9 Dragons

felony arraignment court. If they delayed Chang from getting into court, he could be secured as a guest of the city jail through the weekend.
    After about five minutes of standing in silence while Chang sat on a bench in the shuttle stop’s shelter, Bosch turned and gestured to the suitcase and spoke to him conversationally, as if the questions and answers didn’t matter.
    “That thing looks like it weighs a ton,” he said. “Where were you going?”
    Chang said nothing. There was no such thing as small talk when you were under arrest. He stared straight forward and did not acknowledge Bosch’s question in any way. Chu translated the question and got the same non-response.
    Bosch shrugged his shoulders like it didn’t matter much to him whether Chang answered or not.
    “Harry,” Chu said.
    Bosch felt his phone vibrate twice, the signal that he had received a message. He signaled him a few yards away from the shelter so they could talk without Chang hearing.
    “What do you think?” Chu asked.
    “Well, it’s clear he isn’t going to talk to us and has asked for a lawyer. So that’s that.”
    “So what do we do?”
    “First of all, we slow things down. We take our time getting him downtown and then we take our time booking him. He doesn’t call his lawyer till he’s been processed and with any luck that won’t be till after two. Meantime, we get warrants. His car, suitcase and his cell phone, if he has it on him. After that, we hit his apartment and his place of work. Wherever the judge lets us go. And we hope like hell we come up with something like the gun by noon Monday. Because if we don’t, he’s probably going to walk.”
    “What about the extortion?”
    “It gives us PC but it won’t go anywhere if Robert Li doesn’t step up.”
    Chu nodded.
    “
High Noon,
Harry. That was a movie. A western.”
    “I never saw it,” he said to Chu.
    Bosch looked down the long row of parked cars and saw a patrol car make the turn toward them. He waved.
    He pulled his phone to check the message. The screen said he had received a video from his daughter.
    He would have to check it later. It was very late in Hong Kong and he knew his daughter should be in bed. She was probably unable to sleep and expecting him to respond. But he had work to do. He put the phone away as the patrol car stopped in front of them.
    “I’m going to ride in with him,” he said to Chu. “In case he decides to say something.”
    “What about your car?”
    “I’ll get it later.”
    “Maybe I should ride with him instead.”
    Bosch looked at Chu. It was one of those moments. Harry knew it would be better for Chu to make the ride with Chang because he knew both languages and he was Chinese. But it would mean Bosch would be ceding some control of his case.
    It would also mean he was showing trust in Chu, just an hour after pointing the finger of blame at him.
    “Okay,” Bosch finally said. “You ride with him.”
    Chu nodded, seeming to understand the significance of Bosch’s decision.
    “But take the long way,” Bosch said. “These guys probably work out of Pacific. Go by the division first, then call me. I’ll tell you there’s a change of plans and we’re going to book him downtown. That ought to add an extra hour to the ride.”
    “Got it,” Chu said. “That’ll work.”
    “You want me to drive your car in?” Bosch asked. “I don’t mind leaving mine here.”
    “No, it’s okay, Harry. I’ll leave mine and come get it later. You wouldn’t want to hear what I’ve got on the stereo, anyway.”
    “The musical equivalent of tofu hot dogs?”
    “To you, probably, yeah.”
    “Okay, then I’ll take mine.”
    Bosch told the two patrol officers to put Chang in the back of the patrol car and to load the suitcase into the trunk. Harry then got serious with Chu.
    “I’m going to put Ferras to work on search warrants for Chang’s property. Any admission from him will help with the PC. Him telling us he had a flight is an admission that goes to his fleeing. Try to make him slip up like that when you’re riding in the back with him.”
    “But he already said he wants a lawyer.”
    “Make it conversational. Not an interrogation. Try to find out where he was going. That’ll help Ignacio. And remember, stretch everything out. Take the scenic route.”
    “Got it. I know what to do.”
    “Okay, I’m going to wait here for the tow truck. If you get to the PAB ahead of me, just put Chang in a room and let him