Pike shook his head.
“Me neither. So here we are.”
Bud slammed his trunk, then stared at the girl.
“I guess I should apologize, getting you involved in this mess, but I won’t. You could just give her back to Pitman. It’s your choice, playing it this way.”
Bud studied Larkin for a moment longer, and Pike wondered what he was thinking. Then Bud turned, and with the new angle of light, Pike thought he looked as hard as ever.
Bud said, “I’m trusting you won’t let this little girl down.”
Pike watched Bud walk away, then returned to the Lexus and immediately drove away.
Larkin said, “He seems like a nice man.”
“He was a good officer.”
“That’s what he told my dad about you, that you were a good policeman. What he said was, you were the best young officer he ever worked with.”
Pike didn’t answer. He was thinking about the five nameless killers, cleaned up for crime with no criminal records. Pike thought he might still use them to find Meesh, and he believed he knew how.
DEPLOYMENT PERIOD ONE
RAMPART DIVISION ROLL CALL
EVENING WATCH, 1448 HOURS
His dark blue uniform was crisp and fresh, with creases as straight as ruled lines. His stainless steel and copper badge caught light like a mirror, and the black leather of his holster and shoes gleamed as they had in the Marine Corps. Military-issue sunglasses hung from his pocket in the approved position. Pike’s kit, gear, and appearance were in order and by-the- book perfect, which was the way Pike liked it.
Pike, Charlie Grissom, and Paul “P-bag” Hernandez were seated in the front row in the roll call room of the Rampart Division Police Station. This being their first official day on the job after having graduated from the Los Angeles Police Academy, they wore badges and carried loaded weapons for the first time. Today, they would begin their careers as probationary police officers, known within the Los Angeles Police Department as boots.
Pike and the other boots sat erect with their eyes on Sergeant Kelly Levendorf, who was the evening watch commander. Slouching, slumping, or leaning on the table was not permitted. Being boots, they were required to sit in the first row, face forward, and were not allowed to look at the veteran officers who filled the room behind them. They were not allowed to join in the banter during roll call, or react or respond to the veterans, no matter how many spitballs came their way. They had not yet earned that right. Though they had graduated from the academy, they would spend the next year becoming “street certified” by experienced senior officers known as P-IIIs – Pee Threes – who would be their teachers, their protectors, and their Gods.
Two things would happen at this first roll call. They would meet their P-IIIs, which Pike was looking forward to, and they would introduce themselves to the veterans, which Pike dreaded. Pike wasn’t much for talking, and talked about himself least of all.
Levendorf made car assignments, then rolled through everything from suspected criminal activity and suspects known or believed to be in the area, to officer birthdays and upcoming retirement parties. He read most of his announcements from a thick, three-ring binder. When he finished he closed the book and looked up at the shift.
“Okay, we have some new officers aboard, so we’ll let’m introduce themselves. Officer Grissom, you have one minute, one second.”
Pike thought, Here it comes.
At the academy, each recruit was given one minute plus one second to introduce himself. The recruit was expected to be brief and on point-just as he or she was expected to be when dealing with superiors, radio dispatchers, and the public.
Grissom surged to his feet, all gung ho enthusiasm, and turned to face the crowd. He was a short, chunky kid with delicate blond hair, who always seemed anxious to please.
“My name is Charlie Grissom. I graduated from San Diego State with a degree in history. My dad was an officer in San Diego, which is where I was born. I like to surf, fish, and scuba dive. I’m always looking for dive buddies, so look me up if you’re interested. I’m not married, but I’ve been dating the same girl for about a year. Being a police officer is all I’ve ever wanted. My dad wanted me to go on the San Diego PD, but I wanted to be with the best-so I’m here.”
This brought a roar of approval from the shift, but as it died a ragged voice behind Pike cut through the din.
“He kisses ass real good.”
Pike saw Grissom flush from the corner of his eye as Grissom took his seat.
Levendorf said, “Officer Hernandez-one minute, one second.”
Hernandez glanced over at Pike as he stood, and Pike made an imperceptible nod of encouragement. Pike and Hernandez had been roomies at the academy.
Hernandez turned to face them.
“My name is Paul Hernandez. My grandfather, my dad, and two uncles were all LAPD – I’m third generation-”
The shift cheered and clapped until Levendorf told them to knock it off, then ordered Hernandez to continue.
“I had two years at Cal State Northridge playing baseball before I got hurt. I love baseball, and I bleed Dodger blue. I’m married. We’re expecting our first this June. I became an officer because I look up to officers, what with my family and all. That’s the way I was raised. It runs in the blood.”
The shift cheered again as Hernandez returned to his seat.
Levendorf quieted the crowd, then looked at Pike.
“Officer Pike-one minute, one second.”
Everyone said pretty much the same things-they talked about their education and their families, but Pike hadn’t gone to college and wouldn’t talk about his family. He couldn’t see that it mattered or why it was anyone else’s business, anyway. Pike figured all that mattered was what a man did in the moment at hand, and whether or not he did right.
Pike stood and turned. This was the first time he had seen the officers assembled behind him. They were all colors and ages. Many were smiling and loose; others looked stern; and a lot of them looked bored. Pike noted those officers with two stripes on their sleeves. Civilians always confused these for corporal stripes, but these were the P-IIIs. One of them would be his training officer.
“My name is Joe Pike. I’m not married. I pulled two combat tours in the Marines-”
The shift broke into wild applause and cheers, with many of the officers shouting “Semper fi.” LAPD had a high percentage of Marine Corps veterans.
Levendorf waved them quiet and nodded at Pike to continue.
“I want to be a police officer because the motto says to protect and to serve. That’s what I want to do.”
Pike took his seat to scattered applause, but someone in the back laughed.
“Got us a regular Clint Eastwood. A man of few words.”
Pike saw Levendorf frowning.
Levendorf said, “We call this part of the program ‘one minute, one second,’ Officer Pike-so I figure you got about forty seconds to go. Perhaps you’d offer a bit more, self-illumination-wise; say, about your family and hobbies?”
Pike stood again, and once more faced the crowd.
“I qualified as a scout/sniper and served in Force Recon, mostly on long-range reconnaissance teams, hunter/killer teams, and priority target missions. I’m black belt qualified in tae kwon do, kung fu, wing chun, judo, and ubawazi. I like to run and work out. I like to read.”
Pike stopped. The shift stared at him, but Pike didn’t know whether or not to sit down so he stared back. No one applauded.
Finally, an older black P-III with salt-and-pepper hair said, “Thank God he likes to read-I thought we had us a sissy.”