“You didn’t let me finish,” Rider said. “I wasn’t going to say they would riot. I actually have faith in the people there. I don’t think there will be trouble. What I was going to say was that they will be angry about this and suspicious. If you think you can ignore that or contain it by putting more cops on the – ”

“Detective Rider,” Irving said, interrupting again, “that is not your concern. The investigation is your concern.”

Bosch saw that Irving’s interruptions and words, telling a black woman not to be concerned about her own community, had incensed Rider. It was on her face and Bosch had seen the look before. He decided to speak before she said something out of line.

“We’re going to need more people. With just the three of us, we’ll be running down alibis full-time for weeks, maybe a month. Case like this, we need to move fast, not only because of the case but because of the people. We’re going to need more than just three of us.”

“That, too, has been taken care of,” Irving said. “You will have all the help you need. But it won’t come from Robbery-Homicide. It’s a conflict of interest because of the Michael Harris matter.”

Before speaking, Bosch noted how Irving refused to call it the Black Warrior case, instead using the plaintiff’s name.

“Why us?”

“What?”

“I understand why RHD is out. But where are the Central Division teams? We’re off our beat and out of rotation here. Why us?”

Irving exhaled audibly.

“The entire Central Division homicide squad is in academy training this week and next. Sensitivity training and then the FBI workshop on new crime scene techniques.