“Austin Ferras,” he said. “Your dad’s doctor.”
“Oh,” Maddie said.
“Is something wrong?” Ferras said. “I can come back.”
“No, nothing’s wrong,” Maddie said. “I just... well, I guess I was expecting someone a bit older.”
“I get that all the time,” Ferras said. “But don’t worry, your dad is in good hands. He’s got me and a lot of people watching over him. And you’re safe to drive him. Harry may be ornery but he’s not particularly radioactive.”
Ferras turned to Bosch.
“How do you feel today, Harry?”
“Bored,” Bosch said.
Ferras stepped over to the IV pole and inspected the bag. He reached up and flicked it with a finger.
“Just about done here,” he said. “I’ll get Gloria in to disconnect and then you’ll be on your way in a bit.”
There was a clipboard in a pocket attached to the pole. Ferras pulled it out and checked the notations made by the NMT. He spoke while reading.
“So, side effects?” he asked.
“Uh, the usual,” Bosch said. “Mild nausea. Feels like I’m going to throw up but I never do. Haven’t tried to stand since I got here, but I’m sure that will be an adventure.”
“Vertigo — yes, a fairly common side effect. It shouldn’t last long but we’ll want you to stay until we’re sure you’re okay to go. How’s the tinnitus?”
“Still there when I think about it or when it gets mentioned.”
“Sorry, Harry, but I have to ask.”
“If it’s all right with you, I want to go as soon as I get detached. I’m not driving, and Maddie will get me home.”
Ferras looked to Maddie for confirmation.
“I’ll get him home,” she said.
“All right, then,” Ferras said.
Ferras wrote something on the clipboard and returned it to its pocket. He turned to go.
“Nice to meet you, Maddie,” he said. “Take care of him.”
“I will,” Maddie said. “But before you go... I’m sure you have learned over the past weeks that my dad is not A-plus on communication skills. Can you tell me in layman’s terms what you’re doing to him and what this clinical trial is all about? He hasn’t really told me anything—”
“I didn’t want you to worry,” Bosch interjected.
“Happy to,” Ferras said. “As you probably know, your father’s cancer is in his bone marrow. What we’re doing here in the trial is taking a medium that has proved to be beneficial in the treatment of other cancers and trying it on his specific cancer.”
“Medium?” Maddie asked. “What does that mean?”
“It’s the isotope,” Ferras said. “Technically, it’s called lutetium one-seventy-seven. It’s been used successfully in recent years to treat prostate and other cancers. So our study and clinical trial seeks to determine if Lu one-seventy-seven therapy can achieve the same positive results with Harry’s cancer. We’ll know the results soon.”
“And how do you measure results?” Maddie asked.
“Well, in four to six weeks, we’ll bring Harry back to do a biopsy,” Ferras said. “He will definitely need a ride home from that, and the results will tell us where we stand.”
“What kind of biopsy?” Maddie asked.
“We’ll go into the bone and draw marrow to get the truest measure,” Ferras said. “But it’s invasive, and I have to say there will be discomfort. We need to go into one of the bigger bones for this, so we’ll go into the hip.”
“Can we stop talking about this?” Bosch said. “It’s not what I want to think about right now.”
“Sorry, Harry,” Ferras said again.
“One last question,” Maddie said. “After you do the biopsy, how long until you know the result?”
“Uh, not too long,” Ferras said. “Depending on what we see, we might do a second biopsy three months later.”
Maddie turned and looked pointedly at Bosch.
“You need to include me,” she said. “I want to know.”
Bosch held up his hands in surrender.
“I promise,” he said.
“I’ve heard that before,” she said.
On the ride home Bosch’s daughter again pressed the point about communications.
“Dad, really, you have to let me know what you know,” she said. “You’re not in this alone. I don’t want you to feel that you are.”
“I get it, I get it,” Bosch said. “I’ll—”
He felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw it was a call from Jennifer Aronson. He guessed it was going to be another plea for his involvement in her nephew’s case. He didn’t want to take the call but knew that he should. He also knew he had just stopped talking to his daughter in the middle of a sentence.
“When I know something, you’ll know something,” he said. “Do you mind if I take this call? It’ll be quick.”
“Might as well,” Maddie said. “You clearly don’t want to talk about your health with me.”
Rather than argue, Bosch put his finger on the phone screen and accepted the call.
“Jennifer,” he said. “I’m kind of in the middle of something, can I—”
“That’s all right,” she cut in. “I just wanted to say a big thank-you. The DA nol-prossed Anthony’s case. I’m waiting for him now at Sylmar.”
It meant the district attorney’s office had declined to prosecute the case.
“Wow, that’s good,” Bosch said.
“And all because of you, Harry,” Aronson said. “I brought up the whole scenario that you spun — and don’t worry, I never used your name. I asked if the officer was checked for gunshot residue and they understood how I was going to play it if it went to trial, especially if they bumped Anthony to adult status and the case was in open court. They folded like a paper napkin, Harry, and Anthony has you to thank.”
“Uh, well, I’m glad it worked out. But he should thank you. You made his case to the prosecutor.”
“Following your interpretation of the evidence.”
“Well...”
Bosch didn’t know what to say and wasn’t sure he wanted his daughter the cop overhearing this discussion.
“I know you’re busy,” Aronson said. “I’ll let you go. I just wanted you to know what had happened and to say thanks from both Anthony and me.”
“Okay, well, glad it worked out,” Bosch said.
“See you soon, Harry.”
“Yes.”
He clicked off and put the phone back in his pocket.
“Sorry about that,” he said.
“Who was that?” Maddie said. “Sounded like a woman.”
“Mickey’s associate Jennifer. It was about one of her cases.”
“Sounded like it was one of your cases.”
“I looked at a couple reports. No big deal.”
Bosch was worried that Maddie would keep asking questions about the case and eventually realize he had worked on the defense of someone accused of shooting an LAPD officer. But luckily, Maddie changed the subject.
“Do you know why Mickey isn’t bringing Hayley into the firm once she passes the bar?” she asked, referring to her cousin, Haller’s daughter.
“Supposedly she doesn’t want to do criminal work,” Bosch said. “I think he said she wants to specialize in environmental law. You’re closer to her than me. Did you two talk about it?”
“We haven’t talked in a while. I always thought that with me following in your footsteps, she might end up following in his.”
Bosch thought for a moment before responding. Maddie turned off Cahuenga onto Woodrow Wilson and started the steep ascent to his house.
“You’re not following in my footsteps, Mads. You’ll be your own cop. You’ll make your own path.”
“I know that, but it’s about the badge. We both put on the badge, you know. I’m proud of that, Dad.”