The Reversal

scene people and coroner’s people dealt with the body. We soon learned that the parking lot adjacent to the rear yard of the theater had previously been used as a temporary auto storage point by a towing company. We learned that company was Aardvark Towing.’ ”
    “ ‘What did that mean to you?’ ”
    “ ‘To me it meant there was now a second connection between the murder of this girl and Aardvark. We had the lone witness, Sarah Landy, identifying one of the Aardvark drivers as the abductor, and now we had the victim found in a Dumpster next to a parking lot used by Aardvark drivers. To me the case was coming together.’ ”
    “ ‘What was your next step?’ ”
    “ ‘At that point my partner and I split up. He stayed with the crime scene and I went back to Wilshire Division to work on search warrants.’ ”
    “ ‘Search warrants for what?’ ”
    “ ‘One for the entire premises at Aardvark Towing. One for the tow truck Jessup was driving that day. And two more for Jessup’s home and personal car.’ ”
    “ ‘And did you receive these search warrants?’ ”
    “ ‘Yes, I did. Judge Richard Pittman was on call and he happened to be playing golf at Wilshire Country Club. I brought him the warrants and he signed them on the ninth hole. We then began the searches, starting at Aardvark.’ ”
    “ ‘Were you present at this search?’ ”
    “ ‘Yes, I was. My partner and I were in charge of it.’ ”
    “ ‘And at some point did you become aware of any particular evidence being found that you deemed important to the case?’ ”
    “ ‘Yes. At one point the forensics team leader, a man named Art Donovan, informed me that they had recovered three hairs that were brown in color and over a foot in length each from the tow truck that Jason Jessup was driving that day.’ ”
    “ ‘Did Donovan tell you specifically where in the truck these hair specimens were found?’ ”
    “ ‘Yes, he said they were caught in the crack between the lower and upper parts of the truck’s bench seat.’ ”
    Bosch closed the transcript there. Kloster’s testimony continued but they had reached the point where Haller had said he would stop because he would have all he needed on the record.
    The judge then asked Royce if he wished to have any of the defense’s cross-examination read into the record. Royce stood to respond, holding two paper-clipped documents in his hand.
    “For the record, I am reluctant to participate in a procedure I object to but since the court is calling the game, I shall play along. I have two brief read-backs of Detective Kloster’s cross-examination. May I give a highlighted printout to Detective Bosch? I think it will make this much easier.”
    “Very well,” the judge said.
    The courtroom deputy took one of the documents from Royce and delivered it to Bosch, who quickly scanned it. It was only two pages of testimony transcriptions. Two exchanges were highlighted in yellow. As Bosch read them over, the judge explained to the jury that Royce would read questions posed by Jessup’s previous defense attorney, Charles Barnard, while Bosch would continue to read the responses of Detective Doral Kloster.
    “You may proceed, Mr. Royce.”
    “Thank you, Your Honor. Now reading from the transcript, ‘Detective, how long was it from when you closed and locked Aardvark Towing and took the three drivers over to Windsor, and returned with the search warrant?’ ”
    “ ‘May I refer to the case chronology?’ ”
    “ ‘You may.’ ”
    “ ‘It was about two hours and thirty-five minutes.’ ”
    “ ‘And when you left Aardvark Towing, how did you secure those premises?’ ”
    “ ‘We closed the garages, and one of the drivers—I believe, Mr. Clinton—had a key to the door. I borrowed it to lock the door.’ ”
    “ ‘Did you return the key to him after?’ ”
    “ ‘No, I asked if I could keep it for the time being and he said that was okay.’ ”
    “ ‘So when you went back with the signed search warrant, you had the key and you simply unlocked the door to enter.’ ”
    “ ‘That is correct.’ ”
    Royce flipped the page on his copy and told Bosch to do likewise.
    “Okay, now reading from another point in the cross-examination. ‘Detective Kloster, what did you conclude when you were told about the hair specimens found in the tow truck Mr. Jessup had been driving that day?’ ”
    “ ‘Nothing. The specimens had not been identified yet.’ ”
    “ ‘At