The Reversal

hit—”
    “Stepfather.”
    “Excuse me?”
    “You said ‘your father.’ He wasn’t my father. He was my stepfather.”
    “My mistake. I’m sorry. The bottom line is Kensington Landy’s DNA was in the data bank and it’s a match with the sample from the dress. What could not be determined is how long that sample was on the dress at the time of its discovery. It could have been deposited on the dress the day of the murder or the week before or maybe even a month before.”
    Sarah started flying on autopilot. She was there but not there. Her eyes were fixed on a distance that was far beyond the room they were in.
    “We have a theory, Sarah. The autopsy that was conducted on your sister determined that she had not been sexually abused by her killer or anyone else prior to that day. We also know the dress she wore happened to be yours and Melissa was borrowing it that morning because she liked it.”
    McPherson paused but Sarah said nothing.
    “When we get to trial we’re going to have to explain the semen found on the dress. If we can’t explain it, the assumption will be that it came from the killer and that killer was your stepfather. We will lose the case and Jessup, the real killer, will walk away free. I’m sure you don’t want that, do you, Sarah? There are some people out there who think twenty-four years in prison is enough time served for the murder of a twelve-year-old girl. They don’t know why we’re doing this. But I want you to know that I don’t think that, Sarah. Not by a long shot.”
    Sarah Gleason didn’t answer at first. Bosch expected tears but none came and he began to wonder if her emotions had been cauterized by the traumas and depravities of her life. Or maybe she simply had an internal toughness that her diminutive stature camouflaged. Either way, when she finally responded, it was in a flat, emotionless voice that belied the heartfelt words she spoke.
    “You know what I always thought?” she said.
    McPherson leaned forward.
    “What, Sarah?”
    “That that man killed three people that day. My sister, then my mother… and then me. None of us got away.”
    There was a long moment of silence. McPherson slowly reached out and put her hand on Gleason’s arm, a gesture of comfort where no comfort could exist.
    “I’m sorry, Sarah,” McPherson whispered.
    “Okay,” Gleason said. “I’ll tell you everything.”

Thirteen
    Thursday, February 18, 8:15 P.M .
    M y daughter was already missing her mother’s cooking—and she’d only been gone one day. I was dropping her half-eaten sandwich into the garbage and wondering how the hell I could’ve messed up a grilled cheese when my cell phone’s ring interrupted. It was Maggie checking in from the road.
    “Tell me something good,” I said by way of greeting.
    “You get to spend the evening with our beautiful daughter.”
    “Yes, that’s something good. Except she doesn’t like my cooking. Now tell me something else that’s good.”
    “Our primary witness is good to go. She’ll testify.”
    “She made the ID?”
    “She did.”
    “She told you about the DNA and it fits with our theory?”
    “She did and it does.”
    “And she’ll come down here and testify to all of it at the trial?”
    “She will.”
    I felt a twelve-volt charge go through my body.
    “That’s actually a lot of good things, Maggie. Is there any downside?”
    “Well…”
    I felt the wind go out of the sails. I was about to learn that Sarah was still a drug addict or there was some other issue that would prevent me from using her at trial.
    “Well, what?”
    “Well, there are going to be challenges to her testimony, of course, but she’s pretty solid. She’s a survivor and it shows. There’s really only one thing missing: emotions. She’s been through a lot in her life and she basically seems to be a bit burned out—emotionally. No tears, no laughter, just straight down the middle.”
    “We can work on that. We can coach her.”
    “Yeah, well, we just have to be careful with that. I am not saying she isn’t fine the way she is. I’m just saying that she’s sort of a flat line. Everything else is good. I think you’re going to like her and I think she’ll help us put Jessup back in prison.”
    “That’s fantastic, Maggie. Really. And you’re still all right handling her at trial, right?”
    “I’ve got her.”
    “Royce will attack her on the meth—memory loss and all of that. Her lifestyle… you’ll have to be ready