Michael Connelly: The Reversal

“But that’s crazy,” Gleason said.

“Maybe so,” Maggie said, “but that was their case and Eddie Roman was the linchpin because he was supposed to testify that you told him your stepfather did it. He was supposed to plant the seed of doubt. That’s all it takes, Sarah. One little doubt. Only he took one look at who was in the audience-namely Sonia Reyes-and thought he was in trouble. You see Eddie did the same thing with Sonia as he did with you. Met her, got close and turned her out to keep him in meth. When he saw her in court, he knew he was in trouble. Because he knew if Sonia got on the stand and told the same story about him as you did, then the jury would know what he was-a liar and predator-and wouldn’t trust a single thing he said. He also had no idea what Sonia might have told us about crimes they committed together. So he decided up there that his best out was the truth. To screw the defense and make the prosecution happy. He changed his story.”

Gleason nodded as she began to understand.

“Do you think Mr. Royce really told him what to say and was going to pay him off for his lies?”

“Of course,” Maggie said.

“I don’t know,” I said quickly. “I’ve known Clive a long time. I don’t think that’s how he operates.”

“What?” Maggie said. “You think Eddie Roman just made it all up on his own?”

“No, but he spoke to the investigator before he ever got to Clive.”

“Plausible denial. You’re just being charitable, Haller. They don’t call him Clever Clive for no reason.”

Sarah seemed to sense that she had pushed us into a zone of contention that had existed long before this trial. She tried to move us on.

“Do you really think it’s over?” she asked.

I thought for a moment about it and then nodded.

“I think if I was Clever Clive I’d be thinking of what’s best for my client and that would be not to let this go to a verdict. I’d start thinking about a deal. Maybe he’ll even call during lunch.”

I pulled my phone out and put it down on the table, as if being ready for Royce’s call would make it happen. Just as I did so, Bosch showed up and took the seat next to Maggie. I grabbed my water glass and raised it to him.

“Cheers, Harry. Smooth move today. I think Jessup’s house of cards is falling down.”

Bosch raised a water glass and clinked it off mine.

“Royce was right, you know,” he said. “It was a gangster move. Saw it in one of the Godfather movies way back.”

He then held his water glass up to the two women.

“Anyway, cheers,” he said. “You two are the real stars. Great work yesterday and today.”

We all clinked glasses but Sarah hesitated.

“What’s wrong, Sarah?” I asked. “Don’t tell me you’re afraid of clinking glass.”

I smiled, proud of my own humor.

“It’s nothing,” she said. “I think it’s supposed to be bad luck to toast with water.”

“Well,” I said, quickly recovering, “it’s going to take more than bad luck to change things now.”

Bosch switched subjects.

“What happens next?” he asked.

“I was just telling Sarah that I don’t think this will go to a jury. Clive has to be thinking disposition. They really don’t have any other choice.”

Bosch turned serious.

“I know there’s money on the line and your boss probably thinks that’s the priority,” he said, “but this guy has got to go back to prison.”

“Absolutely,” Maggie said.

“Of course,” I added. “And after what happened this morning, we have all the leverage. Jessup has to take what we offer or we-”

My phone started to buzz. The ID screen said UNKNOWN.

“Speak of the devil,” Maggie said.

I looked at Sarah.

“You might be on that plane home tonight after all.”

I opened the phone and said my name.

“Mickey, District Attorney Williams here. How are you?”

I shook my head at the others. It wasn’t Royce.

“I’m doing fine, Gabe. How are you?”

My informality didn’t seem to faze him.

“I’m hearing good things out of court this morning.”

His statement confirmed what I had thought all along. While Williams had never once showed his face in the courtroom, he had a plant in the gallery watching.

“Well, I hope so. I think we’ll know more about which way this will go after lunch.”

“Are you considering a disposition?”

“Well, not yet. I haven’t heard from opposing counsel, but I assume that we may soon enter into discussions. He’s probably talking to his client about it right now. I would be if I were him.”

“Well, keep me in the loop on that before you sign off on anything.”

I paused as I weighed this last statement. I saw Bosch put his hand inside his jacket and pull out his own phone to take a call.

“Tell you what, Gabe. As independent counsel I prefer to stay independent. I’ll inform you of a disposition if and when I have an agreement.”

“I want to be part of that conversation,” Williams insisted.

I saw some sort of darkness move into Bosch’s eyes. Instinctively, I knew it was time to get off my call.

“I’ll get back to you on that, Mr. District Attorney. I’ve got another call coming in here. It could be Clive Royce.”

I closed the phone just as Bosch closed his and started to stand up.

“What is it?” Maggie asked.

Bosch’s face looked ashen.

“There’s been a shooting over at Royce’s office. There’s four on the floor over there.”

“Is Jessup one of them?” I asked.

“No… Jessup’s gone.”

Thursday, April 8, 1:05P.M.

Bosch drove and McPherson insisted on riding with him. Haller had split off with Gleason to head back to court. Bosch pulled a card out of his wallet and got Lieutenant Stephen Wright’s number off it. He handed the card and his phone to McPherson and told her to punch in the number.

“It’s ringing,” she said.

He took the phone and got it to his ear just as Wright answered.

“It’s Bosch. Tell me your people are on Jessup.”

“I wish.”

“Damn it! What the hell happened? Why wasn’t SIS on him?”

“Hold your horses, Bosch. We were on him. That’s one of my people on the floor in Royce’s office.”

That hit like a punch. Bosch hadn’t realized a cop was one of the victims.

“Where are you?” he asked Wright.

“On my way there. I’m three minutes out.”

“What do you know so far?”

“Not a hell of a lot. We had a light tail on him during court hours. You knew that. One team during court and full coverage before and after. Today they followed him from the courthouse to Royce’s office at lunchtime. Jessup and Royce’s team walked over. After they were in there a few minutes my guys heard gunshots. They called it in and then went in. One was knocked down, the other pinned down. Jessup went out the back and my guy stayed to try CPR on his partner. He had to let Jessup go.”

Bosch shook his head. The thought of his daughter pushed through everything. She was at school for the next ninety minutes. He felt that she would be safe. For now.

“Who else was hit?” he asked.

“As far as I know,” Wright said, “it was Royce and his investigator and then another lawyer. A female. They were lucky it was lunchtime. Everybody else in the office was gone.”

Bosch didn’t see much that was lucky about a quadruple murder and Jessup out there somewhere with a gun. Wright kept talking.

“I’m not going to shed a tear over a couple of defense lawyers but my guy on the floor in there’s got two little kids at home, Bosch. This is not a good goddamn thing at all.”