Chapter 2: Call to Adventure
"Anyone in homicide available?" a call from dispatch asked.
"Roger, this is detective sergeant Rust Cohle," Rust's voice resonated through the receiver, a deep timbre that carried an air of gravitas. As he spoke those words, a surge of anticipation coursed through his veins, his heart quickening its rhythm in sync with the pulsating energy of the police station.
"Sgt, a patrolman is requesting a supervisor and homicide detective to go to the Canyon Diner on Mullholand Dr in Hollywood Hills over looking Runyon Canyon Park." Dispatch said.
"Roger dispatch, I'll be taking it and heading there now." Rust said. He grabbed keys to an unmarked unit, went into the parking lot, hit the lights and started driving to the location.
Rust pulled into the dirt parking lot and was met by the patrolman.
"Sergeant, at least one person is dead. I stopped for food. The door said closed, it's never closed.........." The patrolman was stopped mid-sentence.
"No one comes through the front door, got it?" Rust said and asked.
"Yes sergeant." The patrolman said. Rust threw on some rubber gloves, grabbed his gun then opened the door. Rust could smell blood mixed amongst the food. He walked right near the counter that had the griddle right behind it. He looked over the counter and saw a cook dead on the ground with 5 bullet holes in his face and 3 in the chest. The register was opened with no money in it. Rust noticed small droplets of blood leading to the back from a seat to his left, he saw some blood splatter on the wall as well. Followed the small blood trail, it lead to the bathrooms. He opened the door to the mens room where the trail ended. The scent of blood was over powering. Inside the room, the walls were covered in blood. Slumped on the floor and some against the wall, were 10 dead men and women.
Rust rushed back outside. He grabbed his radio and requested for more units so they block the street off and requested for SID ( Scientific Investigation Division) to get there as well and notified them the have 11 bodies that looked to have been shot and killed.
Lt Grace Billets arrived on scene, as did Harry Bosch and Jerry Edgar.
"Well, Cohle, what in the fuck happened here?" Grace asked.
The words hung in the air, heavy with a mix of disbelief and urgency. Rust Cohle felt the weight of Grace Billets' question settle upon his shoulders like an invisible burden, threatening to drag him down into the depths of the unknown. His piercing blue eyes flickered with a mixture of determination and unease as he surveyed the scene before him.
Before him lay the remnants of shattered lives, strewn across the bathroom floor like broken dreams.
"Well, it looks like a stick up. I say looks, because they didn't hit the safe. They were in the backroom and ripped out the security system. Took the computers with them, but they left the safe alone. It had to be more than one gunman. Also, a former cop was found among the dead, and he likely was the one shot first. I'm betting the blood on the wall near the customer seats matches with his. So, my guess is, first gunman walks in, shoots him. Cook fired at least one shot, but missed. Then got shot up and killed. 2 more gunman walk in and lead everyone into the bathroom where they unload shotguns into them. Someone grabs the video and computers. Someone empties the register."
"Who was the cop?" Bosch asked.
"Ellis Johnson. He was that cop that made the news for beating that 12 year old nearly to death for accidentally bumping into his car with his bike. Then it came to light he was dealing drugs on the side, apparently with other cops. But he up and left the department and never saw charges." Rust said to Bosch.
"Ah, that ray of sunshine." Grace said.
Grace then asked, "Do you want this case? Hell of a pickup for a first case with a new department. I know you just got here so...."
"I'm fine having it." Rust said.
"Sergeant, you can pull who ever from the pool of detectives you supervise, which these two here (Bosch and Edgar) are apart of, if you need to." Grace said.
Rust looked at Edgar and Bosch, "You two okay with helping with this?" He asked.
Jerry Edgar glanced at Harry Bosch, a silent exchange passing between them like a fleeting gust of wind stirring the leaves on a quiet autumn day. In that moment, years of partnership and camaraderie spoke volumes, an unspoken understanding that transcended the confines of mere words. His eyes flickered with a mixture of determination and loyalty as he turned his gaze back to Rust Cohle.
"Absolutely," Jerry Edgar replied, his voice steady and resolute.