30

30

BY THE TIME Ballard got to the parking lot, agents were already stringing yellow tape around the shooting scene, using the light poles as the corners of a huge restricted area. People, including many of the roller-hockey players, gathered at the perimeter. Ballard was attempting to lift the tape and walk under when an agent in bad-ass black commando clothes and gear stopped her. She identified herself, but he would not let her into the crime scene without permission from his superiors.

"Then call Olmstead," she said. "Tell him Ballard wants in."

While the agent whispered into a wire-thin microphone attached to his earpiece, Ballard massaged her shoulder, which she had landed on hard when she fell out of the van.

"He said he's coming," the agent said.

"When?" Ballard demanded.

"Now."

She saw Olmstead break away from a huddle of agents near the Cherokee and head toward her.

"Why'd you jump out of the van?" he asked.

"I didn't," Ballard said.

"What? We got here and you were gone."

"Whatever. Can you tell this guy to let me in?"

"You don't want to be here, Renée. This went sideways and the media is going to be all over it. Helicopters, cameras—you don't want to be on video."

She knew he was right but she didn't want to leave.

"Then I want to talk to Bosch. Send him out here."

"He's being debriefed."

"I don't care. You'll be talking to him for hours. I just need five minutes to make sure he's okay."

"All right, five minutes, then you get away from here."

He turned to walk back to the scene but then pivoted and returned to the yellow tape. "So far, no badge," he said. "We checked the body. We still need to go through the van."

"Fine. Let me know."

"Will do."

He walked away and Ballard watched as he was immediately intercepted by another agent holding a clipboard. They started discussing something and Ballard thought he was going to forget to send Bosch to her. But once he signed something on the clipboard, he went directly to the command-post van, opened the back door that Ballard had fallen through, and signaled Bosch out. Once Harry was out of the van, he was pointed to Ballard, and he headed her way.

"Harry, you okay?" Ballard asked as he approached.

"I'm okay," he said.

"You sure? You don't have to talk to them right now if you're—"

"Renée, I'm okay."

Ballard nodded. "Jesus, that was close."

"Yeah, well… they were ready for it."

"How's your car?"

"It took a few shots, I think. I haven't really checked."

"Maybe time to get something new."

"I just got that after the last one got shot up."

Ballard looked up at the sound of a helicopter and saw a blue chopper banking over the beach. It said FOX in white letters on the side.

"The media's already getting here," she said.

"That's SkyFox," Bosch said. "Stu Mundel."

"You actually know the pilots of the news choppers?"

"I know him. He's good. I like watching those live freeway chases. Helps me go to sleep at night."

"Harry Bosch, a man of mystery. Anyway, I shouldn't be here, so I'm going to go. But will you call me as soon as they cut you loose? Maybe we can meet up."

"I'll call you as soon as I'm out," Bosch said.

He walked up to the yellow tape and reached an arm across to hug her. Ballard was surprised by the move from the usually undemonstrative Harry Bosch but took a step forward and put her arms around him. She patted his back and felt a twinge of pain in her shoulder.

"I'm glad you're okay, Harry," she said.

"Me too," he said.

They separated.

"Check your pocket when you get to your car," Bosch said.

"Uh… okay," Ballard said.

But she put her hands into the pockets of her jacket without waiting and her right hand closed around what she knew was her badge. She nodded.

"When you bent over him listening for breath," she said.

Bosch nodded. "He was dead," he said. "But I knew he had the badge around his neck when he wouldn't let me touch his chest. I guess it's lucky for you they didn't put a bullet through it."

"Yeah, lucky all right," Ballard said. "Thanks, Harry."

He nodded and turned back toward the crime scene. Ballard walked away, keeping her head down as the news helicopter circled above.