Michael Connelly - Harry Bosch 15 Nine Dragons

F erras had the cash register from Fortune Liquors on his desk and had run a wire from its side into the side of his laptop. Bosch put the photo printouts down on his desk and looked across at his partner.

Whats happening?

I went over to forensics. They were through with this. No prints other than the victims. Im just getting into the memory now. I can tell you the take for the day up until the murder was under two hundred bucks. The victim would have had a hard time making a payment of two hundred sixteen dollars, if thats what you think happened.

Well, Ive got some stuff on that to tell you. Anything else from forensics?

Not much. Theyre still processing every oh, the GSR on the widow came back negative. But I guess we were expecting that.

Bosch nodded. Since Mrs. Li had discovered her husbands body, it was routine to test her hands and arms for gunshot residue to determine if she had recently discharged a firearm. As expected, the test came back negative for GSR. Bosch was pretty sure she could now be scratched from the list of potential suspects, even though she was barely on it in the first place.

How deep is the memory on that thing? Bosch asked.

It looks like it goes back a whole year. I ran some averages. The gross income on that place was slightly less than three thousand a week. You figure in overhead and cost of goods, insurance and stuff like that, and this guy was lucky if he was clearing fifty a year for himself. That aint no way to make a living. Probably more dangerous down there doing what he did than being a cop on those streets.

Yesterday the son said business was down lately.

Looking at this, I dont see where it was ever up.

Its a cash business. He could have pulled money out of it in other ways.

Probably. And then there was the guy he was paying off. If he was handing him two bills and change a week, that would add up. That would be ten grand off the top on an annual basis.

Bosch told Ferras what he had learned from Chu and that he was hoping the AGU could come up with an ID. They both agreed that the focal point of the investigation was shifting toward the man in the grainy printout from the stores surveillance camera. The triad bagman. Meanwhile, the possible gangbanger who had argued with John Li the Saturday before his murder still needed to be identified and interviewed, but the contradictions between the crime scene and an anger/revengetype killing put that lead into second position.

They went to work on the statements and other voluminous paperwork that accompanied every murder investigation. Chu arrived first at ten oclock, making his way right to Boschs desk unannounced.

Yeeling isnt here yet? he asked by way of greeting.

Bosch looked up from his work.

Whos Yeeling?

Yeeling Li, the mother.

Bosch realized he had not known the full name of the victims wife. This bothered him because it was an indication of how little he really knew about the case.

Shes not here yet. You come up with anything over there?

I checked through our photo albums. Didnt see our guy. But were making inquiries.

Yeah, you keep saying that. What exactly does making inquiries mean?

It means that the AGU has a network of connections within the community and we will make discreet inquiries about who this man is and what Mr. Lis affiliation was.

Affiliation? Ferras asked. He was being extorted. His affiliation was that he was a victim.

Detective Ferras, Chu said patiently. You are looking at it from the typical western point of view. As I explained to Detective Bosch this morning, Mr. Li may have had a lifelong relationship with a triad society. It is called quang xi, in his native dialect. It has no direct translation but it has to do with ones social network, and a triad relationship would be included in that.

Ferras just stared at Chu for a long moment.

Whatever, he finally said. Over here I think we call that bullshit. The vic had lived here almost thirty years. I dont care what they call it in China. Over here its extortion.

Bosch admired his young partners adamant reaction. He was contemplating joining the fray, when the phone on his desk rang and he picked it up.

Bosch.

This is Rogers downstairs. Youve got two visitors, both named Li. They say they have an appointment.

Send them up.

On the way.

Bosch hung up.

Okay, theyre on their way up. This is how I want to play this. Chu, you take the old lady into one of the interview rooms and go over her statement and have her sign it. After she signs it I want you to ask her about the payoff and the guy on the video. Show her his photo. And dont let her play dumb. Shes got to know about it. Her husband had to have talked about it.

Youd be surprised, Chu said. Husbands and wives wouldnt necessarily talk about this.

Well, do your best. She could know a lot whether she and her husband talked about it or not. Ferras and I will talk to the son. I want to find out if hes paying protection at the store up in the Valley. If so, that could be where we grab our guy.

Bosch looked across the squad room and saw Mrs. Li enter but she was not with her son. She was with a younger woman. Bosch raised his hand to draw their attention and waved them over.

Chu, who is this?

Chu turned around as the two women approached. He didnt say anything. He didnt know. As the two women got closer Bosch saw that the younger woman was in her midthirties and attractive in an understated, hairbehindtheears sort of way. She was Asian. She was dressed in blue jeans and a white blouse. She walked a half step behind Mrs. Li with her eyes cast down on the floor. The initial impression Bosch got was that she was an employee. A maid pressed into service as a driver. But the deskman downstairs had said they were both named Li.

Chu spoke to Mrs. Li in Chinese. After she responded, he translated.

This is Mr. and Mrs. Lis daughter, Mia. She drove her mother here because Robert Li is delayed.

Bosch was immediately frustrated by the news and shook his head.

Great, he said to Chu. How come we didnt know there was a daughter?

We didnt ask the right questions yesterday, Chu said.

You were the one asking questions yesterday. Ask Mia where she lives.

The young woman cleared her throat and looked up at Bosch.

I live with my mother and father, she said. Or I did until yesterday. I guess now I live with just my mother.

Bosch felt embarrassed that he had assumed she spoke no English and she had heard and understood his annoyed response to her showing up.

Sorry. Its just that we need all the information we can get.

He looked at the other two detectives.

Okay, we are going to need to interview Mia. Detective Chu, why dont you continue with the plan and take Mrs. Li into an interview room to go over her statement. I will talk with Mia and, Ignacio, you wait for Robert to show up.

He turned back to Mia.

Do you know how long your brother is delayed?

He should be on his way. He said he was going to leave the store by ten.

Which store?

His store. In the Valley.

Okay, Mia, why dont you come with me, and your mother can go with Detective Chu.

Mia spoke in Chinese to her mother and they proceeded toward the bank of interview rooms at the back of the squad. Bosch grabbed a yellow legal pad and the file containing the print off the camera video before leading the way. Ferras was left behind.

Harry, you want me to start with the son when he gets here? he asked.

No, Bosch said. Come and get me. Ill be in room two.

Bosch led the victims daughter to a small, windowless room with a table in the middle. They sat down on either side of it and Bosch tried to put a pleasant expression on his face. It was hard. The morning was starting off with a surprise and he didnt like surprises coming up in his murder investigations.