“Come on, Sheila,” Bosch 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 McShane’s print and you could lay it on him. But it was your son, not him. McShane 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 fucking stop.”

Bosch pulled the paper clip off the documents he had brought. They were folded lengthwise. He thumbed off the last page and slid it across the table to her.

“Open your eyes, Sheila, and take a look at that,” Bosch 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,” Bosch said.

She pinned the paper to the table with her thumbs and leaned over it to read. 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. “P-C thirty-two—it deals with the crime of aiding 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 the statute of limitations. Three years for aiding and abetting a homicide. What that tells you is that 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 fucking 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.