“If you mean in a physical way, no, she wasn’t scared and I gave her no reason to be.”

Hinojos nodded and wrote something on her pad. It bothered Bosch that she would make a note about this.

“Look, it’s got nothing to do with what happened at the station last week.”

“Why did she leave? What was the real reason?”

He looked away. He was angry. This was how it was going to be. She would ask whatever she wanted. Invade him wherever there was an opening.

“I don’t know.”

“That answer is not acceptable in here. I think you do know, or at least have your own beliefs as to why she would leave. You must.”

“She found out who I was.”

“She found out who you were, what does that mean?”

“You’d have to ask her. She said it. But she’s in Venice. The one in Italy.”

“Well, then what do you think she meant by it?”

“It doesn’t matter what I think. She’s the one who said it and she’s the one who left.”

“Don’t fight me, Detective Bosch. Please. There is nothing I want more than for you to get back to your job. As I said, that’s my mission. To get you back there if you can go. But you make it difficult by being difficult.”

“Maybe that’s what she found out. Maybe that’s who I am.”

“I doubt the reason is as simplistic as that.”

“Sometimes I don’t.”

She looked at her watch and leaned forward, dissatisfaction with the session showing on her face.

“Okay, Detective, I understand how uncomfortable you are. We’re going to move on, but I suspect we will have to come back to this issue. I want you to give it some thought. Try to put your feelings into words.”

She waited for him to say something but he didn’t.

“Let’s try talking about what happened last week again. I understand it stemmed from a case involving the murder of a prostitute.”

“Yes.”

“It was brutal?”

“That’s just a word. Means different things to different people.”