Page 69 of Resurrection Walk

“Okay, I trust you and Mr. Haller.”

“Thank you.”

“The one I picked, who is she?”

“Her name is Stephanie Sanger. She worked with your ex-husband.”

“Yes, she told me that.”

“Do you remember what else she said?”

“She just said they had to do the test so they could rule me out.”

“That was a trick to get you to do it.”

Bosch picked up the file containing the photos and held it up.

“When we go to court next week, you may be asked about this, okay?”

“Why?”

“What I mean is you may have to make the identification again. By photo or if she’s there.”

“She’ll be there?”

“She may be, yes. We’re going to subpoena her as a witness. But I don’t know for sure whether she’ll be in court if you testify.”

“When will they move me to L.A.?”

“I’m not sure about that either. I’ll get Mr. Haller to check on it.”

“I don’t want to be held in the county jail. The sheriffs run that.”

“You won’t be. It’s a federal case. You’ll be transferred from here to federal custody — the U.S. Marshals Service — so they can bring you to court on Monday.”

“You’re sure?”

A loud buzz sounded in the phone’s earpiece, followed by an electronic voice stating that the interview had one minute left.

“I’m sure, Cindi,” Bosch said. “Don’t worry about that.”

A look of desperation came over her face as she realized the final seconds of the interview were ticking away.

“Mr. Bosch, are we going to win?” she said.

“We’re going to do our best,” Bosch said, immediately knowing his words were inadequate. “The truth will come out and we’re going to get you home to your son.”

“Do you promise me?”

Bosch hesitated, but before he could answer, the connection went dead. He just looked at Lucinda Sanz and nodded. He knew as he did so that it was a promise that would haunt him if things didn’t turn out the way he hoped.

He got up from the stool and gave Lucinda a half-hearted wave goodbye. She did the same and her face showed the uncertainty of what lay ahead. Promises or no promises, nothing was for sure in court.

He followed the arrows on the floor to the prison’s exit gate. He felt bad about how the interview had ended but tried to concentrate on what had been accomplished. She had identified Stephanie Sanger as the one who started the chain reaction that resulted in Lucinda Sanz being charged with her ex-husband’s murder. That was a big get and as soon as he got to the prison’s parking lot, he turned his phone back on and called Haller.

The call rang through to voice mail. Bosch guessed that Haller was in court. He started to leave a message but heard a beep and saw that Haller was calling him back. He ended the message and took the call.

“So, what’s happening in Chino?” Haller said.

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