The Reversal

found room three without a further problem. He leaned close to the jamb to see if he could pick up any sound. He heard nothing.
    There was a peephole. He put his finger over it and knocked. He waited and then knocked again.
    “Sonia, open up. Eddie sent me.”
    “Who are you?”
    The voice was female, ragged and suspicious. Bosch used the universal pass code.
    “Doesn’t matter. Eddie sent me with somethin’ to hold you over till he’s done.”
    No response.
    “Okay, Sonia, I’ll tell him you weren’t interested. I’ve got someone else who wants it.”
    He took his finger off the peep and started walking away. Almost immediately the door opened behind him.
    “Wait.”
    Bosch turned back. The door was open six inches. He saw a set of hollow eyes looking out at him, a dim light behind them.
    “Let me see.”
    Bosch looked around.
    “What, out here?” he said. “They got cameras all over the place.”
    “Eddie tol’ me not to open the door for strangers. You look like a cop to me.”
    “Well, maybe I am, but that doesn’t change that Eddie sent me.”
    Bosch started to turn again.
    “Like I said, I’ll tell him I tried. Have a nice night.”
    “Okay, okay. You can come in but only to make the drop. Nothing else.”
    Bosch walked back toward the door. She moved behind it and opened it. He entered and turned to her and saw the gun. It was an old revolver and he saw no bullets in the exposed chambers. Bosch raised his hands chest high. He could tell she was hurting. She’d been waiting too long for somebody, putting blind junkie trust in something that wouldn’t pay off.
    “That’s not necessary, Sonia. Besides, I don’t think Eddie left you with any bullets.”
    “I got one left. You want to try it?”
    Probably the one she was saving for herself. She was skin and bones and close to the end of the line. No junkie went the distance.
    “Give it to me,” she ordered. “Now.”
    “Okay, take it easy. I have it right here.”
    He reached his right hand into his coat pocket and pulled out a balled piece of aluminum foil he had taken from a roll in Mickey Haller’s kitchen. He held it out to the right of his body and he knew her desperate eyes would follow it. He shot his left hand out and snatched the gun out of her hand. He then stepped forward and roughly shoved her onto the bed.
    “Shut up and don’t move,” he commanded.
    “What is—?”
    “I said shut up!”
    He popped the gun’s barrel out and checked it. She had been right. There was one bullet left. He slid it out into his palm and then put it in his pocket. He hooked the gun into his belt. Then he pulled his badge wallet and opened it for her to see.
    “You had that right,” he said.
    “What do you want?”
    “We’ll get to that.”
    Bosch moved around the bed, looking about the threadbare room. It smelled like cigarettes and body odor. There were several plastic grocery bags on the floor containing her belongings. Shoes in one, clothing in a few others. On the bed’s lone side table was an overloaded ashtray and a glass pipe.
    “What are you hurting for, Sonia. Crack? Heroin? Or is it meth?”
    She didn’t answer.
    “I can help you better if I know what you need.”
    “I don’t want your help.”
    Bosch turned and looked at her. So far things were going exactly as he predicted they would.
    “Really?” he said. “Don’t need my help? You think Eddie Roman is going to come back for you?”
    “He’s coming back.”
    “I got news for you. He’s already gone. I’m guessing they got him cleaned up nice and neat and he won’t be coming back up here once he does what they want him to do. He’ll take the paycheck and when that runs out he’ll just find himself a new trick partner.”
    He paused and looked at her.
    “Somebody who still has something somebody would want to buy.”
    Her eyes took on the distant look of someone who knows the truth when she hears it.
    “Leave me alone,” she said in a hoarse whisper.
    “I know I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. You’ve been waiting for Eddie longer than you thought you would, huh? How many days you have left on the room?”
    He read the answer in her eyes.
    “Already past, huh? Probably giving the guy in the office blowjobs to let you stay. How long’s that going to last? Pretty soon he’ll just want the money.”
    “I said go away.”
    “I will. But you come with me, Sonia. Right now.”
    “What do you want?”
    “I want to know