Gone (Michael Bennett)

facilities to freshen up a little?” Diaz said, holding up his palms like a magician about to do a trick.
    “Whatever,” Neves said.
    “Thanks,” Diaz said, heading into the can. “Cleanliness is next to godliness, you know.”
    Diaz wasn’t two steps in when he stopped and turned. Emily and I had to suppress our laughter.
    “What the—?” Diaz said loudly.
    There was a loud scraping sound, and a moment later, Diaz came out with a stunned look on his face and something dripping in his hand. It was the bar of soap he had wrapped in red cellophane in the parking lot of the CVS. A small package that had a strong resemblance to a kilo of cocaine.
    “What have we here, Tomás?” Diaz said, shaking his head in dismay. “Little advice, señor. When you hide something from the cops in a toilet tank, you should really remember to put the lid all the way back on.”
    “Whoa,” Tomás said, stunned. He blinked a few times, then shook his lean face vigorously. “This ain’t happening. This is a joke, right? You’re putting me on, yo?”
    “Yep,” said Diaz, throwing him up against the wall and ratcheting handcuffs around his wrists. “Wanna hear the punch line? You have the right to remain silent.”
    “You planted that shit there! You planted that shit!”
    “Yes, I did, Tomás,” Diaz whispered to him. “Want to know a little secret? Planting shit on scum like you is, like, my favorite hobby. Guess what? There ain’t no stolen car, and the gloves are off, bitch. Just got the word from up top, and I couldn’t be happier. CRASH times are here again!”
    “You crazy, man. What the hell are you talking about?”
    “Your buddy Manuel offed an FBI agent, and you think it’s not going to come on you? What did you think was going to happen?”
    “But I don’t know any Manuel! What are you talking about? I want my lawyer. Yo, get Terrence! Go next door and get Terrence!” he started yelling.
    Through the window, I saw the welder run out of the garage.
    “John?” I said.
    “It’s OK. I got this,” Diaz said.
    Diaz grabbed the gangbanger and kicked out his legs as he body slammed him onto the desk.
    “Listen to me, and listen to me good,” he said. “Your lawyer isn’t going to be able to help you when I toss you in MacArthur Park Lake with these cuffs on, maricón. Now start talking.”
    Tomás said something in Spanish then. Diaz said something back.
    We all jumped when there was a sudden pounding on the door behind us.

CHAPTER 77
     
    EMILY AND I IMMEDIATELY took out our guns.
    “What is this? What’s going on in there? Tomás, are you OK? What’s going on in there? Open this door!”
    “This is a police interview!” I yelled as I ripped the door open behind my gun. “Put your hands up now!”
    I was surprised when I saw that the shocked-looking man standing in the doorway wasn’t a Hispanic gangbanger but a petite Asian guy wearing golf clothes and Clark Kent glasses.
    “How dare you point a gun at me! I’m Terrence Che, Mr. Neves’s lawyer. Now, I demand that you tell me what’s going on this instant!”
    “They’re framing me, is what’s going on!” Neves yelled. “They’re framing me, Terrence!”
    Diaz rolled his eyes. “Shit,” he mumbled as he reluctantly uncuffed Tomás.
    “Who are you people? Why are you harassing my client?” Che said as I put my gun away.
    “Well, it’s kind of a long story,” Diaz said, handing the lawyer the wet bar of cellophane-wrapped soap as he gently pushed him to the side.
    “And wouldn’t you know it? We’re late for a meeting,” Emily said as we exited the room.
    “Wait, I’m not done with you. This is illegal,” the feisty, pocket-sized lawyer said, following us down the stairs, into the garage. “You can’t just go around assaulting people. What’s your badge number?”
    “Oh, my badge number,” Diaz said, turning and giving him the finger. “LAPD Badge Number One. Got it? Super. Bye, now.”
    “Well, that went well,” Emily said as we screeched out of the lot, hopefully before the lawyer could get the plates.
    “It did go well, actually,” Diaz said, lazing in the backseat.
    “What do you mean? What did Tomás say to you?”
    “He said, ‘Please, man. Don’t do this. He’ll kill my family.’ ”
    “So Tomás does know something,” Parker said.
    Diaz nodded.
    “Apparently,” he said.

CHAPTER 78
     
    AFTER WE RETURNED TO HQ and relayed the info about Neves’s connection to Perrine, the reaction up the