“You all know what you are doing so I don’t need to brief you. The one thing I do want to say is that it is tough going getting up there. Even with the ramps and the stairs. So be careful. Hold on to the ropes, watch your footing. We don’t want anybody hurt. If you have heavy equipment, break it up and make two or three trips. If you still need help I’ll have the cadets bring it up. Don’t worry about time. Worry about safety. All right, everybody cool?”
He got simultaneous nods from everybody. Bosch signaled Corazon away from the others and into a private conversation.
“You’re not dressed right,” he said.
“Look, don’t you start telling-”
“You want me to take my shirt off so you can see my ribs? The side of my chest looks like blueberry pie because I fell up there last night. Those shoes you’ve got on aren’t going to work. It might look good for the camera but not-”
“I’m fine. I’ll take my chances. Anything else?”
Bosch shook his head.
“I warned you,” he said. “Let’s go.”
He headed toward the ramp, and the others followed. Special Services had constructed a wooden gateway to be used as a checkpoint. A patrol officer stood there with a clipboard. He took each person’s name and affiliation before they were allowed through.
Bosch led the way. The climbing was easier than the day before but his chest burned with pain as he pulled himself along on the rope guides and negotiated the ramps and steps. He said nothing and tried not to show it.
When he got to the acacia trees he signaled the others to hold back while he went under the crime scene tape to check first. He found the area of overturned earth and the small, brown bones he had seen the night before. They appeared undisturbed.
“Okay, come on in here and have a look.”
The group members came under the tape and stood over the bones in a semicircle. The camera started rolling and Corazon now took charge.
“All right, the first thing we’re going to do is back out and take photos. Then we’re going to set up a grid and Dr. Kohl will supervise the excavation and recovery. If you find anything, photograph it nine ways from Sunday before you collect it.”
She turned to one of the investigators.
“Finch, I want you to handle the sketches. Standard grid. Document everything. Don’t assume we will be able to rely on photos.”
Finch nodded. Corazon turned to Bosch.
“Detective, I think we’ve got it. The less people in here the better.”
Bosch nodded and handed her a two-way radio.
“I’ll be around. If you need me use the rover. Cell phones don’t work up here. But be careful what you say.”
He pointed up at the sky, where the media helicopters were circling.
“Speaking of which,” Kohl said, “I think we’re going to string a tarp up off these trees so we can have some privacy as well as cut down on the sun glare. Is that okay with you?”
“It’s your crime scene now,” Bosch said. “Run with it.”
He headed back down the ramp with Edgar behind him.
“Harry, this could take days,” Edgar said.
“And maybe then some.”
“Well, they’re not going to give us days. You know that, right?”
“Right.”
“I mean, these cases… we’ll be lucky if we even come up with an ID.”
“Right.”
Bosch kept moving. When he got down to the street he saw that Lt. Billets was on the scene with her supervisor, Capt. LeValley.
“Jerry, why don’t you go get the cadets ready?” Bosch said. “Give them the crime scene one-oh-one speech. I’ll be over in a minute.”
Bosch joined Billets and LeValley and updated them on what was happening, detailing the morning’s activities right down to the neighborhood complaints about noise from the hammers, saws and helicopters.
“We’ve got to give something to the media,” LeValley said. “Media Relations wants to know if you want them to handle it from downtown or you want to take it here.”
“I don’t want to take it. What does Media Relations know about it?”
“Almost nothing. So you have to call them and they’ll work up the press release.”
“Captain, I’m kind of busy here. Can I-”
“Make the time, Detective. Keep them off our backs.”
When Bosch looked away from the captain to the reporters gathered a half block away at the roadblock, he noticed Julia Brasher showing her badge to a patrol officer and being allowed through. She was in street clothes.
“All right. I’ll make the call.”
He started down the street to Dr. Guyot’s home. He was headed toward Brasher, who smiled at him as she approached.
“I’ve got your Mag. It’s in my car down here. I have to go down to Dr. Guyot’s house anyway.”
“Oh, don’t worry about it. That’s not why I’m here.”
She changed direction and continued with Bosch. He looked at her attire: faded blue jeans and a T-shirt from a 5K charity run.
“You’re not on the clock, are you?”
“No, I work the three-to-eleven. I just thought you might need a volunteer. I heard about the academy call out.”
“You want to go up there and look for bones, huh?”
“I want to learn.”
Bosch nodded. They walked up the path to Guyot’s door. It opened before they got there and the doctor invited them in. Bosch asked if he could use the phone in his office again and Guyot showed him the way even though he didn’t have to. Bosch sat down behind the desk.
“How are the ribs?” the doctor asked.
“Fine.”
Brasher raised her eyebrows and Bosch picked up on it.
“Had a little accident when I was up there last night.”
“What happened?”
“Oh, I was just sort of minding my own business when a tree trunk suddenly attacked me for no reason.”
She grimaced and somehow managed to smile at the same time.
Bosch dialed Media Relations from memory and told an officer about the case in very general terms. At one point he put his hand over the phone and asked Guyot if he wanted his name put in the press release. The doctor declined. A few minutes later Bosch was finished and hung up. He looked at Guyot.
“Once we clear the scene in a few days the reporters will probably stick around. They’ll be looking for the dog that found the bone, is my guess. So if you want to stay out of it, keep Calamity off the street or they’ll put two and two together.”
“Good advice,” Guyot said.
“And you might want to call your neighbor, Mr. Ulrich, and tell him not to mention it to any reporters, either.”
On the way out of the house Bosch asked Brasher if she wanted her flashlight and she said she didn’t want to bother carrying it while she was helping search the hillside.
“Get it to me whenever,” she said.
Bosch liked the answer. It meant he would get at least one more chance to see her.
Back at the circle Bosch found Edgar lecturing the academy cadets.
