Lost Light

Crown Victoria-pulling into the light from the open garage. Two men were in the car and I recognized the one in the passenger seat. With as little noticeable movement as I could manage I lowered the currency report onto the T amp;L report. I then picked them both up and slid them into the crack between the Malibu ’s hood and fender. I heard the pages fall through the slot into the engine compartment. I then stepped back from the car, leaving the rest of the file open on the hood, and around into the open bay of the garage.
    A second Crown Vic pulled into the driveway. The two men from the first car were already out and entering the garage.
    “FBI,” said the man I recognized as Parenting Today.
    He held up an ID case with a badge affixed to it. He just as quickly closed it and put it away.
    “How are the kids?” I asked.
    He seemed confused for a moment and it put a pause in his step. But then he pressed on and took a position in front of me while his partner, who had not shown a badge, stood a few feet to my right.
    “Mr. Bosch, we are going to need you to come with us,” said Parenting Today.
    “Well, I’m kind of busy at the moment. I’m trying to get this garage in shape.”
    The agent looked over my shoulder at Danny Cross.
    “Ma’am, could you return inside and close the door? We’ll be out of your hair in a few moments.”
    “This is my garage, my house,” Danny responded.
    I knew her protest was useless but I liked that she’d made it just the same.
    “Ma’am, this is FBI business. It does not concern you. Please step inside.”
    “If it is in my garage it concerns me.”
    “Ma’am, I won’t ask you again.”
    There was a pause. I kept my eyes on the agent. I heard the door close behind me and knew my witness was gone. In the same moment the agent to my right made his move. He raised both hands and charged me, pushing me into the side of the Malibu. My elbow slid across the roof and hit a box, sending it over the other side of the car and crashing to the floor. It sounded like it had glassware in it.
    The agent was well practiced and I offered no resistance. I knew that would be a mistake. That would be what he wanted. He roughly pushed my chest against the car and pulled my arms behind my back. I felt the handcuffs cinch tightly around my wrists, then his hands patted me down for weapons and invaded my pockets in a routine search.
    “What are you doing? What is going on?”
    It was Danny. She had heard the crash.
    “Ma’am,” Parenting Today said sternly, “go back inside and close the door.”
    The other agent twirled me away from the car and pushed me out of the garage toward the second car. I looked back at Danny Cross just as she was closing the door. The look of disapproval I was so used to was gone. There was a look of concern on her face now. I also saw that her bathrobe had been retied.
    The silent agent opened the back door of the second car and started pushing me in.
    “Watch your head,” he said just as he put his hand on my neck and pushed my head sharply into the door frame. I went sprawling across the backseat. He slammed the door, narrowly missing my ankle with it. I could almost hear a groan of disappointment from him through the glass.
    He knocked his fist on the roof of the car and the driver dropped the transmission into reverse and hit the gas. The car jerked backwards and the sudden motion threw me off the seat onto the floor. I was unable to break my fall and the side of my face hit hard on the sticky floor. With my hands behind me I struggled to push myself back onto the seat. But I did it quickly, my struggle fueled by my anger and embarrassment. I sat up as the car jerked forward and I was thrown back into the seat. The car sped away from the house and through the rear window I saw Parenting Today standing in the garage and staring back at me. He held Lawton Cross’s file down at his side.
    I breathed heavily and watched the agent grow small in the window. I could feel crud from the floor mat on my face and could do nothing about it. My face burned. Not with pain and no longer with anger and embarrassment. It was pure helplessness that burned me now.

19
    Halfway to Westwood I stopped talking to them. It was useless and I knew it but I had spent twenty minutes hitting them with questions, then veiled threats, and no matter what I said there was no response. When we finally got to the federal building the bureau car was driven down into a subterranean