My Husband?' Chapter 4: A Threatening Message Chapter 5: A Lesson in Cesium Chapter 6: Bosch Smells a Liar Chapter 7: The Madonna Connection Chapter 8: Out of His Element

Bosch can't figure out why Stanley Kent was murdered, since he did what he was told and couldn't identify his killer, who was wearing a ski mask. While examining the evidence from the Kent house, Bosch discovers that some of it was turned over to Agent Walling by forensics, which infuriates him.

Bosch and Ferras stepped out the front door of the Mark Twain Hotel and surveyed the morning. The light was just beginning to enter the sky. The marine layer was coming in gray and thick and was deepening the shadows in the streets. It made L.A. look like a city of ghosts, and that was fine with Bosch. It approximated his outlook.

"You think he'll stay put?" Ferras asked.

Bosch shrugged.

"He's got no place else to go," he said.

They had just checked their witness into the hotel under the alias Charles Dickens. Jesse Mitford had turned into a valuable asset. He was Bosch's ace in the hole. Though he had not been able to provide a description of the man who shot Stanley Kent and took the cesium, Mitford had been able to give the investigators a clear understanding of what had happened at the Mulholland overlook. He would also be useful if the investigation ever led to an arrest and trial. His story could be used as the narrative of the crime. A prosecutor could use him to connect the dots for the jury, and that made him valuable, whether or not he could ID the shooter.

After Bosch consulted with Lieutenant Gandle, it was decided that they shouldn't lose track of the young drifter. Gandle approved a hotel voucher that would keep Mitford in the Mark Twain for four days. By then things would be clearer in regard to which way the case was going to go.

Bosch and Ferras got into the Crown Victoria that Ferras had checked out of the car shed and headed down Wilcox to Sunset. Bosch was behind the wheel. At the light he got out his cellphone. He hadn't heard back from Walling, so he called the number her partner had given him. Jack Brenner answered right away, and Bosch proceeded cautiously.

"Just checking in," he said. "We still on for the meeting at 9?"

Bosch wanted to make sure he was still part of the investigation before updating Brenner on anything.

"Uh, yes . . . yes, we're still on for 9."

It didn't sound like a ringing endorsement.

"Where's the meeting?" Bosch asked. "At Tactical?"

He knew from working with Walling before that the Tactical offices were off campus in a secret location. He wanted to see if Brenner would slip.

"No, in the federal building downtown. Fourteenth floor. Just ask for the T.I.U. meeting. How helpful was the witness?"

Bosch decided to hold his cards close until he had a better idea of his standing.

"He saw the shooting from a distance. Then he saw the transfer. He said one man did it all, killed Stanley Kent and then moved the pig from the Porsche to the back of another vehicle. The other guy waited in another car and just watched."

"You get any plates from him?"

"No, no plates. Mrs. Kent's car was probably the one used to make the transfer. That way there would be no cesium trace in their own car."

"What about the suspect he did see?"

"Like I said, he couldn't ID him. He was still wearing a ski mask. Other than that, nada."

There was a pause before Brenner responded.

"Too bad," he said. "What did you do with him?"

"The kid? We just dropped him off."

"Where's he live?"

"Halifax, Canada."

"Bosch, you know what I mean."

Bosch noticed the change in tone. That and the use of his last name. He didn't think Brenner was casually asking about Jesse Mitford's exact location.

"He's got no local address," he replied. "He's a drifter. We just dropped him off at the Denny's on Sunset. That's where he wanted to go. We gave him a 20 to cover breakfast."

Bosch felt Ferras staring at him as he lied.

"Can you hold a second, Harry?" Brenner said. "I've got another call coming in here. It might be Washington."

Back to first names, Bosch noted.

"Sure, Jack, but I can just go."

"No, hold on."

Bosch heard the line go to music and he looked over at Ferras. His partner started to speak.

"Why'd you tell him we -"

Bosch held a finger to his lips, and Ferras stopped.

"Just hold it a second," Bosch said.

Half a minute went by while Bosch waited. A saxophone version of "What a Wonderful World" started to play on the phone. Bosch had always loved the line about its being a dark, sacred night.

The light finally changed, and Bosch turned onto Sunset. Then Brenner came back on the line.

"Harry? Sorry about that. That was Washington. As you can imagine, they're all over this thing."

Bosch decided to draw things out into the open.

"What's new on your end?"

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Previous chapters are online at www.nytimes.com/funnypages.