Angle of Investigation

picked by the thief.
    He went on to the next report and found a saxophone listed on the stolen-property inventory. It was described as an alto saxophone but there were no other identifiers and no listing of who the person was who had pawned the saxophone. He read the summary and found it mirrored the summary in the first burglary report; the burglar or burglars broke through the rear door, opened the display case and took all of the high-price valuables. The saxophone appeared to have been taken as an afterthought and Bosch knew now that that was because Monty Kelman had always wanted to learn to play the instrument.
    The third report was the same, with the exception of the method of entry. This time, with the back door fortified, the burglar or burglars cut through the composite roof and dropped down. The lock on the display case was picked and the shelves emptied for the third time.
    The losses from the three burglaries averaged out to $40,000 a hit. Servan had insurance—though Bosch assumed the premiums were ever increasing. Most of the items stolen were sale items, meaning their original owners had let the pawn period lapse and ownership now belonged to Servan.
    Braxton walked out of the back hallway and came to the homicide table.
    “Yeah, he recognizes him,” he said. “Said he came into the store a couple days ago. Looked at some of the coins in the case.”
    “He ever see him before that?”
    osseze=ze="3">He thinks so but can’t be sure.”
    “Anybody else work in that shop besides him?”
    “No, he’s a one-man show. Six days a week, nine to six. Your average hardworking immigrant story.”
    Bosch leaned back in his chair and combed one side of his mustache with his thumb. He didn’t say anything. After a few moments Braxton got tired of waiting.
    “Harry, what else you need from me?”
    Bosch didn’t look up at him.
    “Um, can you go back in there and ask him about the case?”
    “The case? You mean the display cabinet?”
    “Yeah, ask him if he’s sure he locked it every time. On all the burglaries.”
    He could tell Braxton was still waiting by the table.
    “What?”
    “What am I? The errand boy here?”
    “No, Brax, you’re the guy he trusts. Go ask him the question.”
    Bosch waited, stroking his mustache and thinking. Braxton wasn’t long.
    “He said he absolutely locks that case. Even when he’s open for business it’s locked. He only unlocks it to put something in or take something out. Then he relocks it, every time. He keeps the key with him, all the time. There are no copies.”
    “So then our guy used picks.”
    “Looks that way.”
    Bosch nodded.
    “Um, one more thing, Brax. The saxophone. He has to keep pawn records, right?”
    “He has to keep them and we get copied as well. The pawn detail. They compare pawn inventories to stolen-property reports. You know, look for matches.”
    Bosch reached over and lifted the saxophone off the desk.
    “So then how can I find out who pawned this?”
    Braxton seemed mildly taken aback.
    “What’s it got to do with all of this?”
    “Nothing, as far as I know. But I want to find out who pawned it.”
    “It shouldn’t be too hard. The guys in the detail keep everything separated by store.wited by s In shoeboxes. They could just look through the box for Three Kings. Depending on how far back they go, it might be in there.”
    “What would work better, if you call them or I call them?”
    “They’re not going to like it either way, but let me take a crack at it.”
    “Thanks, man.”
    Bosch looked at his watch. It was almost noon.
    “And tell them we’d like to hear back on it today.”
    “I’ll tell them but I doubt they’ll make any promises. It’s Christmas Eve, Harry. People are trying to get home early.”
    “Just tell them it’s important.”
    “To you or the case?”
    Bosch didn’t answer and eventually Braxton went back to his desk to make the call. Bosch looked through the three burglary reports again. When he finished he got up and went down the back hallway to the interview rooms. Instead of going into 3, where Servan was, he went into 4 and looked through the mirrored glass at the pawnbroker. He was sitting at the table with his arms folded and his eyes closed. He was either sleeping or meditating. Maybe both.
    He left the room and went back to the homicide table. He sat down and picked up the saxophone again. He liked handling it, the feel and weight of it in his grasp. Knowing that the instrument