Trunk Music

don’t like Las Vegas anymore.”
    He hesitated for a moment before saying anything. He almost faltered but then the resolve came back to him.
    “There is that one stop I’d still like to make before we leave. The one we talked about. That is, if you’ve decided.”
    She looked at him for a long moment and then a smile broke across her face.

PART IX
    BOSCH WALKED ACROSS the polished linoleum on the sixth floor of Parker Center, purposely driving his heels down with each step. He wanted to put scuff marks on the carefully tended finish. He turned into the alcove entrance to the Internal Affairs Division and asked the secretary behind the counter for Chastain. She asked if he had an appointment and Bosch told her he didn’t make appointments with people like Chastain. She stared at him a moment and he stared back until she picked up a phone and punched in an extension. After whispering into the line, she held the phone to her chest and looked up at Bosch and then eyed the shoebox and file he held in his hands.
    “He wants to know what it’s about.”
    “Tell him it’s about his case against me falling apart.”
    She whispered some more and then Bosch was finally buzzed through the counter’s half door. He went into the IAD squad room, where several of the desks were occupied by investigators. Chastain stood up from behind one of these.
    “What are you doing here, Bosch? You’re on suspension for letting that prisoner escape.”
    He said it loudly so that the others in the squad room would know that Bosch was a guilty man.
    “The chief cut it down to a week,” Bosch said. “I call that a vacation.”
    “Well, that’s only round one. I still got your file open.”
    “That’s why I’m here.”
    Chastain pointed to the interview room Bosch had been in the week before with Zane.
    “Let’s talk in there.”
    “No,” Bosch said. “We’re not talking, Chastain. I’m just showing.”
    He dropped the file he was carrying on the desk. Chastain remained standing and looked at it without opening it.
    “What is this?”
    “It’s the end of the case. Open it.”
    Chastain sat down and opened the file, exhaling loudly, as if he were embarking on a distasteful and worthless chore. On top was a copy of a page from the department’s manual of procedure and officer conduct. The manual was to IAD dicks what the state penal code was to the rest of the officers and investigators in the department.
    The page in the file pertained to officers associating with known criminals, convicted felons and members of organized crime. Such association was strictly forbidden and punishable by dismissal from the department, according to the code.
    “Bosch, you didn’t need to bring me this, I’ve got the whole book,” Chastain said.
    He was trying out some light banter because he didn’t know what Bosch was doing and was well aware that his peers were watching from their desks while trying to act as if they weren’t.
    “Yeah? Well, you better get your book out and read the bottom line there, pal. The exception.”
    Chastain looked down at the bottom of the page.
    “Says, ‘Exception to this code can be established if the officer can show to the satisfaction of superior officers a family relationship through blood or marriage. If that is established, officer must-’”
    “That’s enough,” Bosch said.
    He reached down and took the page so that Chastain could see what was in the rest of the file.
    “What you have there, Chastain, is a marriage certificate issued in Clark County, Nevada, attesting to my marriage to Eleanor Wish. If that’s not good enough for you, beneath it are two affidavits from my partners. They witnessed the marriage. Best man and maid of honor.”
    Chastain kept his eyes on the paperwork.
    “It’s over, man,” Bosch said. “You lose. So get the fuck out of my life.”
    Chastain leaned back. His face was red and he had an uncomfortable smile on his face. Now he was sure the others were watching.
    “You’re telling me you got married just to avoid an IAD beef?”
    “No, asshole. I got married because I love somebody. That’s why you get married.”
    Chastain didn’t have a reply. He shook his head, looked at his watch and shuffled some papers while trying to act as though this was just a minor interruption in his day. He did everything but look at his nails.
    “Yeah, I thought you’d run out of things to say,” Bosch said. “I’ll see you around, Chastain.”
    He turned to walk