Bosch (2014–…): Season 1, Episode 1 - Chapter One: 'Tis the Season - full transcript

So, here we are in the top of the...

Gonna rain like a bastard tonight.

You're crazy.

Need it.

Wash all the shit away.

No. Sprinkle at most.

What? You think the game
gonna get rained out?

Won't go nine. That's for sure.

What are you all of a sudden?

An amateur meteorologist?

About time.



Cat's shakin' and bakin', man.

I think he might have made me.

He's headed for the metro. If
I hustle, I can get up on him.

Should I sit on his car
in case he circles back?

If he does, we got to take him tonight.

- Backup?
- See how it plays out.

Right behind you.

Mariachi Plaza.

Carnal.

No te me esconde.

Alga.

Despacio, despacio!

Policia.

Show me your hands, hombre.



Manos.

Muestrame tus manos.

Freeze.

Bosch.

Chief.

In God's name, Bosch, another one?

What the fuck happened?

Bosch
- 01x01 'Tis the Season

sync and correction by solfieri
www. addic7ed. com

This morning, testimony in the civil trial

of L.A.P.D. Detective Harry Bosch resumes.

The stakes are high, as the plaintiff seeks

unspecified damages

for the alleged wrongful
death of Roberto Flores.

It could be in the millions of dollars.

Chief. Cap.

Bosch.

Asshole.

Excuse me?

You here to see me screw up, too?

You've got me wrong, Detective.

I'm here to show my support.

My primary objective, always,

is to protect the reputation

of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Maybe it's time for you

to reconsider your decision
before you take the stand.

Afraid my testimony will
embarrass the department?

On the contrary.

The department exonerated you.

They had to. It was a good shooting.

Detective Edgar,

when Detective Bosch said
he'd pursue Mr. Flores on foot,

is that standard police procedure

to separate from your
partner, not call for backup?

No, ma'am.

Would that be a violation
of L.A.P.D. policy?

Yes, it would.

How long have you been partners?

41/2, 5 years.

And during that time, have
you known Detective Bosch

to violate L.A.P.D. policy on occasion?

It's not that cut and dry.

Sometimes, you have to
react a little in the moment

to manage the situation at hand.

And have you known Detective Bosch

to react in the moment, as you call it?

Well, yeah, I guess

that would depend on your definition of...

Ignore regulations, breathe
rules, disobey orders.

No further questions of
this witness, Your Honor.

Mr. Belk.

Uh, no questions of
this witness, Your Honor.

You may step down, Detective.

Sorry, man.

Ms. Chandler, your next witness.

Your Honor, I call Detective Harry Bosch.

For the record, please state
your full name and rank.

Hieronymus Bosch, Detective three,

L.A.P.D., Hollywood division.

Detective, how many people have you killed?

I don't know.

You don't know how many
people you've killed?

Uh, how is that possible?

I was in the military, first Gulf War.

Re-upped after 9/11. I
did a tour in Afghanistan.

- You saw combat.
- I did.

- Were you in the army?
- Yes.

- Infantry?
- Special Forces.

Special Forces.

So one might say

you're an experienced,
highly trained killer

with a body count too large to remember.

Your Honor, objection.

Ms. Chandler, please save the
ad hominem character attacks

for closing arguments, where they belong.

Yes, Your Honor. I apologize.

What about as a police officer?

How many people have you
killed in the line of duty?

Five.

So, killing Mr. Flores

was not a unique experience for you.

Objection, Your Honor.

Withdrawn.

Detective, that night,

after you shot and killed
Mr. Flores, what did you do?

Standard protocol.

I did an interview and a
walk-through at the scene

with an F.I.D. detective and my league rep.

Back at division, I spoke
to other F.I.D. detectives,

- and they also took my statement.
- F.I.D. ?

Force Investigation Division.

Is it an L.A.P.D. tradition,
after the killing of a suspect,

to go out that nigh tor the next

with other officers, have a drink or two?

I wouldn't call it a tradition.

But it's been known to happen.

Sometimes. To blow off steam.

To blow off steam.

Understandable... all that adrenaline.

Did a gathering of this kind occur

- after you shot and killed Roberto Flores?
- Yes.

Do you recall the name of the bar?

El Compadre.

And were there other officers

- there with you that night?
- Yes.

Does this kind of gathering have a name

within the department?

It's called a "K" party.

A "K" party.

And would you please tell
us what the "K" stands for?

"Kill."

You attended a kill party

to celebrate the shooting of Mr. Flores?

It wasn't a celebration.

Oh. I stand corrected.

- A kill party at a bar is not a celebration.
- No.

- Even when it has a band.
- A band?

Wasn't there a band there
that night at El Compadre?

A Mariachi band?

If you change your mind over
the weekend, let me know.

Will do.

Those will kill you.

So I hear.

You look like shit, Bosch.

Pressure getting to you?

Let me ask you something, Captain.

Where'd Chandler get that K-party stuff?

That's inside baseball.

Any idea?

I'm glad you didn't settle, Bosch.

