The Drop

then cuffs would come out and he would be arrested.
    McQuillen was a former cop and this made him a dangerous arrest target. Almost all ex-cops owned guns and they all knew how to use them. Bosch would have Chu run a check on the ATF gun registry but he knew that such a check would not be conclusive. Cops picked up and seized guns on the street all the time. Not all of them were turned in to Property. An ATF backgrounding would only tell them what McQuillen legally owned.
    Because of these concerns Bosch determined first and foremost that McQuillen would not be approached at home. That would put him too close to whatever known and unknown weapons he had. His car would also be a poor choice for the same reasons.
    Bosch had already seen the inside of the B&W garage and dispatch office. This gave him a strategic edge. It would also be the least likely place for McQuillen to be armed. It would be one thing if he was driving a cab on the dark edges of Hollywood, but dispatching cabs there was not as dangerous.
    The desk phone rang and the screen simply said LATIMES. Bosch was tempted to let it go to message but then thought better of it.
    “Open-Unsolved.”
    “Is Detective Bosch there?”
    “Speaking.”
    “Detective, this is Emily Gomez-Gonzmart across the street at the Los Angeles Times . I’m working on a story about the murder investigation of George Irving and I want to ask you a few questions.”
    Bosch froze for a long moment. He had a sudden desire for a cigarette. He knew of the reporter. She was nicknamed “GoGo” because she relentlessly pursued the stories she was following.
    “Detective?”
    “Yes, sorry, I’m in the middle of something here. You called it a murder. What makes you think it is a murder investigation? It’s a death investigation, yes. But we have not called it a murder. We have not made that conclusion.”
    Now she paused for a moment before answering.
    “Well, my information is that it is a murder investigation and there is a suspect who will be arrested soon, if he has not already been taken into custody. This suspect is a former police officer with an ax to grind against both Councilman Irving and his son. That’s why I’m calling you, Detective. Can you confirm this and have you made an arrest in the case?”
    Bosch was stunned by the depth of her information.
    “Look, I am not confirming anything. There has been no arrest and I am not sure where you are getting your information, but it is not correct.”
    Her voice changed now. It became more of a whisper and it carried an intimate who are you kidding? quality to it.
    “Detective,” she said, “we both know that my information is correct. We are going with the story and I would like your comments for the record. You are, after all, the lead investigator. But if you can’t or won’t talk to me, then I’ll go without you and I will report just that, that you refused to comment.”
    Bosch’s mind was scrambling. He knew how it worked. The story would be in the morning’s paper, but long before that, it would go out online through the newspaper’s website. And when it hit the digital universe it would be read by every assignment editor at every television and radio station in town. Within an hour of the post on the Times website, there would be a media frenzy. And whether named in the story or not, McQuillen would know Bosch was coming for him.
    Bosch couldn’t have that. He couldn’t have the media rush him or dictate his moves in any way. He realized that he had to cut a deal here.
    “Who is your source?” he asked, just to gain a little time to consider ways of handling this.
    GoGo laughed, as Bosch knew she would.
    “Detective, please. You know I can’t reveal my sources. If you want to become an unnamed source, then I would offer you the same absolute protection. I’d go to jail before revealing sources. But I would prefer to have you on the record.”
    Bosch raised his head and looked out of the cubicle. The squad room was mostly deserted. Tim Marcia was at his desk near the lieutenant’s office. The L.T.’s door was closed as usual and it was impossible to know if she was holing up in there or out at a meeting.
    “I wouldn’t mind going on the record,” he said. “But you know that with a case like this, with the political connections and whatnot, I can’t go on the record without permission. It could mean my job. You’ll have to hold back until I can get it.”
    He hoped that by saying his job