He had to, because there was only one outcome that would work here. He had to turn Banks, make him talk and make him willing to give testimony and evidence against the others. All the threats about prosecution and prison were ultimately hollow. Bosch had the thinnest veil of circumstantial evidence tying Banks and the others to Anneke Jespersen’s murder. He had no witnesses and no physical evidence that linked them. He had the murder weapon but could not put it in any of his suspects’ hands. Yes, he could put victim and suspects in close proximity in the Persian Gulf and then a year later in South L.A. But that did not prove murder. Bosch knew it wasn’t enough and that not even the greenest deputy district attorney in L.A. would touch it. Bosch had only one shot here and that was turning an insider out. By a trick or a play or by any means necessary, he had to get Banks to break down and give up the story.

Now Banks shook his head, but it was as if he was trying to ward off some thought or image. As though he thought if he kept his head moving, the reality of what he was facing couldn’t get in.

“No, no, man, you can’t—you gotta help me,” he said. “I’ll tell you everything but you have to help me. You have to promise.”

“I can’t promise you anything, Reggie. But I can go to bat for you with the District Attorney’s Office, and I do know this: prosecutors always take care of their key witnesses. If you want that, then you have to open up and tell me everything. Everything. And you can’t tell me any lies. One lie and it all goes away. And you go away for the rest of your life.”

He let him sit with that for a long moment before continuing. Bosch would make the case against the others here, or the chance would be gone and he would never make it.

“So, you ready to talk to me?” he finally asked.

Banks nodded hesitantly.

“Yes,” Banks said. “I’ll talk.”

Chapter 31

31

Bosch plugged the password into his phone and turned on the recording app. He then began the interview. He identified himself and the case the interview was concerning and then identified Reginald Banks, including his age and address. He read Banks his rights from a card he kept in his badge wallet, and Banks said he understood his rights and was willing to cooperate, clearly stating that he did not want to confer with a lawyer first.