Death in the Haight Read Online Free PDF Page B

two: You do nothing without telling us what you are going to do and wait until we give you permission to do it. You understand?”
    â€œI understand every word you say,” Lang said, hoping that Stern didn’t pick up on his failure to agree.
    â€œThis is an active murder case,” Stern said. “Just because you can use a technicality to get around the law doesn’t mean you can use a technicality to get around the law. Got it?”
    â€œYou’ve been very clear.”
    Lang heard them arguing outside as he walked to the bathroom to make sure he still had all his teeth. His nose bled, and there was a cut on his upper lip. One tooth was loose. He would look worse in the morning.
    Â * * * 
    He did.
    â€œDamn,” Thanh said. “Look at you.”
    â€œI was hoping you wouldn’t be here,” Lang said.
    â€œThank you. I was hoping you wouldn’t look like a slab of corned beef. Your playmate, Inspector Stern, left a message.”
    â€œHow do you know these things?” Lang asked.
    Thanh handed him the pink “while you were out” message. It read:
I hope you learned your lesson
. “I recognized his voice. He had a few choice words for me as well.”
    â€œSorry.”
    â€œYou didn’t create the monster,” Thanh said. “And to add to your morning, Inspector Rose is waiting in your office.”
    Lang headed toward his office.
    â€œIncidentally,” Thanh called out, “I know where Stern lives.”
    â€œDon’t.”
    Thanh smiled.
    Rose stood when Lang came in. There was a pained look on the inspector’s face as he saw what the morning after looked like. He shook his head.
    â€œAs much as I want to, there’s nothing I can do,” Rose said, not his usual comic self.
    â€œI know that. Why did you come all the way down here to tell me?”
    â€œIt’s worse than you think.”
    â€œReally?”
    â€œYou remember the woman on the pier?”
    â€œHow could I forget? But that was more than a decade ago.”
    â€œStern keeps going back to that, and he adds in the death of the woman in Sea Cliff. He thinks you killed her and framed the Russian.”
    â€œWhy would I have done that?”
    â€œWe’re past logic, Lang. You have a place to stay? Another place to stay?”
    â€œYou’re kidding.”
    â€œI don’t know.”
    â€œYou can’t get him . . . uh . . . some kind of help?”
    â€œI can try. And I will. But if he’s off the force and he thinks you had something to do with it . . . it could get worse, if that’s possible.”
    Lang took a deep breath. “I understand.” There were two forces at work, and Lang understood them. Rose and Stern were partners. It was a kind of until-death-do-you-part kind of thing. There was also the loyalty among the police in general. There were always a lot of corners being cut and rules being broken when the only other sets of eyes belonged to people dressed in blue. Some, and there was a history of it in San Francisco, went over the edge.
    â€œDivorce, alcohol, and some really gruesome crime scenes . . .” Rose said, not bothering to complete the sentence. “The man is a mess. You know, if you tell anyone what I said, I might shoot you myself. I just want you to take care. Get out of harm’s way.”
    â€œI don’t know why I understand that, but I do. Thanks.”
    Â * * * 
    Lang called Vanderveer. “I want to check in.”
    â€œSure. We’re waiting, just waiting. It’s torture for Miriam. Me too, I guess.”
    They agreed to meet in the little park across from the hotel. Lang wanted them to open up and hoped that being outside might help.
    Huntington Park was small, a short block long and half a block wide. It had a small playground and some grassy spots for dog walkers and, on those rare occasions like today, for urban