Chapters (64)
- PART ONE
- One
- Two
- Three
- PART TWO
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-one
- Twenty-two
- Twenty-three
- Twenty-four
- Twenty-five
- Twenty-six
- Twenty-seven
- Twenty-eight
- Twenty-nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-one
- Thirty-two
- Thirty-three
- PART THREE
- Thirty-four
- Thirty-five
- PART FOUR
- Thirty-six
- Thirty-seven
- Thirty-eight
- Thirty-nine
- Forty
- Forty-one
- Forty-two
- Forty-three
- Forty-four
- Forty-five
- Forty-six
- PART FIVE
- Forty-seven
- Forty-eight
- Forty-nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-one
- Fifty-two
- Fifty-three
- PART SIX
- Fifty-four
- Fifty-five
- Acknowledgments
- About the Author
- ALSO BY MICHAEL CONNELLY
“Okay, this is the thing,” I said. “I think he was going to make it look like I jumped.”
Bosch considered this and then shook his head.
“Suicide? Who would believe that? You’ve got the case of the decade, man. You’re hot. You’re on TV. And you’ve got a kid to worry about. Suicide wouldn’t sell.”
I nodded.
“Yes, it would.”
He looked at me and said nothing, waiting for me to explain.
“I’m a recovering addict, Bosch. You know anything about that?”
“Why don’t you tell me?”
“The story would go that I couldn’t take the pressure of the big case and all the attention, and I either had or was about to relapse. So I jumped instead of going back to that. It’s not an uncommon thing, Bosch. They call it the fast out. And it makes me think that…”
“What?”
I pointed across the clearing toward juror number seven.
“That he and whoever he was doing this for knew a lot about me. They did a deep background. They came up with my addiction and rehab and Lanie’s name. Then they came up with a solid plan for getting rid of me because they couldn’t just shoot down another lawyer without bringing down massive scrutiny on what it is they’ve got going. If I went down as a suicide, there’d be a lot less pressure.”
“Yeah, but why did they need to get rid of you?”
“I guess they think I know too much.”
“Do you?”
Before I could answer, McSweeney started yelling from the other side of the clearing.
“Hey! Over there with the lawyer. I want to make a deal. I can give you some big people, man! I want to make a deal!”
Bosch waited to see if there was more but that was it.
“My tip?” I said. “Go over there and strike while the iron’s hot. Before he remembers he’s entitled to a lawyer.”
Bosch nodded.
“Thanks, Coach,” he said. “But I think I know what I’m doing.”
He started to head across the clearing.
“Hey, Bosch, wait,” I called. “You owe me something before you go over there.”
Bosch stopped and signaled to Armstead to go to McSweeney. He then came back to me.
“What do I owe you?”
“One answer. Tonight I called you and told you I was in for the night. You were supposed to cut the surveillance down to one car. But this is the whole enchilada up here. What changed your mind?”
“You haven’t heard, have you?”
“Heard what?”
“You get to sleep late tomorrow, Counselor. There’s no trial anymore.”
“Why not?”