Read Angle of Investigation: Three Harry Bosch Short Stories for Free Online Page B

We’re both in real estate. You may have seen the signs, Haddon and Helton. We’re PPG’s top-volume team. Today Arlene had an open house at noon and a couple of private showings before that. So Willy was going to be with me. We lost another nanny on Friday and there was no one else to take him.”
    “How did you lose the nanny?”
    “She quit. They all quit. Willy is a handful… because of his condition. I mean, why deal with a handicapped child if someone with a normal, healthy child will pay you the same thing? Consequently, we go through a lot of nannies.”
    “So you were left to take care of the boy today while your wife had the property showings.”
    “It wasn’t like I wasn’t working, though. I was negotiating a sale that would have brought in a thirty-thousand-dollar commission. It was important.”
    “Is that why you went into the office?”
    “Exactly. We got an offer sheet and I was going to have to respond. So I got Willy ready and put him in the car and went into work.”
    “What time was this?”
    “About quarter to ten. I got the call from the other Realtor at about nine thirty. The buyer was playing hardball. The response time was going to be set at an hour. So I had to get my seller on standby, pack up Willy and get in there to pick up the fax.”
    “Do you have a fax at home?”
    “Yes, but if the deal went down we’d have to get together in the office. We have a signing room and all the forms are right there. My file on the property was in my office, too.”
    Bosch nodded. It sounded plausible to a point.
    “Okay, so you head off to the office…”
    “Exactly. And two things happened…”
    Helton brought his hands up into sight but only to hold them across his face to hide his eyes. A classic tell.
    “What two things?”
    “I got a call on my cell—from Arlene—and Willy fell asleep in his car seat. Do you understand?”
    “Make me understand.”
    “I was distracted by the call and I was no longer distracted by Willy. He had fallen asleep.”
    “Uh-huh.”
    “So I forgot he was there. Forgive me, God, but I forgot I had him with me!”
    “I understand. What happened next?”
    Helton dropped his hands out of sight again. He looked at Bosch briefly and then at the tabletop.
    “I parked in my assigned space behind PPG and I went in. I was still talking to Arlene. One of our buyers is trying to get out of a contract because he’s found something he likes better. So we were talking about that, about how to finesse things with that, and I was on the phone when I went in.”
    “Okay, I see that. What happened when you went in?”
    Helton didn’t answer right away. He sat there looking at the table as if trying to remember so he could get the answer right.
    “Stephen?” Bosch prompted. “What happened next?”
    “I had told the buyer’s agent to fax me the offer. But it wasn’t there. So I got off the line from my wife and I called the agent. Then I waited around for the fax. Checked my slips and made a few callbacks while I was waiting.”
    “What are your slips?”
    “Phone messages. People who see our signs on properties and call. I don’t put my cell oriv t my ce home number on the signs.”
    “How many callbacks did you make?”
    “I think just two. I got a message on one and spoke briefly to the other person. My fax came in and that was what I was there for. I got off the line.”
    “Now, at this point it was what time?”
    “I don’t know, about ten after ten.”
    “Would you say that at this point you were still cognizant that your son was still in your car in the parking lot?”
    Helton took time to think through an answer again but spoke before Bosch had to prompt him.
    “No, because if I knew he was in the car, I would not have left him in the first place. I forgot about him while I was still in the car. You understand?”
    Bosch leaned back in his seat. Whether he understood it or not, Helton had just dodged one legal bullet. If he had acknowledged that