Echo Park Read Online Free PDF Page B

about this one. This proffer could be the safest and best way to make sure this man harms no one else in the future.”
    “The best way?” Bosch asked. “Not the right way, if you ask me.”
    O’Shea picked up a pen and drummed it lightly on his desk before responding.
    “Detective Bosch, why did you sign out the Gesto file so many times?”
    Bosch felt Rider turn and look at him. She had asked him the same thing on more than one occasion.
    “I told you,” he said. “I pulled it because it had been my case. It bothered me that we never made anybody for it.”
    “In other words, it has haunted you.”
    Bosch nodded hesitantly.
    “Did she have family?”
    Bosch nodded again.
    “She had parents up in Bakersfield. They had a lot of dreams for her.”
    “Think about them. And think about the families of the others. We can’t tell them that Waits was the one unless we know for sure. My guess is that they will want to know and that they are willing to trade that knowledge for his life. It’s better that he plead guilty to all of them than that we get him for only two.”
    Bosch said nothing. He had registered his objection. He now knew it was time to go to work. Rider was on the same vibe.
    “What is the time frame on this?” she asked.
    “I want to move quickly,” O’Shea said. “If this is legit, I want to clean it up and get it done.”
    “Gotta get it in before the election, right?” Bosch asked.
    He then immediately regretted it. O’Shea’s lips formed a tight line. Blood seemed to collect beneath the skin around his eyes.
    “Detective,” he said. “I will give you that. I’m running for election and clearing eleven murders with convictions would be helpful to my cause. But do not suggest the election is my only motivation here. Every night that those parents who carried dreams for their daughter go to bed not knowing where she is or what happened to her is a night of terrible pain as far as I am concerned. Even after thirteen years. So I want to move quickly and assuredly and you can keep your speculations about anything else to yourself.”
    “Fine,” Bosch said. “When do we talk to this guy?”
    O’Shea looked at Olivas and then back at Bosch.
    “Well, I think we should have an exchange of files first. You should come up to speed on Waits and I’d like Freddy to familiarize himself with the Gesto file. Once that is done we’ll set something up with Maury Swann. What about tomorrow?”
    “Tomorrow’s fine,” Bosch said. “Swann will be there during the interview?”
    O’Shea nodded.
    “Maury’s riding this one all the way. He’ll milk every angle, probably end up with a book and a movie deal before this thing’s over. Maybe even a guest anchor slot on Court TV.”
    “Yeah, well,” Bosch said, “at least then he’d be out of the courtroom.”
    “Never thought of it that way,” O’Shea said. “Did you bring the Gesto records?”
    Bosch opened his briefcase on his lap and took out the investigation file, which was contained in a three-inch-thick binder generally known as a murder book. He handed it to O’Shea, who turned and gave it to Olivas.
    “And I will give you this in return,” O’Shea said.
    He slid the file back into the accordion folder and handed it all across the desk.
    “Happy reading,” he said. “Are you sure about tomorrow?”
    Bosch looked at Rider to see if she had an objection. They had another day before they needed to walk the Matarese filing to the DA. But the work was mostly finished and he knew Rider could handle the rest. When Rider said nothing Bosch looked back at O’Shea.
    “We’ll be ready,” he said.
    “Then I will call Maury and set it up.”
    “Where is Waits?”
    “Right here in the building,” O’Shea said. “We’ve got him in high-power on keep-away status.”
    “Good,” Rider said.
    “What about the other seven?” Bosch asked.
    “What about them?”
    “Are there no files?”
    “The proffer, as well as Maury Swann,