“The wife and kids were up in Bakersfield,” Lindell said. “Apparently they’ve been up there a good long time.”

It was one more surprise about Sheehan. Bosch wondered why Sheehan hadn’t mentioned it when Bosch had asked about his family.

Irving remained silent and Lindell continued.

“I guess what I’m saying is that we can hold him and wait till tomorrow when we’ve got the ballistics report to clear him. Or we can hop on Harry’s wagon and kick him loose now. But we keep him overnight and the expectations out on the street will just rise that much further . . .”

“And if we release him without explanation we could touch off a riot,” Irving said.

Irving continued to stare at the window, brooding. This time Lindell waited.

“Kick him loose at six,” Irving finally said. “At the five o’clock briefing I will say he is being released pending further investigation. I can hear the howls already from Preston Tuggins and his people.”

“That’s not good enough, Chief,” Bosch said. “You have to say he’s clear. ‘Pending further investigation’? You might as well say we think he did it but we don’t have the evidence to charge him yet.”

Irving wheeled from the window and looked at Bosch. “Do not dare to tell me what is good enough, Detective. You do your job and I will do mine. Speaking of which, the briefing is in an hour. I want your two partners there for it. I am not going to stand up there with a bunch of white faces behind me and say we are letting a white cop go pending further investigation. I want your people there this time. And absolutely no excuse will be acceptable.”

“They’ll be there.”

“Good. Now let’s talk about what we will say to the media about the direction the investigation is heading in.”

The press conference was short. This time there was no sign of the chief of police. It was left to Irving to explain that the investigation was continuing and widening. He also said that the police officer who had been interviewed for several hours was being released. This brought an immediate chorus of shouted questions from the reporters. Irving raised his hands as if the action might in some way control the crowd. He was wrong.

“We are not going to turn this into a shouting match,” he barked. “I will take a handful of questions and that is it. We have an investigation to get back to. We — ”

“What do you mean by released, Chief?” Harvey Button called out. “Are you saying he has been cleared or you just don’t have evidence to hold him?”

Irving looked at Button for a moment before answering.

“What I am saying is that the investigation is now moving into other areas.”

“Then Detective Sheehan has been cleared, correct?”

“I am not getting into naming people we talk to.”