Page 65 of Resurrection Walk

Bosch nodded and tried to draw her attention away from the computer screen.

“Do you see that?” he said. “The rock outcropping.”

Arslanian looked up at the jagged formation they were passing to the north of the freeway.

“Wow, beautiful,” she said. “And immense!”

“Vasquez Rocks,” Bosch said. “They call it that because about a hundred and fifty years ago a bandido named Tiburcio Vasquez hid out in there, and the sheriff’s posse never found him.”

Arslanian studied the formation for a long moment before responding.

“Not many places are named after bad guys,” she said.

“How about Trump Tower?” Bosch responded.

“Self-named. And I guess it depends on who you talk to about that.”

“I guess so.”

She lapsed into silence and Bosch wondered if he had offended her. He had just been trying for some kind of reaction. He was intrigued by her and the way she did her work and looked at things. He wanted to know her better but knew her time in L.A. would be short. After the hearing she would return to New York.

When, after a few minutes, they had connected to the Golden State Freeway, she spoke again.

“Mickey told me you two are brothers.”

“Half brothers, actually.”

“Ah. Which was the common parent?”

“Father.”

“But you two didn’t know about each other until you were grown up?”

“Yeah. Our father was a lawyer like Mickey. Mickey’s mother was his wife. My mother was a client.”

“I think I see why you were kept apart. Was it consensual — your mother and father?”

It was a surprising question. Bosch didn’t answer at first because he realized he had never asked himself that. It was now too late to ever know for sure.

“I’m sorry, you don’t have to talk about it,” Arslanian said. “Sometimes I’m too blunt with people I feel comfortable with.”

“No, it’s not that,” Bosch said. “I just never thought about it that way before. I assumed it was consensual. Started as a business arrangement — payment for services rendered. My mother was gone by the time I figured out who he was. And I met him only once, and very briefly at that. He was dying at the time, and soon afterward he was gone too.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Nothing really to be sorry about. I didn’t know the guy.”

“I mean sorry you had to grow up… like that.”

Bosch just nodded. She moved on.

“So, how’d you and Mickey meet? One of those DNA services?”

“No, it was a case. We met on a case and sort of figured it out.”

“Harry, can I ask you something? Something personal?”

“Seems like all you ask are personal questions.”

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