Her eyes widened.
“Who? Did he say why he did this?”
“His name is Luke Goshen. He’s from Las Vegas. Have you ever heard of him?”
Confusion spread across her face.
“No, who is he?”
“He’s a mobster, Mrs. Aliso. And your husband knew him pretty well, I’m afraid. We’re going to Las Vegas now to get him. If all goes well, we will be coming back with him tomorrow. Then the case will proceed through the courts. There will be a preliminary hearing in municipal court, and then if Goshen is bound over for trial as we assume he will be, there will be a trial in Los Angeles Superior Court. It is likely you will have to testify briefly during the trial. Testify for the prosecution.”
She nodded, her eyes far off.
“Why did he do it?”
“We’re not sure yet. We’re working on that. We do know that your husband was involved in business dealings with this man’s, uh, employer. A man named Joseph Marconi. Do you recall if your husband ever mentioned Goshen or Joseph Marconi?”
“No.”
“What about the names Lucky or Joey Marks?”
She shook her head in the negative.
“What business dealings?” she asked.
“He was cleaning money for them. Washing it through his film business. You sure you did not know anything about this?”
“Of course not. Do I need my lawyer? You know he already told me not to talk to you people.”
Bosch gave an easy smile and held his hands up.
“No, Mrs. Aliso, you don’t need your lawyer. We’re just trying to get to the facts of the case. If you knew something about your husband’s business dealings, it might help us build a case against this man Goshen and possibly his employer. You see, right now we’ve got this Goshen character pretty well tied up for this. We’re not sweating that. We’ve got ballistics, fingerprints, hard evidence. But he wouldn’t have done what he did if Joey Mark didn’t tell him to. Joey Marks is who we’d really like to get. And the more information I have about your husband and his business, the better the chance we have of getting to Joey Marks. So if there is anything you can help us with, now is the time to tell us.”
He was silent and waited. She looked down at the now folded piece of paper in her hand. She finally nodded to herself and looked at him.
“I know nothing about his business,” she said. “But there was a call last week. It came here on Wednesday night. He took it in the office and closed the door but . . . I went to the door and listened. I could hear his side of it.”
“What did he say?”
“He called the caller Lucky. I know that. He did a lot of listening and then he said he’d be out there by the end of the week. He then said he’d see the caller at the club. And that was it.”
Bosch nodded.
“Why didn’t you tell us this before?”
“I didn’t think it was important. I . . . you see, I thought he was talking to a woman. The name Lucky, I thought it was a woman’s name.”
“Was that why you were listening through the door?”
She averted her eyes and nodded her head.
“Mrs. Aliso, have you ever hired a private investigator to follow your husband?”
“No. I thought about it but I didn’t.”
“But you suspected he was having an affair?”
“Affairs, Detective. I not only suspected, I knew. A wife can tell.”
“Okay, Mrs. Aliso. Do you remember anything else about the telephone conversation? Anything else that was said?”
“No. Just what I told you.”
“It might help us with the court case, as far as questions of premeditation go, if we could isolate this call. Are you sure it was Wednesday?”
“Yes, because he left the next day.”
“What time did the call come in?”
“It was late. We were watching the news on Channel Four. So it was after eleven and before eleven-thirty. I don’t think I can narrow it down any further.”
“Okay, Mrs. Aliso, that’s good.”
Bosch looked over at Edgar and raised his eyebrows. Edgar just nodded. He was ready to go. They stood up and Veronica Aliso led them to the door.
“Oh,” Bosch said before he got to the door. “There was a question that came up about your husband. Do you know, did he have a regular doctor that he went to?”
“Yes, on occasion. Why?”
“Well, I wanted to check to see if he suffered from hemorrhoids.”
She looked like she was about to laugh.
“Hemorrhoids? I don’t think so. I think Tony would’ve complained loud and often if he did.”
“Really?”
Bosch was standing in the doorway now.
