A Darkness More Than Night

the current day’s taping.
    Lucas started explaining the taping procedure. One VCR for each of the four cameras. One tape in each machine at the start of each day. The cameras were set at thirty frames a minute, allowing one tape to cover the entire day. The tape for an individual day was held for a month and used again if not reserved because of an investigation by the postal inspectors service.
    “We get a lot of scam artists and whatnot. You know how it is in Hollywood. We end up with a lot of tapes on reserve. The inspectors come in and get ’em. Or we send ’em on down in dispatch.”
    “We understand, Mr. Lucas,” said Winston, an urgent tone in her voice as she apparently came to the same realization as McCaleb. “Can you please turn off the machines or replace the tapes in them. We are taping over what could be valuable evidence.”
    “Right away,” Lucas said.
    But he proceeded to reach into the carton of new tapes and take out four cassettes. He then peeled labels off a dispenser roll and put them on the tapes. He took a pen from behind his ear and wrote the date and some sort of coding on the labels. Then, finally, he started popping tapes out of the VCRs and replacing them with the new cassettes.
    “Now, how do you want to do this? These tapes are post office property. They are not leaving the premises. I can set you up over here at the desk. I’ve got a portable TV with built-in VCR if you want to use it.”
    “Are you sure we just can’t borrow them for the day?” Winston said. “I could have them back by -”
    “Not without a court order. That’s what Mr. Preechnar told me. That’s what I’m going to do.”
    “Then I guess we don’t have a choice,” Winston said, looking at McCaleb and shaking her head in frustration.
    While Lucas went to get the TV, McCaleb and Winston decided that McCaleb would stay and watch the videotape while Winston went to her office for an 11 A.M. meeting with the bureau men, Twilley and Friedman. She said she would not be mentioning McCaleb’s new investigation or the possibility that his earlier focus on Bosch might have been in error. She would return the copied murder book and crime scene tape.
    “I know you don’t believe in coincidences but that’s all you have at the moment, Terry. You come up with something on the tape and I’ll bring it to the captain and we’ll blow Twilley and Friedman out of the water. But until you have it… I’m still in the doghouse and need something more than a coincidence to look anywhere other than at Bosch.”
    “What about the call to Tafero?”
    “What call?”
    “Somehow he knew Gunn was in the tank and he came and bailed him out – so they could kill him that night and pin it on Bosch.”
    “I don’t know about the call – if it wasn’t Zucker, it was probably somebody else in the station he’s got a sweetheart deal with. And the rest of what you just said is pure speculation without a single fact backing it up.”
    “I think it’s -”
    “Stop, Terry. I don’t want to hear it until you have something backing it up. I’m going to work.”
    As if on cue, Lucas came back pushing a cart with a small television on top of it.
    “I’ll set you up with this,” he said.
    “Mr. Lucas, I need to go to an appointment,” Winston said. “My colleague is going to look at the tapes. Thank you for your cooperation.”
    “Happy to be of service, ma’am.”
    Winston looked at McCaleb.
    “Call me.”
    “You want me to drive you back to your car?”
    “It’s just a few blocks. I’ll walk it.”
    He nodded.
    “Happy hunting,” she said.
    McCaleb nodded. She had said that to him once before on a case that had not turned out so happily for him.

Chapter 37
    Langwiser and Kretzler told Bosch they were going ahead with the plan to rest their case by the close of the day.
    “We got him,” Kretzler said, smiling and enjoying the adrenaline ride that came with making the decision to pull the trigger. “By the time we’re done he’ll be tied down nine ways till Sunday. We’ve got Hendricks and Crowe today. We’ve got everything we need.”
    “Except motive,” Bosch said.
    “Motive is not going to be important with a crime that is obviously the work of a psychopath,” Langwiser said. “Those jurors aren’t going to go back into their little room at the end of this and say, ‘Yeah, but what was his motive?’ They’re going to say this guy is a sick fuck and -”
    Her voice dropped to a whisper