step out and then closed the door.
“What happened?” Gandle asked.
Chu was waiting out front of the AGU building when Bosch pulled up. He was holding a briefcase, which made Bosch think that he had found some information on Henry Lau. He hopped in and Bosch took off.
“We’re starting in Venice?” Chu asked.
“That’s right. What did you find on Lau?”
“Nothing?.”
Bosch looked over at him.
“Nothing?”
“As far as we know, he’s clean. I could not find his name anywhere in our intelligence files. I also talked to some people and made some calls. Nothing. By the way, I did print out his DL photo.”
He leaned down and opened his briefcase and pulled out the color printout of Lau’s driver’s license photo. He handed it to Bosch, who stole quick glances at it as he drove. They got on the Broadway entrance to the 101 and took it up to the 110. The freeways were congested downtown.
Lau had smiled at the camera. He had a fresh face and a stylish cut to his hair. It was hard to connect the face with triad work, particularly the cold-blooded murder of a liquor store owner. The address in Venice didn’t fit well either.
“I also checked with ATF. Henry Lau is the registered owner of a nine-millimeter Glock Model Nineteen. Not only did he load it, he owns it.”
“When did he buy it?”
“Six years ago, the day after he turned twenty-one.”
To Bosch that meant they were getting warm. Lau owned the right gun and his purchase of the weapon as soon as he was of legal age most likely indicated that he had had a long-term desire to acquire a weapon. That made him a traveler in the world Bosch knew. His connection to John Li and Bo-Jing Chang would become apparent once they had him in custody and started taking apart his life.
They connected to the 10 and headed west toward the Pacific. Bosch’s phone buzzed and he answered without looking, expecting the caller to be Haller with news about the meeting with the Hong Kong detectives being over.
“Harry, it’s Dr. Hinojos. We’re waiting for you.”
Bosch had forgotten. For more than thirty years he had simply moved with an investigation when it was time to move. He had never had to think about anybody else.
“Oh, Doctor! I’m so sorry. I completely-I’m on my way to pick up a suspect.”
“What do you mean?”
“We got a break and I had to-is there any way that Maddie could stay with you a little while longer”
“Well, this is…I suppose she could stay here. I really just have administrative work the rest of the day. Are you sure this is what you want to do?”
“Look, I know this is bad. It looks bad. She just got here and I left her with you and forgot. But this case is the reason she’s here. I have to ride it out. I’m going to grab this guy if he’s home and come back downtown. I’ll call you then. I’ll come get her then.”
“Okay, Harry. I could use the extra time with her. You and I are also going to need to find time to talk. About Maddie and then about you.”
“Okay, we will. Is she there? Can I speak to her?”
“Hold on.”
After a few moments Maddie got on the line.
“Dad?”
With one word she imparted all of the messages: surprise, disappointment, disbelief, terrible letdown.
“I know, baby. I’m sorry. Something’s come up and I need to go with it. Go with Dr. Hinojos and I will be there as fast as I can.”
“All right.”
A double helping of disappointment. Bosch feared it would not be the last time.
“Okay, Mad. I love you.”
He closed the phone and put it away.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” he said before Chu could ask a question.
“Okay,” Chu said.
The traffic opened up and they made it into Venice in less than a half hour. Along the way Bosch took another call, this one the expected one from Haller. He told Harry that the Hong Kong police would bother him no further.
“That’s it, then?”
“They’ll be in touch about your ex-wife’s body, but that’s it. They’re dropping any inquiry into your part in this.”
“What about Sun Yee?”
“They claim he is being released from questioning and that he faces no charges. You will need to contact him, of course, to confirm.”
“Don’t worry, I will. Thank you, Mickey.”
“All in a day’s work.”
“Send me the bill.”
“No, we’re even, Harry. Instead of billing you, why don’t you let my daughter meet your daughter? They’re almost the