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“Uh, listen. I don’t think this amounts to much, but do me a favor and be extra aware, okay?”
“Aware of what?”
“Just watch your six. Be aware of anything that doesn’t seem — ”
“Dad, what’s going on? Is this that case you’re working with Renée?”
“No, nothing to do with that. It’s a different thing and I might have stirred something up and I just want you to — ”
“Dad, you’re talking in circles. What did you do and what does it have to do with me?”
“Hold on a second. I’m in a parking garage.”
Bosch pulled up to the gate and put his ticket and then his credit card into the machine. He used the processing time to think about how much he could and should tell his daughter. She was a trained police officer and as such would always be aware of her surroundings. The photo of her in uniform that Nikolai Novak had seen was old, taken when she was a boot. Bosch had kept it on his phone ever since.
The gate went up and Bosch drove out onto George Burns Road.
“Okay, I’m kind of sworn to secrecy,” he said. “But I’m working an old case and I sort of stumbled into a federal investigation.”
“Oh, great,” Maddie said. “What’s the case?”
“You mean mine or the one I stumbled into?”
“Both. What’s going on?”
“Mine’s a kid I knew growing up. Somebody killed him and nothing was ever done about it. It was actually a sheriff’s case, so I’m dealing with their cold-case team. Anyway, I developed a lead and that led me to a suspect, and it turns out the guy is still alive. So I went up to skee the guy’s house — ”
“Great, Dad.”
“And it turns out the guy’s got security and they grabbed me and made me open my phone, and they found a picture I had of you in uniform.”
“Did you tell them I was still a cop?”
“I did and I told them you work the south side. I lied like hell about everything and they let me go.”
“But? There’s always a but.”
“It’s just that the guy’s dangerous and I wanted you to know. I don’t think anything is going to come of it regarding you, but I had to tell you. That’s all.”
“That’s not all. Who is he?”
“It doesn’t matter who he is. I just want you to stay vigilant.”
“You’re not even going to tell me his name?”
“Okay, its Nicky Novak. He’s an OC guy.”
“Organized crime — perfect.”
“Mads, I really don’t think you have to worry about anything, but I couldn’t in good conscience not tell you. Okay?”
There was no response from Maddie.
“Mads, you still there?”
“I’m here. What did this guy supposedly do?”
“I think he killed a kid when we were in MacLaren. A friend of mine. I started looking into it and found out he was still alive… and active.”