“Yes, really. Besides, you just told me that the autopsy was completed— wouldn’t that doctor be able to tell you the answer to that question?”
Bosch nodded. She had him there.
“I guess so, Mrs. Aliso. The only reason I ask is that we found a tube of Preparation H in his car. I was wondering why it was there if, you know, he didn’t need it.”
She smiled this time.
“Oh, that’s an old performer’s trick.”
“A performer’s trick?”
“You know, actresses, models, dancers. They use that stuff.”
Bosch looked at her, waiting for more. She didn’t say anything.
“I don’t get it,” he said. “Why do they use it?”
“Under their eyes, Detective Bosch. You know, shrinks the swelling? Well, you put it under your eyes and the bags from all that hard living get shrunk, too. Probably half the people who buy that stuff in this town use it under their eyes, not what it’s supposed to be used for. My husband . . . he was a vain man. If he was going to Las Vegas to be with some young girl, I think he would have done this. It was just like him.”
Bosch nodded. He thought of the unidentified substance under Tony Aliso’s eyes. You learn something new every day, he thought. He would have to call Salazar.
“How do you think he would have known about that?” he asked.
She was about to answer but hesitated, then she just hiked her shoulders.
“It’s a not-so-secret Hollywood secret,” she said. “He could’ve learned it anywhere.”
Including from you, Bosch thought but didn’t say. He just nodded and stepped through the door.
“Oh, one last thing,” he said before she closed it. “This arrest is probably going to hit the media today or tomorrow. We’ll try to contain it as much as possible. But in this town, nothing’s ever sacred or secret for long. You should be prepared for that.”
“Thank you, Detective.”
“You might want to think about a small funeral. Something inside. Tell the director not to give information out over the phone. Funerals always make good video.”
She nodded and closed the door.
On the way out of Hidden Highlands, Bosch lit a cigarette and Edgar didn’t object.
“She’s a cold piece of work,” Edgar said.
“That she is,” Bosch answered. “What do you think of the phone call from Lucky?”
“It’s just one more piece. We got Lucky by the balls. As far as he’s concerned, it’s over.”
Bosch took Mulholland along the crest of the mountains until it wound down to the Hollywood Freeway. They passed without comment the fire road down which Tony Aliso had been found. At the freeway, Bosch turned south so he could pick up the 10 in downtown and head east.
“Harry, what’s up?” Edgar asked. “I thought we were leavin’ outta Burbank.”
“We’re not flying. We’re driving.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I only reserved the flights in case somebody checked. When we get to Vegas, we let on that we flew in and that we’re flying out right after the hearing with Goshen. Nobody has to know we’re driving. You okay with that?”
“Yeah, sure, fine. I get it. Precautions, settin’ a smoke screen in case somebody
checks. I can dig it. You never know with the mobsters, do you?”
“Or with the cops.”
IV
Averaging over ninety miles an hour, including a fifteen-minute stop at a McDonald’s, they got to Las Vegas in four hours. They drove to McCarran International Airport, parked in the garage and took their briefcases and overnighters out of the trunk. While Edgar waited outside, Bosch went into the terminal and rented a car at the Hertz counter.
It was almost four-thirty by the time they got to the Metro building. As they walked through the detective bureau, Bosch saw Iverson sitting at his desk and talking to Baxter, who stood nearby. A thin smile played on Iverson’s face but Bosch ignored it and went straight to Felton’s office. The police captain was behind his desk doing paperwork. Bosch knocked on the open door and then entered.
“Bosch, where ya been?”
“Taking care of details.”
“This your prosecutor?”
“No, this is my partner, Jerry Edgar. The prosecutor isn’t coming out until the morning.”
Edgar and Felton shook hands but Felton continued to look at Bosch.
“Well, you can call him and tell him not to bother.”
Bosch looked at him a moment. He knew now why Iverson had smiled. Something was going on.
“Captain, you’re always full of surprises,” he said. “What is it this time?”
