The Overlook - Michael Connelly [57]
“There’s decent coffee in there,” she said. “But I don’t want to take a lot of time.”
It was the new Social Security Administration building.
“Another federal building,” Bosch sighed. “Agent Maxwell might think that’s his, too.”
“Can you drop that, please?”
He shrugged.
“I’m just surprised Maxwell even admitted we came back to the house.”
“Why wouldn’t he?”
“Because I figured he was posted on the house because he was already in the doghouse for being a fuckup. Why admit that we got the drop on him and have to stay in there longer?”
Walling shook her head.
“You don’t understand,” she said. “First of all, Maxwell has been wound a little tight lately but no one in Tactical Intelligence is in the doghouse. The work is too important to have any fuckups on the team. Secondly, he didn’t care what anyone would think. What he did think was that it was important for everyone to know about the way you’re fucking things up.”
He tried another direction.
“Let me ask you something. Do they know about you and me over there? Our history, I mean.”
“It would be hard for them not to know after Echo Park. But, Harry, never mind all of that. That is not important today. What is wrong with you? We’ve got enough cesium out there to shut down an airport and you don’t seem all that concerned. You are looking at this like it’s a murder. Yes, a man is dead but that isn’t what this is about. It’s a heist, Harry. Get it? They wanted the cesium and now they’ve got it. And it would help us if maybe we could talk to the only known witness. So where is he?”
“He’s safe. Where’s Alicia Kent? And where’s her husband’s partner?”
“They’re safe. The partner is being questioned here and we’re keeping the wife at Tactical until we are sure we have everything there is to get from her.”
“She’s not going to be very helpful. She couldn’t—”
“That’s where you are wrong. She’s already been quite helpful.”
Bosch couldn’t hold back the look of surprise in his eyes.
“How? She said she didn’t even see their faces.”
“She didn’t. But she heard a name. When they were speaking to each other, she heard a name.”
“What name? She didn’t say this before.”
Walling nodded.
“And that is why you should turn over your witness. We have people who have one expertise: getting information from witnesses. We can get things that you are unable to get. We got them from her, we can get them from him.”
Bosch felt his face turning red.
“What was the name this master interrogator got from her?”
She shook her head.
“We’re not trading, Harry. This is a case involving national security. You’re on the outside. And by the way, that’s not going to change no matter who you get your police chief to call.”
Bosch knew then that his meeting at the Donut Hole had been for nothing. Even the chief was on the outside looking in. Whatever name Alicia Kent gave up, it must have lit up the federal scoreboard like Times Square.
“All I’ve got is my witness,” he said. “I’ll trade you straight up for the name.”
“Why do you want the name? You’re not going to get anywhere near this guy.”
“Because I want to know.”
She folded her arms across her chest and thought about things for a moment. Finally, she looked at him.
“You first,” she said.
Bosch hesitated while he studied her eyes. Six months earlier he would have trusted her with his life. Now things had changed. Bosch wasn’t so sure.
“I stashed him at my place,” he said. “I think you remember where that is.”
She pulled a phone from her blazer pocket and opened it to make a call.
“Wait a second there, Agent Walling,” he said. “What was the name Alicia Kent gave you?”
“Sorry, Harry.”
“We had a deal.”
“National security, sorry.”
She started punching in a number on her cell. Bosch nodded. He had called it right.
“I lied,” he said. “He’s not at my place.”
She slapped the phone closed.
“What is with you?” she asked angrily, her voice getting shrill. “We’re running more than fourteen