why he’s in L.A.?”
“I don’t know, he’s some kind of a big screenwriter. The studio put him up in one of those bungalows in the back where Belushi died. That’s two grand a night and he said he was in town for the whole week. He said he’s doing rewrites on a script.”
At least that answered one question before Bosch had to ask it. How long would they have local access to Rapport if they needed him?
“So did the studio pop for a limo? How’d he get to the hotel?”
“Uh . . . no, he took a cab in from the airport. His plane landed early and the studio car wasn’t there yet, so he grabbed a cab. He said that’s why Irving got in front of him at the check-in. They arrived at the same time but Rapport had to wait for the cab driver to print out a receipt and it took forever. He was sort of pissed about that. He was on East Coast time and dead tired. He wanted to get into his bungalow.”
Bosch felt a brief stirring in his gut. It was a mixture of instinct and knowing that there was an order of things in the world. The truth was revealed to the righteous. He often felt it at the moment things started to tumble together on a case.
“Jerry,” he said, “did Rapport tell you which cab company brought him to the hotel?”
“You mean what kind?”
“Yeah, you know, Valley Cab, Yellow Cab, which company? It says it on the door of the taxi.”
“He didn’t say but what’s that got to do with anything?”
“Maybe nothing. Did you get a cell phone for this guy?”
“No, but he’s there at the hotel for a week.”
“Right. I got that. I tell you what, Jerry, I want you and your partner to go back over to the hotel and ask about the man on the fire escape. Find out if they had anybody working that night who could have been the man on the ladder. And find out about the uniforms they wear.”
“Come on, Bosch. It was at least two hours before Irving went down. Most likely longer.”
“I don’t care if it was two days, I want you out there asking the questions. Send me the report when you’re done. By tonight.”
Bosch closed the phone. He turned and looked at Chu.
“Let me see the file on Irving’s taxi franchise client.”
Chu looked through the stack of files and handed one to Bosch.
“What’s going on?” Chu asked.
“Nothing yet. What are you working on?”
“The insurance. So far, it’s all legit. But I have to make a call.”
“Me, too.”
Bosch picked up his desk phone and called the Chateau Marmont. He was in luck. When he was transferred to Thomas Rapport’s bungalow the writer answered.
“Mr. Rapport, this is Detective Bosch with the LAPD. I have a few follow-up questions regarding the interview you gave my colleagues earlier. Would this be a good time to talk?”
“Uh, not really. I’m in the middle of a scene right at the moment.”
“A scene?”
“A movie scene. I’m writing a movie scene.”
“I see and I understand, but this will only take a few minutes of your time and this is very important to the investigation.”
“Did the guy jump or was he pushed?”
“We can’t say for sure, sir, but if you answer a couple questions, we will be closer to knowing.”
“Go ahead, Detective. I’m all yours. From your voice, I’m picturing you as sort of a Columbo-looking guy.”
“That’s fine, sir. Can I start?”
“Yes, Detective.”
“You arrived at the hotel on Sunday evening by taxi, is that correct?”
“Yes, it is. Direct from LAX. Archway was supposed to send a car but I got in early and there was no car. I didn’t want to wait, so I just took a cab.”
“Do you happen to remember the name of the cab company you used?”
“The company? You mean like Checker Cab or something?”
“Yes, sir. We have several companies that are licensed to operate in the city. I’m looking for the name that was on the door of your cab.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t know it. There was just a line of taxis and I jumped in one.”
“You remember what color it was?”
“No. I just remember it was dirty inside. I should’ve waited for the studio car.”
“You told Detectives Solomon and Glanville that you were delayed a bit on your arrival at the hotel while waiting for the cab driver to print out a receipt. Do you have that receipt handy?”
“Hold on.”
While Bosch waited, he opened the file for Irving’s taxi franchise project and started looking through the documents. He found the contract Irving had signed with Regent five months earlier, then came to a letter that was addressed to the city’s franchise board. It informed the board that Regent Taxi would be competing for the Hollywood franchise when it came up for renewal in the coming year. The letter also listed the “performance and trust” issues facing the current franchise holder, Black & White Taxi. Before Bosch finished reading the letter, Rapport came back on the phone.
“I have it here, Detective. It was Black and White. That was the name of the company.”
“Thank you, Mr. Rapport. I have one last question. Does it say on the receipt who the driver was?”
“Uh . . . hmm . . . uh, no, it just gives his number. It says driver twenty-six. Does that help?”
“It does, sir. It helps a lot. Now, that’s a pretty nice place you’re staying in, right?”
“Very nice, and I think you know who died here.”
“Yes, I do. But the reason I ask is, do you know if that room is equipped with a fax machine?”
“I don’t have to look. I know it is because I faxed pages to the set an hour ago. You want me to fax you this receipt?”
“Exactly, sir.”
Bosch gave him the number to the fax in the lieutenant’s office. No one would be able to look at the receipt except Duvall.
“It will be on its way as soon as I hang up, Lieutenant,” Rapport said.
“That’s Detective.”
“I keep forgetting you’re not Columbo.”
“No, sir, I’m not. But I am going to hit you with just one more question.”
Rapport laughed.
“Go ahead.”
“It’s a tight space in the garage area where you come in. Did your taxi pull in ahead of Mr. Irving’s car or was it the other way around?”
“Other way. We pulled in right behind him.”
“So when Irving got out of his car, did you see him?”
“Yeah, he stood there and gave his keys to the valet guy. The valet then wrote his name on a receipt and tore off the bottom half and gave it to him. The usual thing.”
“Did your driver see this?”
“I don’t know but he had a better view through the windshield than I did in the back.”
“Thank you, Mr. Rapport, and good luck with the scene you’re writing.”
“I hope I’ve helped.”
“You have.”
Bosch hung up and while he waited for the receipt to arrive via fax, he called George Irving’s office manager, Dana Rosen, and asked her about the letter to the city’s franchise board that was in the Regent Taxi file.
“Is this a copy or the original that was not yet sent out?” he asked.
“Oh, no, that was sent out. We sent it individually to every member of the board. That was the first step in
