The Drop by Michael Connelly Page B

Irving. He stood up and Chu followed suit.
    “I think this is enough for now, Deborah. We know it is a difficult time and you want to be with family. Have you told your son?”
    “No, Dad did. He called him. Chad’s flying down tonight.”
    “Where’s he going to school?”
    “USF—the University of San Francisco.”
    Bosch nodded. He had been hearing about the school because his daughter was already thinking about the next level of education and had mentioned it as a possibility. He also remembered that it was where Bill Russell had played college ball.
    Harry knew he would want to talk to the son but didn’t mention it to Deborah. There was no need to have her thinking about it.
    “What about friends?” he asked.
    “Was he close to anyone?”
    “Not really. He really only had one close friend and they hadn’t seen much of each other lately.”
    “Who was that?”
    “His name is Bobby Mason. They knew each other since the police academy.”
    “Is Bobby Mason still a cop?”
    “Yes.”
    “Why hadn’t they seen each other lately?”
    “I don’t know. They just hadn’t, I guess. I’m sure it was just a temporary lull in the relationship. I assume that’s the way men are.”
    Bosch wasn’t sure what her last words were meant to convey about men. He didn’t have anyone in his life he would consider a best friend but he always thought he was different. That most men had male friends, even best friends. He wrote Mason’s name down, then gave Deborah Irving a business card with his cell phone number on it and invited her to call anytime. He said he would be in touch as the investigation progressed.
    Bosch wished her good luck and then he and Chu left. Before they reached the car, Irvin Irving came out the front door and called to them.
    “You were just going to leave without checking with me?”
    Bosch handed the keys to Chu and told him to back the car out of the driveway. He waited until he and Irving were alone before speaking.
    “Councilman, we need to get something straight here. I’m going to keep you informed but I don’t report to you. There’s a difference. This is a police investigation, not a city hall investigation. You were a cop but you’re not anymore. You’ll hear from me when I have something to report to you.”
    He turned and started walking toward the street.
    “Remember, I want an update by the end of the day,” Irving called after him.
    Bosch didn’t respond. He kept on walking like he didn’t hear.

8
     
    B osch told Chu to drive north toward Panorama City.
    “We’re up here,” he said. “We might as well go get a look at Clayton Pell. If he’s where he’s supposed to be.”
    “I thought the Irving case was the priority,” Chu said.
    “It is.”
    Bosch offered no further explanation. Chu nodded but had something else on his mind.
    “What about something to eat?” he asked. “We worked right through lunch and I’m starving, Harry.”
    Bosch realized he was hungry, too. He checked his watch and saw it was almost three.
    “The halfway house is way up Woodman,” he said. “There used to be a pretty good taco truck that parked on Woodman at Nordhoff. I had a trial a few years ago at the San Fernando Courthouse and my partner and I used to hit that truck every day at lunch. It’s kind of late but if we’re lucky he’ll still be there.”
    Chu was a semi-vegetarian but usually liked the idea of Mexican food.
    “Think they’ll have a bean burrito on that truck?”
    “Most likely. If not, they’ve got shrimp tacos. I’ve had them.”
    “Sounds like a plan.”
    He goosed the car’s accelerator.
    “Was that Ignacio?” Chu eventually asked. “The partner, I mean.”
    “Yeah, Ignacio,” Bosch said.
    Bosch contemplated the fate of his last partner, who was murdered in the back room of a food market two years earlier while working the case that introduced Harry to Chu. The two current partners maintained silence the rest of the way.
    The halfway house that