Extraits

A MURDER CASE is like a tree. A tall tree. An oak tree. It has been carefully planted and cared for by the state. Watered and trimmed when needed, examined for disease and parasites of any kind. Its root system is constantly monitored as it flourishes underground and clings tightly to the earth. No money is spared in guarding the tree. Its caretakers are granted immense powers to protect and serve it.

The tree’s branches eventually grow and spread wide in splendor. They provide deep shade for those who seek true justice.

The branches spring from a thick and sturdy trunk. Direct evidence, circumstantial evidence, forensic science, motive, and opportunity. The tree must stand strong against the winds that challenge it.

And that’s where I come in. I’m the man with the ax. My job is to cut the tree down to the ground and burn its wood to ashes.

"- Ca va ? me chuchota Maggie à un moment donné.

- Oui, génial, lui répondis-je. J'ai du mal encore à me dire que c'est fini.

- Tu devrais partir quelque part pour te vider la tête de tout ça.

- C'est vrai. Je pensais passer quelques jours à Catalina. Ils viennent de rouvrir le Zane Grey et c'est vraiment bien.

- Tu y es déjà retourné?

- Euh, seulement en ligne.

- Je me demande s'ils ont toujours la chambre qu'on prenait, celle avec la cheminée.

Je réfléchis... Me souvins des jours où nous vivions ensemble et y partions en escapade le week-end. Il y avait de grandes chances que notre fille y ait été conçue. Avais - je détruit ce souvenir en y emmenant Kendall?

- Tu pourrais venir avec moi, tu sais ?

Elle sourit et je revis la lumière dont je me souviens si bien au fond de ses yeux noirs.

- Peut-être, dit-elle."

The judge had spoken matter-of-factly. And I could hear whispers and sense the letdown of those in the courtroom. It was as though there was a collective What? from those in the gallery. But I was pleased. I didn’t want to win the motion. I wanted to cut down the prosecution’s tree at trial and win the case. And I had just made the first swing of the ax.

And was your client really guilty?” I hesitated but then answered truthfully. “Yes, but I didn’t know it at the time.” Bosch nodded and I took it as a judgment, as though I had just confirmed why people hate lawyers.

Is that what they teach you at USC Law?” I said. “How not to jinx a case?”

“No, that’s third year.”

“Funny girl.”

(Mickey and his daughter)

But we had received only the initial autopsy report put together after the examination of the body. It did not include a toxicology report. That usually took two to four weeks to complete following the autopsy. That meant the toxicology results should be in by now and the fact that they had not been included in the latest batch of discovery was suspicious to me.

(...)

This could be handled two ways. Jennifer could simply file a motion seeking the report as part of discovery, or Cisco could go down to the coroner’s office and try to cadge a copy of it on his own. It was, after all, a public record. On my to-do list, I assigned the job to Cisco for the simple reason that if he got a copy of the tox report, there was a good chance the prosecution would not be aware that we got it. This was the better strategy.

(...) Why are you here, Mickey? Don’t you have bail or …?” “Right now they have me on five-million bail, which means I could get out with a ten percent bond. But you don’t get that money back at the end, innocent or guilty, and that would be about everything I’ve got, including the equity in my house. I can’t see giving all of that away for a couple months of freedom. I’ve got them on a speedy trial clock and I’m going to win this thing and get out without having to pay a bail bondsman a dime.”