Trunk Music - Michael Connelly [89]
Bosch had his notebook out and wrote the street names down.
“Thank you, Counselor.”
“While you have the notebook out, write down courtroom ten. That’s where we will be tomorrow at nine. I trust you will make secure arrangements for my client’s safe delivery?”
“That’s what a courier is for, right?”
“I’m sorry, Detective. Things are said in the heat of the moment. No offense.”
“None taken.”
Bosch went out to the squad room and used the phone at an empty desk to call Southwest and change the reservations on the return flight from three in the afternoon to a ten-thirty morning flight. Bosch didn’t look at Iverson but could tell the detective was watching him from a desk fifteen feet away.
When he was done Bosch stuck his head in Felton’s office. The captain was on the phone. Bosch just mock-saluted him and was gone.
Back in the rental car, Edgar and Bosch decided to go over to the jail and make arrangements for the custody transfer before trying to find Layla.
The jail was next to the courthouse. A discharge sergeant named Hackett gave the detectives a rudimentary rundown on how and where Goshen would be delivered to them. Since it was after five and the shifts had changed, Bosch and Edgar would be dealing with a different sergeant in the morning. Still, it made Bosch feel more comfortable seeing the routine ahead of time. They would be able to put Goshen into their car in an enclosed and safe loading-dock area. He felt reasonably sure that there wouldn’t be trouble. At least not there.
With directions from Hackett, they drove into a middle-class neighborhood in North Las Vegas and found the house where Goshen had once dropped Layla off. It was a small bungalow-style house with an aluminum awning over each window. There was a Mazda RX7 parked in the carport.
An older woman answered the door. She was mid-sixties and well preserved. Bosch thought he could see some of the photo of Layla in her face. Bosch held his badge up so she could see it.
“Ma’am, my name is Harry Bosch and this is Jerry Edgar. We’re over from Los Angeles and we are looking for a young woman we need to talk to. She’s a dancer and goes by the name Layla. Is she here?”
“She doesn’t live here. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I think you do, ma’am, and I’d appreciate it if you’d help us out.”
“I told you, she’s not here.”
“Well, we heard she’s staying here with you. Is that right? Are you her mother? She’s tried to contact me. There’s no reason for her to be afraid or to not want to talk to us.”
“I’ll tell her that if I see her.”
“Can we come in?”
Bosch put his hand on the door and firmly but slowly started to push it open before she could reply.
“You can’t just…”
She didn’t finish. She knew what she was going to say would be meaningless. In a perfect world the cops couldn’t just push their way in. She knew it wasn’t a perfect world.
Bosch looked around after he entered. The furnishings were old, having to last a few more years than they were intended to and she probably thought they would have to when she bought them. It was the standard couch and matching chair setup. There were patterned throws on each, probably to cover the wear. There was an old TV, the kind with a dial to change the channels. There were gossip magazines spread on a coffee table.
“You live here alone?” he asked.
“Yes, I do,” she said indignantly, as if his question was an insult.
“When was the last time you saw Layla?”
“Her name’s not Layla.”
“That was my next question. What is her name?”
“Her name’s Gretchen Alexander.”
“And you are?”
“Dorothy Alexander.”
“Where is she, Dorothy?”
“I don’t know and I didn’t ask.”
“When’d she leave?”
“Yesterday morning.”
Bosch nodded to Edgar and he took a step back, turned and headed down