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“I don’t want to rain on anybody’s parade, but you didn’t get a warrant to bug the guy’s car, right?” Bosch said. “So is what we got even going to be admissible?”
“Good question,” Ballard said. “We’ll run it by Paul and if he okays it, we’ll take it to the DA.”
“No matter what the DA says, I say we take both of them down,” Laffont said. “Separate them and put ’em in jail. I’ll put money on the wife making a deal.”
“We’ll see,” Ballard cautioned. “We don’t want to blow it. Harry, was Gloria in the picture back when the murder went down?”
“Not at first,” Bosch said. “But when we started looking at him, he trotted her out as his alibi.”
“Okay,” Ballard said. “If we make a move, I’ll let you know.”
“If you knock on Talbot’s door, I want to be there,” Bosch said.
Ballard held up a fist. Bosch bumped it with his.
“Good work,” she said.
“Let’s hope so,” he said.
3
AS BOSCH APPROACHED his house he saw a small white car parked at the curb in front of it. Through its rear window he could see the silhouette of someone behind the wheel. Someone waiting. Bosch glanced into the vehicle as he passed and pulled into the carport. The driver was recognizable. It was the car that was not.
Bosch got out and walked out to the curb just as the front door of the small car opened and Mickey Haller stepped out.
“What happened to the Lincoln?” Bosch said. “I thought you were the Lincoln Lawyer.”
“That’s the old me,” Haller said. “The Lincoln’s not a good look for a public interest lawyer.”
He gestured to the car.
“It’s electric,” he said. “Autonomous.”
“What’s that mean?” Bosch asked. “No hands, like a Waymo?”
“Like Waymo.”
“I wouldn’t be caught dead in one of those things.”
“Why doesn’t that surprise me.”
“Everything all right? I feel like the last time you actually came up here, it wasn’t good news.”
“This time it is. You’re going to come into a chunk of money. The county is settling all the MacLaren lawsuits to the tune of four billion dollars. That’s billion, with a b.”
Bosch was momentarily stunned.
“Where’s the county going to get four billion dollars?” he asked.
“It’s paid out over five years,” Haller said. “It’s going to affect all county services, but at least they’re acknowledging responsibility. Can we go inside? I need to explain a couple things.”
Bosch headed to the front door, unlocked it, and entered, Haller trailing behind him. He threw his keys down on the hall table.
“Want a beer or something?” Bosch offered.
“Just water,” Haller said.
“Right. I forgot. You all right if I have a beer? My knee is killing me and Tylenol isn’t working.”
