“I’ll be in touch,” he said.
Irving raised his hand and flipped two fingers out with a business card between them.
“This is my private cell number. I’ll expect to hear something from you by the end of the day.”
Or you’ll take another ten million out of the overtime budget? Bosch didn’t like this. But he took the card and headed to the elevators.
On the way up to seven he thought about the stilted conversation with Irving. What bothered him most was that Irving knew his code, and Harry had a pretty good idea how he had come by the information. It was something he would have to deal with later.
5
The upper floors of the hotel followed an L pattern. Bosch got off the elevator on seven and took a left to go around a corner and down to room 79 at the end of the hallway. There was a uniformed officer on the door. It made Bosch think of something and he pulled his phone. He called Kiz Rider’s cell and she answered right away.
“Did you know what he did for a living?” he asked.
“Who are you talking about, Harry?” she responded.
“Who else, George Irving. Did you know he was some sort of fixer?”
“I heard that he was a lobbyist.”
“A lawyer lobbyist. Listen, I need you to flex the muscles of the chief’s office and put a cop on his office door until I can get there. Nobody in or out.”
“Not a problem. Is what he did as a lobbyist in play here?”
“You never know. I’d just feel better if there was somebody on the door.”
“You got it, Harry.”
“I’ll talk to you later.”
Bosch put his phone away and approached the cop posted in front of room 79. He signed his clipboard, noting the time, and went in. He stepped into a living room with open French doors that led to the balcony and a western exposure. The wind was billowing the curtains and Bosch saw Chu out there on the balcony. He was looking down.