“True, but taking its meaning to you, was it a brutal homicide?”

“Yes, it was brutal. I think almost all of them are. Somebody dies, it’s brutal. For them.”

“And you took the suspect into custody?”

“Yes, my partner and I. I mean, no. He came in voluntarily to answer questions.”

“Did this case affect you more than, say, other cases have in the past?”

“Maybe, I don’t know.”

“Why would that be?”

“You mean why did I care about a prostitute? I didn’t. Not more than any other victim. But in homicide there is one rule that I have when it comes to the cases I get.”

“What is that rule?”

“Everybody counts or nobody counts.”

“Explain it.”

“Just what I said. Everybody counts or nobody counts. That’s it. It means I bust my ass to make a case whether it’s a prostitute or the mayor’s wife. That’s my rule.”

“I understand. Now, let’s go to this specific case. I’m interested in hearing your description of what happened after the arrest and the reasons you may have for your violent actions at the Hollywood Division.”

“Is this being taped?”

“No, Detective, whatever you tell me is protected. At the end of these sessions I will simply make a recommendation to Assistant Chief Irving. The details of the sessions will never be divulged. The recommendations I make are usually less than half a page and contain no details from the dialogues.”

“You wield a lot of power with that half page.”

She didn’t respond. Bosch thought for a moment while looking at her. He thought he might be able to trust her but his natural instinct and experience was that he should trust no one. She seemed to know his dilemma and waited him out.

“You want to hear my side of it?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Okay, I’ll tell you what happened.”

Chapter Two

BOSCH SMOKED ALONG the way home but realized that what he really wanted was not a cigarette, but a drink to deaden his nerves. He looked at his watch and decided it was too early to stop at a bar. He settled for another cigarette and home.