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.Bosch had rarely been grilled so thoroughly by defense attorneys in court.She had taken a hard line on the quality of police work in the city but her arguments were well thought out and articulate.Bosch respected her.“Class ends in ten minutes,” Bambrough said.“I’ll take you to her then.There is something I would like to talk to you about first, Detective Bosch.”“I told you last time, call me Harry.What is it you want to talk about?”“Well, your daughter’s quite a storyteller.She was overheard during the midmorning break telling other students that she just moved here from Hong Kong because her mother was murdered and she got kidnapped.My concern is that she’s self-aggrandizing in order to—”“It’s true.All of it.”“What do you mean?”“She was abducted and her mother was killed trying to res-cue her.”“Oh, dear God! When did this happen”Bosch regretted not telling Bambrough the whole story when they had talked that morning.He had simply told her that his daughter was going to be living with him and wanted to check the school out.“Over the weekend,” he answered.“We arrived from Hong Kong last night.”Bambrough looked like she had taken a punch.“Over the weekend? Are you telling me the truth?”“Of course I am.She’s been through a lot.I know it might be too soon to put her in school, but this morning I had…an appointment I couldn’t avoid.I’ll take her home now and if she wants to come back in a few days, I’ll let you know.”“Well, what about counseling? What about a physical examination”“I’m working on all of that.”“Don’t be afraid to get her help.Children like to talk about things.It’s just that sometimes it’s not to their parents.I have found that children have an innate ability to know what they need in order to heal themselves and survive.Without her mother and with you being new at full-time parenting, Madeline may need an outside party to talk to.” Bosch nodded at the end of the lecture.“She’ll get whatever she needs.What would I need to do if she wants to go to school here?”“Just call me.You’re in the district and we have the space.There will be some minor paperwork for enrollment and we’ll have to get her transcript from Hong Kong.You’ll need her birth certificate and that’s about it.”Bosch realized that his daughter’s birth certificate was probably back in the apartment in Hong Kong.“I don’t have her birth certificate.I’ll have to apply for one.I think she was born in Las Vegas.”“You think?”“I, uh, didn’t meet her until she was already four.At the time, she lived with her mother in Las Vegas and I assume she was born there.I can ask her.”Bambrough looked even more puzzled.“I have her passport,” Bosch offered.“It’ll say where she was born.I just haven’t looked at it.”“Well, we can make do with that until you get the birth certificate.I think the important thing now is to take care of your daughter psychologically.This is a terrible trauma for her.You need to get her talking to a counselor.”“Don’t worry, I will.”A chime sounded the change of classes and Bambrough stood up.They left the office and walked down a main hallway.The campus was long and narrow because it was built on the hillside.Bosch saw Bambrough still trying to absorb the idea of what Madeline had just been through and survived.“She’s a strong kid,” he offered.“She’ll have to be after an experience like that.”Bosch wanted to change the subject.“What classes has she been in?”“She started in math and then had a short break before social studies.They then went to lunch and now she just finished Spanish.”“She was learning Chinese in Hong Kong.”“I’m sure this is just one of the many difficult changes she’ll be going through.”“Like I said, she’s tough.I think she’ll make it.”Bambrough turned and smiled as she walked.“Like her father, I assume.”“Her mother was tougher.”Children were crowding the hallway as they changed classes.Bambrough saw Bosch’s daughter before he did.“Madeline,” she called.Bosch waved.Maddie had been walking with two girls and somehow seemed to be already making friends.She said good-bye to them and rushed over.“Hi, Dad.”“Hey, how’d you like it?”“It was all right, I guess.”Her voice was reserved and Bosch didn’t know if that was because the assistant principal was standing right there with them.“How was Spanish” Bambrough asked.“Um, I was kind of lost.”“I heard you were learning Chinese.It’s a much more difficult language than Spanish.I think you’d pick up Spanish very quickly here.”“I guess.”Bosch decided to save her from the small talk
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