The Concrete Blonde (hb-3)

right for me?”
    “Ray, I don’t know what to tell you. Those kids on the video are underage. But I only know that because of an illegal search. You end this now and put away the gun, we can work something out.”
    “Yeah, Harry? Can everything go back to the way it was? The badge is all I’ve got. I can’t give-”
    “Ray. I—“
    “Shut up! Just shut up! I’m trying to think.”
    Bosch felt the anger hitting him in the back like rain.
    “You know my secret, Bosch. How the fuck does that make you feel?”
    Bosch had no answer. His mind was tumbling, trying to come up with the next move, the next sentence, when he flinched at the sound of Sheehan’s voice coming over the rover in his pocket.
    “We lost him. He’s not in the theater.”
    There was a sharp degree of urgency in Sheehan’s voice.
    Bosch and Mora were silent, listening.
    “What do you mean, Team One?” Rollenberger’s voice said.
    “Who’s that?” Mora asked.
    “Rollenberger, RHD,” Bosch answered.
    Sheehan’s voice said, “The movie got out ten minutes ago. People came out but he didn’t. I went in, he’s gone. His car is still here but he’s gone.”
    “I thought one of you went in?” Rollenberger barked, his own voice tightening with panic.
    “We did, but we lost him,” Sheehan said.
    “Liar,” Mora said. A long moment of silence followed before he said, “Now, they’ll probably start hitting the hotels, looking for me. Because to them, I’m the Follower.”
    “Yes,” Bosch said. “But they know I’m here, Ray. I should call in.”
    As if on cue, Sheehan’s voice came from the rover.
    “Team Six?”
    “That’s Sheehan, Ray. I’m Six.”
    “Call him. Be careful, Harry.”
    Bosch slowly took the radio out of his pocket with his right hand and held it up to his mouth. He pressed the transmitter.
    “One, did you find him?”
    “Negative. In the wind. What’s on TV?”
    “Nothing. There’s nothing on tonight.”
    “Then you ought to leave the house and help us out.”
    “Already on the way,” Bosch said quickly. “Where are you at?”
    “Bo—uh, Team Six, this is Team Leader, we need you to come in. We’re bringing in the task force to help locate the suspect. All units will meet at the Dome parking lot.”
    “Be there in ten. Out.”
    He dropped his arm back to his side.
    “A whole task force, huh?” Mora asked.
    Bosch looked down and nodded.
    “Look, Ray, that was all code. They know I went to your house. If I don’t show up at the Dome in ten minutes they’ll come looking for me here. What do you want to do?”
    “I don’t know... but I guess that gives me at least fifteen minutes to decide, doesn’t it?”
    “Sure, Ray. Take your time. Don’t make a mistake.”
    “Too late for that,” he said, almost wistfully. Then he added, “Tell you what. Take out the tape.”
    Bosch ejected the tape and held it up over his left shoulder to Mora.
    “No, no, I want you to do this for me, Harry. Open the bottom drawer and take out the magnet.”
    That’s what the hockey puck was. Bosch put the tape on top of the stand next to the TV and reached down for the magnet. Feeling its heaviness as he lifted it, he wondered if he’d have a chance, if he could maybe turn and hurl it at Mora before the vice cop got off a shot.
    “You’d be dead before you tried,” Mora said, knowing his thoughts. “You know what to do with it.”
    Bosch ran the magnet over the top side of the tape.
    “Let’s put it in and see how we did,” Mora instructed.
    “Okay, Ray. Whatever you say.”
    Bosch put the tape into the VCR and pushed the play button. The screen filled with the static of a dead channel. It cast a grayish shroud of dull light over Bosch. He hit the fast forward button and the static continued. The tape had been wiped clean.
    “Good,” Mora said. “That ought to do it. That was the last tape.”
    “No evidence, Ray. You’re in the clear.”
    “But you’ll always know. And you’ll tell them, won’t you, Harry? You’ll tell IAD. You’ll tell the world. I’ll never be clear, so don’t fuckin’ say I’ll be clear. Everyone will know.”
    Bosch didn’t answer. After a moment, he thought he heard the creaking of the wood floor. When Mora spoke, he was very close behind.
    “Let me give you a tip, Harry... Nobody in this world is who they say they are. Nobody. Not when they’re in their own room with the door shut and locked. And nobody knows anybody, no matter what they think... The best