Felton leaned back in his chair. He had an unlit cigar, one end soggy with saliva, on the edge of the desk. He picked it up and clenched it between two fingers. He was playing it out, obviously trying to get a rise out of Bosch. But Bosch didn’t bite and the captain finally spoke.
“Your boy, Goshen, is packing his bags.”
“He’s waiving extradition?”
“Yeah, he got smart.”
Bosch took the chair in front of the desk and Edgar took one to the right. Felton continued.
“Fired that mouthpiece Mickey Torrino and got his own guy. Not that much of an improvement, but at least the new guy’s got Lucky’s best interest in mind.”
“And how did he get smart?” Bosch asked. “You tell him about the ballistics?”
“Sure, I told him. Brought him over, told him the score. I also told him how we broke his alibi down to shit.”
Bosch looked at him but didn’t ask the question.
“Yeah, that’s right, Bosch. We haven’t been exactly sitting over here on our asses. We went to work on this guy and we’re helping to pound him into the ground for you. He said he never left his office Friday night until it was time to go home at four. Well, we went over and checked that office out. There’s a back door. He could’ve come in and gone out. Nobody saw him from the time Tony Aliso left until four, when he came out to close the club. That gave him plenty of time to go out there, take down Tony and hop the last flight back. And here’s the kicker. Girl that works over there goes by the name of Modesty. She got into it with another dancer and went to the office to complain to Lucky. She said nobody answered when she knocked. So she tells Gussie she wants to see the boss and he tells her the boss ain’t in. That was about midnight.”
Felton nodded and winked.
“Yeah, and what did Gussie say about that?”
“He isn’t saying shit. We don’t expect him to. But if he wants to get on the stand and back up Lucky’s alibi, you can tear him apart easy. He’s got a record goin’ back to the seventh grade.”
“All right, never mind him. What about Goshen?”
“Like I said, we brought him over this morning and told him what we got and that he was running out of time right quick. He had to make a decision and he made it. He switched lawyers. That’s about as clear a sign as you’re going to get. He’s ready to deal, you ask me. That means you’ll get him and Joey Marks, a few of the other douche bags in town. We’ll take the biggest bite out of the outfit in ten years. Everybody’s happy.”
Bosch stood up. Edgar followed suit.
“This is the second time you’ve done this to me,” Bosch said, his voice measured and controlled. “You’re not going to get a third. Where is he?”
“Hey, cool down, Bosch. We’re all working for the same thing.”
“Is he here or not?”
“He’s in interview room three. Last I checked, Weiss was in there with him, too. Alan Weiss, he’s the new lawyer.”
“Has Goshen given you any statement?”
“No, of course not. Weiss gave us the particulars. No negotiating until you get him to L.A. In other words, he’ll waive and you take him home. Your people will have to work out the deal over there. We’re out of it after today. Excepting when you come back to pick up Joey Marks. We’ll help with that. I’ve been waiting for that day for a long time.”
Bosch left the office without further word. He walked through the squad room without looking at Iverson and made his way to the rear hallway that led to the interview rooms. He lifted the flap that covered the door’s small window and saw Goshen in blue jail overalls sitting at the small table, a much smaller man in a suit across from him. Bosch knocked on the glass, waited a beat and opened the door.
“Counselor? Could we speak for a moment outside?”
“Are you from L.A.? It’s about time.”
“Let’s talk outside.”
As the lawyer got up, Bosch looked past him at Goshen. The big man was handcuffed to the table. It was barely thirty hours since Bosch had seen him last but Luke Goshen was a different man. His shoulders seemed slumped, as if he was closing in on himself. His eyes had a hollow look, the kind of stare that comes from a night of looking at the future. He didn’t look at Bosch. After Weiss stepped out, Bosch closed the door.
Weiss was about Bosch’s age. He was trim and deeply tanned. Bosch wasn’t sure but thought he wore a hairpiece. He wore glasses with thin gold frames. In the few seconds he had to size the lawyer up, Bosch decided that Goshen had probably done well for himself.
