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Back Lost Hills Save as PDF
Chapters (49)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  3. DEDICATION
  4. Contents
  5. CHAPTER ONE
  6. CHAPTER TWO
  7. CHAPTER THREE
  8. CHAPTER FOUR
  9. CHAPTER FIVE
  10. CHAPTER SIX
  11. CHAPTER SEVEN
  12. CHAPTER EIGHT
  13. CHAPTER NINE
  14. CHAPTER TEN
  15. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  16. CHAPTER TWELVE
  17. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  18. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  19. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  20. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  21. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  22. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  23. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  24. CHAPTER TWENTY
  25. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  34. CHAPTER THIRTY
  35. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  42. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  43. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  44. CHAPTER FORTY
  45. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  46. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  47. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  48. Author’s Note and Acknowledgments
  49. About the Author

That was an order for Eve and Moffett, but Burnside answered to a different authority, the district attorney, who might want to hold a press conference of his own but probably wouldn’t rush until he saw how Monday’s arraignment played out.

Eve was headed for the squad room but Lansing called after her.

“Ronin,” Lansing said. “Could I have a word?”

He drew her aside to a corner of the lobby, by a wall of framed eight-by-tens of the sheriff, the captain, and various command personnel. They reminded Eve of the signed headshots from celebrities on the walls of dry cleaners, restaurants, car repair shops, and other businesses throughout Los Angeles.

She knew what this little talk was going to be about and decided to take the initiative. “I’m sorry, sir. I should never have said ‘senseless.’ I should have chosen my words more carefully.”

He waved away her concern. “You did good. The camera loves you.”

“My mother would disagree with you, but thanks.” Eve started to turn away. “I’ve got a lot of work to do.”

“Hold on. You’ve caught the killer, that was the hard part. The pressure is off,” Lansing said.

“We still need to gather a lot more evidence to secure a murder conviction,” Eve said.

“You’ll get it, but now every move you make is going to be under the media spotlight. Delegate the rest of the work tonight to the detectives who are outside of that glare. I want you to go home and get some rest.”

“Thank you, but the arraignment is on Monday and I want—”

He interrupted her. “You aren’t hearing me. If you look tired and haggard tomorrow, after you’ve already caught the killer, the press is going to wonder why you are working so Goddamn hard. They will think our case is weak. But if you look bright, refreshed, and relaxed the next time they see you, that projects confidence, and that’s what they will feel about the case, too.” Lansing tipped his head to the press outside, many of them still on camera, using the station as a backdrop for their reporting on the story.

“The press isn’t following me around all the time.”

“Today everybody has a camera. You, of all people, should know that. Perception is reality, so it’s up to us to create the perception,” Lansing said. There was a contradiction in that last statement but she wasn’t entirely sure it was unintentional. “I think you’re going to have a bright future in this department.”

Not if this case falls apart, she thought.

“Go home,” Lansing said. “That’s an order.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO