The Concrete Blonde (hb-3)

had been demoted out of it. But friends like Sheehan kept Bosch informed. They told him Rollenberger was another cookie-cutter bureaucrat who avoided controversial and career-threatening decisions the way people avoid panhandlers on the sidewalk, pretending not to see or hear them. He was a climber and, therefore, he couldn’t be trusted. In RHD, the troops already referred to him as “Hans Off,” because that was the kind of commander he was. Morale in RHD, the unit every detective in the police department aspired to, was probably the lowest since the day the Rodney King video hit the TV.
    “Sit down, Detective Bosch,” Irving said cordially. “I think you know everybody.”
    Before Bosch could answer, Rollenberger sprang from his chair and offered his hand.
    “Lieutenant Hans Rollenberger.”
    Bosch shook it, then they both sat down. Bosch noticed a large stack of files at the center of the table and immediately recognized them as the Dollmaker task force case files. The murder books Bosch had were his own personal files. What was piled on the table was the entire main file, probably pulled out of the archives warehouse.
    “We’re sitting down to see what we can do about this problem that’s come up with the Dollmaker case,” Irving said. “I have-as Detective Edgar has probably told you, I am swinging this case over to RHD. I am prepared to have Lieutenant Rollenberger put as many people on it as needed. I have also arranged for the loan of Detective Edgar to the case and you, as soon as you are free from the trial. I want results quickly. This is already turning into a public relations nightmare with what I understand was revealed during testimony today in your trial.”
    “Yeah, well, sorry about that. I was under oath.”
    “I understand that. The problem was you were testifying to things only you knew about. I had my adjutant sit in and he informed us of your, uh, theory on what has happened with this new case. Last night, I made the decision to have RHD handle the matter. After hearing the sense of your testimony today, I want to task-force this and get it going.
    “Now, I want you to bring us up to speed on exactly what is going on, what you think, what you know. Then, we will plan from there.”
    They all looked at Bosch for a moment and he was unsure where to begin. Sheehan stepped in with a question. It was a signal that he believed Irving was playing on the level on this one, that Bosch could feel safe.
    “Edgar says it’s a copycat. That there is no problem with Church?”
    “That’s right,” Bosch answered. “Church was the man. But he was good for nine of the victims, not eleven. He spawned a follower halfway through his run and we didn’t see it.”
    “Tell it,” Irving said.
    He did. It took Bosch forty-five minutes to tell it. Sheehan and Opelt asked several questions as he went. The only thing or person he did not mention was Mora.
    At the end, Irving said, “When you ran this follower theory by Locke, did he say it’s possible?”
    “Yes. With him I think he thinks anything is possible. But he was useful. He made it pretty clear for me. I want to keep him informed. He’s good to bounce stuff off of.”
    “I understand there’s a leak. Could it be Locke?”
    Shaking his head, Bosch said, “I didn’t go to him until last night and Chandler has known things from the start. She knew I was out at the scene the first day. Today she seemed to know the direction we are going, that there is a follower. She’s got a good source keeping her informed. And Bremmer over at the
Times,
who knows. He’s got a lot of sources.”
    “Okay,” Irving said. “Well, aside from Dr. Locke being the exception, nothing in this room leaves this room. No one talks to anyone. You two”-he looked at Bosch and Edgar-”don’t even tell your supervisors at Hollywood what you’re doing.”
    Without naming Pounds, Irving was postulating his suspicion that Pounds could be a leak. Edgar and Bosch nodded in agreement.
    “Now”—Irving looked at Bosch-”where do we go from here?”
    Without hesitation, Bosch said, “We have to retrace the investigation. Like I told you, Locke said it was someone who had intimate access to the case. Who knew every detail and then copied them. It was a perfect cover. For a while, at least.”
    “You’re talking about a cop,” Rollenberger said, his first words since the briefing began.
    “Maybe. But there are other possibilities. The suspect pool is