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- Примерно так.

- Почему?

- Об этом нужно будет спросить у него. Правда, у меня есть версия.

- Неужели скейтборд?

"Yeah, he wanted the skateboard."

"He'd kill a kid over a skateboard?"

"We've both seen it done for less and we don't know if he intended to kill him or not.

It was a shallow grave, dug by hand. Nothing premeditated about that. Maybe he just pushed him and knocked him down.

Maybe he hit him with a rock. Maybe there was something else going on between them we don't even know about."

Edgar didn't say anything for a long moment and Bosch thought maybe they were finished and he could get some food.

"What did the foster parents think about your theory?"

Bosch sighed.

"I didn't really spin it for them. But put it this way, they weren't too surprised when I started asking questions about Stokes."

"You know something, Harry, we've been spinning our wheels is what we've been doing."

"What do you mean?"

"This whole case. It comes down to what?— a thirteen-year-old killing a twelve-year-old over a fucking toy. Stokes was a juvy when this went down. Ain't nobody going to prosecute him now." Bosch thought about this for a moment.

"They might. Depends on what we get out of him

after we pick him up "_

- Да, он хотел заполучить этот скейтборд.

- И убил друга ради какого-то скейтборда?

- Мы оба знаем об убийствах по более пустяковым причинам, и нам неизвестно, собирался он убить или нет. Могила неглубокая, вырыта руками. Никаких следов заранее обдуманного намерения. Может быть, Стокс просто толкнул мальчика, и тот упал. Или ударил камнем. Очевидно, между ними что-то произошло, о чем мы понятия не имеем.

Эдгар несколько секунд молчал, и Босх подумал, что, видимо, разговор окончен и наконец-то он пойдет есть.

- А что думают приемные родители о твоей версии? Босх вздохнул:

- Эту версию я им не излагал. Но они не особенно удивились, когда я начал расспрашивать их о Стоксе.

- Знаешь, Г арри, мы с тобой проделали мартышкин труд.

- Ты о чем?

- Обо всем деле. Что получается? Тринадцатилетний убил двенадцатилетнего из-за какой-то паршивой игрушки. Стокс тогда был несовершеннолетним. И сейчас никто не станет выдвигать обвинение против него. Босх ненадолго задумался.

- Могут выдвинуть. В зависимости от того, что мы выясним, когда возьмем Стокса.

"You just said yourself there was no sign of premed. They're not going to file it, partner. I'm telling you. We've been chasing our tail. We close the case but nobody goes away for it."

Bosch knew Edgar was probably right. Under the law, it was rare that adults were prosecuted for crimes committed while they were juveniles as young as thirteen. Even if they pulled a full confession out of Stokes he would probably walk.

"I should have let her shoot him," he whispered. "What's that, Harry?"

"Nothing. I'm going to grab something to eat and get on the road. You going to be there?"

"Yeah, I'm here. I'll let you know if anything happens." "All right."

He hung up and got out of the car, thinking about the likelihood of Stokes walking away from his crime. As he entered the warm diner and was hit with the smells of grease and breakfast, he suddenly realized he had lost his appetite.