The Narrows

see the file containing the photos. Bosch was giving it to her but staying back. He seemed to know things had suddenly swung. This was now more about her than Terry McCaleb, or even Bosch. She took the file and removed one of the photographs McCaleb had taken of the fishing client known to him as Jordan Shandy. She showed it to Billings Rett.
    "Is that the man you knew of as Tom Walling?" Rett spent only a few seconds looking at the photo. "That's it. Right down to that Dodgers hat. We get all the games here on the dish and Tom was Dodger blue through and through." "He drove a car for you?" "The only car. I'm not that big of an operation." "And he told you his sister would come here?" "No, he said she might. And he gave me something." He turned and looked at the shelves behind the bar. He saw what he was looking for and reached up to the top shelf. He pulled down an envelope and handed it to Rachel. The envelope left a rectangle in the dust on the glass shelf. It had been up there awhile.
    The envelope had her full name on it. She turned her body slightly as if to shield it from Bosch and started to open it.
    "Rachel," Bosch said. "Should you process it first?" "It doesn't matter. I know it's from him." She tore the envelope open and pulled out a three-by-five card. She started to read the handwritten note on it. Dear Rachel,
    If as I hope you are the first to read this, then I have taught you well. I hope this finds you in good health and spirits. Most of all, I hope this means you have survived your interment within the bureau and are back on top. I hope he who taketh away can also giveth back. It was never my intention, Rachel, to doom you. It is my intention now, with my last act, to save you.
    Good-bye, Rachel. R

    She reread it quickly and then handed it over her shoulder to Bosch. As he read she continued with Billings Rett.
    "When did he give you that and what exactly did he say?"
    "It was about a month ago, give or take a few days, and it was when he told me he was leaving. He paid me the rent, said he wanted to keep the place, and he gives me the card and says that it's for his sister and that she might come by looking for him. And here you are."
    "I'm not his sister," she snapped at him. "When did he first come to Clear?"
    "Hard to remember, three or four years ago."
    "Why did he come here?"
    Rett shook his head.
    "Beats me. Why do people go to New York City? Everybody's got their reasons. He didn't share his particular reason with me."
    "How did he end up driving for you?" "He was in here shootin' balls one day and I asked him if he needed some work. He said he wouldn't mind and it went from there. It's not a full-time gig. Just when we get a call for somebody looking for a ride. Most people drive themselves up here."
    "And back then, three or four years ago, he told you his name was Tom Walling?"
    "No, he told me that when he rented the trailer from me. That was when he first got here."
    "What about a month ago? Did you say he paid rent and then left?"
    "Yeah, he said he'd be back and wanted to keep the place. He rented it up through August. But he went traveling and I haven't heard from him."
    From outside the trailer an alarm sounded. The Mercedes. Rachel turned to Bosch but he was already heading to the door.
    "I got it," he said.
    He went through the door, leaving Rachel alone with Rett. She turned back to him.
    "Did Tom Walling ever tell you where he came from?"
    "No, he never mentioned it. He didn't talk much."
    "And you never asked."
    "Honey, you don't ask questions in a place like this. People that come here, they don't like answering questions. Tom, he liked to do the driving and pick up a few bucks and every now and then he'd come in and shoot a game by hisself. He didn't drink, he just chewed gum. He never messed with the whores and he was never late on a pickup. All that was fine by me. The guy I got driving now, he's always-" "I don't care about the guy you've got now."
    The bell rang behind her and she turned to see Bosch coming through. He nodded to her, telling her everything was all right.
    "They tried the door. I guess the child lock doesn't work."
    She nodded and turned her attention back to Rett, proud mayor of a brothel town.
    "Mr. Rett?" she asked. "Where is Tom Waiting's placeT'
    "He's got the single-wide on the ridge west of town."
    Rett smiled, revealing a rotten tooth on the front lower row, and continued.
    "He liked being outside of town. He told me he didn't like being so