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“Here and there—when he needs me.”
“And how is your health, Harry?”
“I’m hanging in. My last scans were clean.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“So what’s up with you?”
“Just checking in. Hadn’t heard from you, and there’s something I need to talk to you about.”
“Sure.”
“It’s about Maddie and it’s a bit awkward.”
“What’s going on?”
“Well, Maddie came in and volunteered for the squad.”
“Open-Unsolved?”
“Yeah, my squad.”
“Okay. What’s the awkward part?”
“Well, she didn’t want me to tell you because she’s, you know, asserting her independence and she’s probably not sure how you’d take it. But it puts me in an awkward spot because it’s not something I would keep from you. I don’t want to get in the middle of you two. I’m sure she’ll tell you. If she’s approved by the captain, I mean.”
“Did she say why she wants to do this?”
“Well, I think it’s kind of obvious. She wants to be like you, Harry. She wants to be a detective, and this won’t hurt her cause. It could even fast-track it.”
Bosch went silent and Ballard imagined him sitting in his house up on the hill, thinking about his daughter.
“You still there, Harry?”
“I’m here. What do you think about this? Do you want her on the unit? She’s young. She doesn’t know what she doesn’t know.”
“There’s that, but, selfishly, I want her. I’ve been telling the captain for months that I need another badge on the squad. I have to do too much of the legal stuff. The Mirandas, the testifying, the search warrants. It takes too much of my time. So, yeah, I’d take her. But I’ll kill it right here if you want me to, Harry.”
Bosch hesitated, but only for a moment.
“No, it’s not my choice. It’s hers. She’s got to follow her star. Isn’t that what the kids say?”
“As long as you’re sure.”
“I’m sure. Just watch over her, Renée. Keep her safe. And I’m not talking about from bullets. From all the other stuff. From going into the darkness. It’s there in those cold cases you work.”
“I know and I will, Harry.”
“Thank you.”
There was an awkward pause.
“So, you’re sure you’re doing okay?” Ballard asked.
“A hundred percent,” Bosch replied.
“Okay, then let’s get a dinner or a lunch soon.”
