The Drop

homework?”
    “Yes, but I’m not feeling that much better. Did you get a case? You never called today, so I’m thinking you did.”
    “Sorry about that. Actually, I got two cases.”
    He noted her skill in changing the subject from homework.
    “Wow.”
    “Yeah, so I’m going to be a little late. I’ve got one more stop and then I’ll be home. You want soup from Jerry’s Deli? I’m going to be up in the Valley.”
    “Chicken noodle.”
    “You got it. Make a sandwich if you get hungry before I get back. And make sure the door’s locked.”
    “I know, Dad.”
    “And you know where the Glock is.”
    “Yes, I know where it is and I know how to use it.”
    “Okay, that’s my girl.”
    He closed the phone.

10

    I t took him forty-five minutes in rush-hour traffic to get back to Panorama City. He cruised by the Buena Vista apartments and saw lights on behind the shaded windows he believed belonged to the office he had been in earlier. He also saw a driveway on the side of the building that led to a fenced parking area in the rear. There was a no trespassing sign on the gate and it was topped with barbed wire.
    At the next corner he turned left and soon came to an alley that would take him behind the row of apartment buildings that fronted Woodman. He came to the fenced parking lot behind the Buena Vista and pulled to the side of the alley next to a green trash bin. He surveyed the well-lit lot and noted the eight-foot security fence that surrounded it. It was topped with three strands of barbed wire. There was a walk-through gate for accessing the trash bin but it was padlocked and also topped with barbed wire. It appeared to be a fully secured compound.
    There were only three cars in the lot. One of them was a white four-door with what looked like paint damage on its side. He studied the car and soon realized the damage was actually fresh paint. A bad match of flat white paint had been sprayed on the driver’s side doors to cover the graffiti. He knew it was Dr. Stone’s car and that she was still at work inside. He noted that graffiti had also been white-washed along the back wall of the building. A ladder was leaning against the wall next to a door marked with the same sort of warning signs he had seen up front earlier in the day.
    Bosch turned off his car and got out.
    Twenty minutes later he was leaning on the back of the white car in the lot when the rear door of the apartment building opened and Dr. Stone emerged. She was escorted by a man and they both stopped short when they saw Bosch. The man took a protective step in front of Stone but then she put her hand on his arm.
    “It’s okay, Rico. He’s the detective who was here earlier.”
    She continued walking toward her car. Bosch stood up straight.
    “I didn’t mean to scare you. I just wanted to talk to you.”
    This last part slowed her down as she considered it. She then turned to her escort.
    “Thank you, Rico. I’ll be all right with Detective Bosch. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
    “You sure?”
    “Yes, thank you.”
    “See you tomorrow.”
    Rico headed back to the door and used a key to open it. Stone waited until he was back in the building before addressing Bosch.
    “Detective, what are you doing? How did you get back here?”
    “I got back here the same way the gangbangers with the paint did. You have a security problem.”
    He pointed through the fence to the green trash bin.
    “Kind of defeats the purpose of the fence when you have a Dumpster pushed up against it like that. Gives them a climbing platform. If I could get over at my age, it would be a piece of cake for those fifteen-year-olds.”
    Her mouth opened slightly as she looked at the fence line, and the obvious dawned on her. She then looked at Bosch.
    “You came back just to check the security of our parking lot?”
    “No, I came back to apologize.”
    “For what?”
    “The attitude. You’re trying to do a good thing here and I acted as though you were part of the problem. I’m sorry for that.”
    She was clearly taken aback.
    “I still can’t tell you about Clayton Pell.”
    “I know. That’s not why I’m here. I’m already punched out for the day.”
    She pointed to the Mustang on the other side of the fence.
    “Is that your car? How are you going to get back to it?”
    “It’s mine. Now, if I were a TW boy I’d take that ladder you’ve conveniently provided and climb back over. But climbing in was enough for me. I’m hoping you’ll just