After introductions Weiss immediately got down to business.
“My client is willing to waive any challenge to extradition. But, Detectives, you need to act quickly. Mr. Goshen does not feel comfortable or safe in Las Vegas, even in Metro lockup. My hope was that we would have been able to go before a judge today but it’s too late now. But at nine A.M. tomorrow, I’ll be in court. It’s already arranged with Mr. Lipson, the local prosecutor. You’ll be able to take him to the airport by ten.”
“Slow down a second, Counselor,” Edgar said. “What’s the hurry all of a sudden? Is it ’cause Luke in there heard about the ballistics we got or because maybe Joey Marks has heard, too, and figures he better cut his losses?”
“I guess maybe it’s easier for Joey to put the hit out on him in Metro than all the way over in L.A., right?” Bosch added.
Weiss looked at them as if they were some form of life he had not previously encountered.
“Mr. Goshen doesn’t know anything about a hit and I hope that statement is just part of the usual intimidation tactics you employ. What he does know is he is being set up to take the fall for a crime he did not commit. And he feels the best way to handle this is to cooperate fully in a new environment. Someplace away from Las Vegas. Los Angeles is his only choice.”
“Can we talk to him now?”
Weiss shook his head.
“Mr. Goshen won’t be saying a word until he’s in Los Angeles. My brother will take the case from there. He has a practice there. Saul Weiss, you may have heard of him.”
Bosch had but shook his head in the negative.
“I believe he has already contacted your Mr. Gregson. So, you see, Detective, you’re just a courier here. Your job is to get Mr. Goshen on a plane tomorrow morning and get him safely to Los Angeles. It will most likely be out of your hands after that.”
“Most likely not,” Bosch said.
He stepped around the lawyer and opened the door to the interview room. Goshen looked up. Bosch stepped in and moved to the table. He leaned over it and put his hands flat on the t
able. Before he could speak, Weiss had moved into the room and was talking.
“Luke, don’t say a word to this man. Don’t say a word.”
Bosch ignored Weiss and looked only at Goshen.
“All I want, Lucky, is a show of faith. You want me to take you to L.A., get you there safe, then give me something. Just answer one question. Where —”
“He has to take you anyway, Luke. Don’t fall for this. I can’t represent you if you don’t listen to me.”
“Where’s Layla?” Bosch asked. “I’m not leaving Vegas until I talk to her. If you want to get out of here in the morning, I’ve got to talk to her tonight. She’s not at her place. I talked to her roommate, Pandora, last night and she says Layla’s been gone a couple of days. Where is she?”
Goshen looked from Bosch to Weiss.
“Don’t say a word,” Weiss said. “Detective, if you step out, I’d like to confer with my client. I think, actually, that might be something I won’t have a problem with him answering.”
“Hope not.”
Bosch went back into the hallway with Edgar. He put a cigarette in his mouth but didn’t light it.
“Why’s Layla so important?” Edgar asked.
“I don’t like loose ends. I want to know how she fits.”
Bosch didn’t tell him that he knew from the illegal tapes that Layla had called Aliso and asked, at Goshen’s request, when he’d be coming out to Vegas. If they found her, he would have to draw it out of her during the interview without giving away that he already knew it.
“It’s also a test,” he did tell Edgar. “To see how far we can get Goshen to go with us.”
The lawyer stepped out then and closed the door behind him.
“If you try that again, talking to him when I specifically said he would not respond, then we will have no relationship whatsoever.”
Bosch felt like asking what relationship they already had but let it go.
“Is he going to tell us?”
“No. I am. He said that when this person Layla first came to work at the club, he gave her a ride home a few nights. On one of those nights she asked him to drop her at a different place because she was trying to avoid somebody she was dating at the time and she thought he might be waiting at her apartment. Anyway, it was a house in North Las Vegas. She told him it was where she grew up. He doesn’t have the exact address but said the place was at the corner of Donna Street and Lillis. The northeast corner. Try there. That’s all he had.”