The Last Coyote

arrangement was made by victim and he was not made privy to it. Fox siad it was not unusual practice for victim to make arrangements for liaissons without his knowledge.
    Victim’s undergarment was found with body in ripped condition. Noted, however, a pair of stockings also belonging to the victim showed no tears and were believed to possibly have been removed voluntarily.
    Experience and instinct of investigators leads to the conclusion that the victim met with foul play at the unknown location after voluntarily arriving and possibly removing some clothing. The body was then transported to the trash bin in the alleyway between Vista and Gower, where it was discovered the following morning.
    Witness Meredith Roman was reinterviewed this date and asked to amend her earlier statement. Roman informed this investigator that it was her belief that the victim had gone to a party in Hancock Park the night previous to the discovery of her body. She could provide no address or name of party at the location. Miss Roman said her plan was to attend with victim but on the previous evening she was assaulted by John Fox in a dispute over money. She could not attend the party because she believed a bruise on her face made her unpresentable. (Fox readily acknowledged striking Roman in subsequent telephone interview. Roman refused charges.)
    Investigation is termed at standstill as no further leads have been provided at this time. Investigators are currently seeking the aid of vice section officers in regard to knowledge of similar incidents and/or possible suspects.
    Bosch read the page again and tried to interpret what was really being said about the case. One thing that was clear from it was that regardless of whether there was an interview summary report in the binder, Johnny Fox had obviously been interviewed by Eno and McKittrick. He had been cleared. The question Bosch now had was, why did they not type up a summary report, or had it been typed up and later removed from the murder book? And if so, who removed it and why?
    Lastly, Bosch was curious about the lack of any mention of Arno Conklin in the summary or any other report save for the investigative chronology. Maybe, Bosch thought, more than just the Fox interview summary had been lifted from the binder.
    Bosch got up and went to his briefcase, which he kept on the counter near the kitchen door. From it he took his personal phone book. He didn’t have a number for LAPD archives so he called the regular records number and was transferred. A woman answered after nine rings.
    “Uh, Mrs. Beaupre? Geneva?”
    “Yes?”
    “Hello, this is Harry Bosch. I was there earlier today to pick up a file.”
    “Yes, from Hollywood. The old case.”
    “Yes. Could you tell me, do you still have the checkout card there at the counter?”
    “Hold the line. I already filed it.”
    A moment later she was back.
    “Yes, I have it here.”
    “Could you tell me, who else has checked this binder out in the past?”
    “Why would you need to know that?”
    “There are pages missing from the file, Mrs. Beaupre. I’d like to know who might have them.”
    “Well, you checked it out last. I mentioned that be-”
    “Yes, I know. About five years ago. Is there any listing of it being taken out before that or since then? I didn’t notice when I signed the card today.”
    “Well, hold the line and let me see.” He waited and she was back quickly. “Okay, I’ve got it. According to this card, the only other time that file was ever taken out was in 1972. You’re talking way back.”
    “Who checked it out back then?”
    “It’s scribbled here. I can’t-it looks like maybe Jack…uh, Jack McKillick.”
    “Jake McKittrick.”
    “Could be.”
    Bosch didn’t know what to think. McKittrick had the file last but that was more than ten years after the murder. What did it mean? Bosch felt confusion ambush him. He didn’t know what he had been expecting but he’d hoped there would have been something other than a name scribbled more than twenty years ago.
    “Okay, Mrs. Beaupre, thanks very much.”
    “Well, if you’ve got missing pages I’m going to have to make a report and give it to Mr. Aguilar.”
    “I don’t think that will be necessary, ma’am. I may be wrong about the missing pages. I mean, how could there be missing pages if nobody’s looked at it since the last time I had it?”
    He thanked her again and hung up, hoping his attempt at good humor would persuade her to do