Such a pleasure watching you hang yourself.

What? Nothing to say, Chastain?

And how are the fearless men and women

of internal affairs these days?

Professional standards bureau, Bosch.

Join the 21st century with the rest of us.

Whatever the fuck you
clowns call yourselves.

The Rat Squad.

You ever get tired of busting real cops,

I hear the TSAIs looking for screeners.

I know a guy who could
help you pass the exam.

I'm not the one who should be
thinking about a new career.

'Tis the season.

Okay. We'll put the offer in today then.

Media requests. Interviews.

I'll be in touch as soon as I hear.

I'm sorry about today, man.

Chandler made me make you look bad.

They call her "Money" for good reason.

You told the truth, J. Edgar.

Don't worry about it.

Crate and Barrel... just
the guys I'm looking for.

Bosch. What are you doing here?

I thought you were off rotation.

Recessed for the weekend, Barrel.

I'm playing Santa Claus. Crate.

Lakers-thunder. You shittin' me?

Saturday night, center section, eight
rows back from where Jack used to sit.

- We're up this weekend.
- I'll take your rotation.

What's the catch?

There's no catch, Detective Paranoia.

I've been in court all week.

I'm bored out of my mind. Jesus.

The whole weekend?

Every shit call that
comes in, even the decomps?

Every decomp, every holiday O.D.,

every eggnog-induced cardiac arrest.

- Edgar's cool with that?
- You let me worry about Edgar.

- You want them or not?
- Hell yeah.

Mine.

Ho ho ho.

Ho.

Harry.

Why'd you switch with Crate and Barrel

and not check with me first?

I got plans, man.

Taking my kids to "Lion King" tomorrow.

Don't worry. I got it.

Probably be a dry weekend, anyway.

Couple of undetermineds, maybe a decomp.

I know how much you hate a decomp.

Man, you got to get a life.

You know, most guys would
love a stint on the DL.

Yeah, well, I'm no good with downtime.

Harry Bosch.

Lieutenant.

Bullets gonna kick your ass.

I thought you quit.

I thought I did, too.

What are you doing here, Bosch?

Just thought I'd come by and
check my messages, you know?

No, I don't know.

You're off until there's a verdict.

So go home... now.

Harry.

Nobody else was there, Harry.

Nobody saw what you saw.

Whole world likes to second-guess a decision
you had to make in the blink of an eye.

So it goes.

Freeze.

Car is registered to a
Linda Foster, Studio City.

Assuming it's hers.

No purse, no I.D.?

Didn't search it yet.

Waiting for you.

I mean, if it's a robbery...

Yeah, thanks for not
fucking up my scene, Officer.

Coroners?

Be here within an hour.

Fuck it. I'm gonna move the body.

Wait. But...

Don't worry. I'll put it back.

Suicide.

Oh.

Beautiful girl like that.

I mean... Why?

Day like this, who wouldn't want to live?

No matter what.

Bosch.

Hey, Harry, how's it going up there?

About to clear.

Yeah, well, that time of year, right?

Yeah. What's up?

Listen, I got a, uh,
citizen up in the hills.

His dog went for a romp in the woods.

- He came back with a bone.
- Come on, Mank.

Not a bone run.

Before you start jumping all over
my ass, will you just hear me out?

I'm not jumping on anybody's ass.

Well, isn't that good to know?

The guy says it's human, Harry.

Yeah, well, it always is.

- Until it isn't.
- You're right.

99 times out of 100... what?...

it's a coyote, deer, cow, whatever.

But this guy... he's a doctor, Harry.

Yeah. Chiropractor?

He's an M.D., smart-ass.

And he says that it's a,
uh... humerus, upper-arm bone.

So, anyway, I was wondering... do you think

you could, uh, humor us and
go check out this humerus?

Oh, come on, Harry. That was fucking funny.

Hilarious, Mank. Just give me the address.

Yes, sir.

I can definitely see
what you're talking about.

Edge. Bosch.

This is Dr. Guyot. He found the bone.

To be accurate, the dog found it.

I called it in.

I was showing the officer here...

The highlighted area
is a growth-plate line.

If we compare it to the recovered
specimen, this is a child's bone, Detective.

No doubt about it.

- Child's bone?
- Yes.

How long have you been retired, Doctor?

It doesn't mean I don't know
a human bone when I see one.

I'm not questioning your expertise.

You say it's a human
bone, I believe you, okay?

I'm just trying to get
the lay of the land here.

Did you happen to see where she found it?

I didn't.

Way up in the hill somewhere in the woods.

Beautiful dog. Golden Retriever, right?

- What's her name?
- Calamity.

You guys can clear out.
I can take it from here.

- Keep it off the air.
- Roger that.

So, what can you tell me about it?

- See the striation?
- Mm-hmm.

That's a break line,
Detective, a healed fracture.

Broken and mended.

A spiral fracture, usually from
severe twisting of the limb.

Rotation break.

Yes, rotation break.

Rarely accidental.

I know.

Going up to take a look?

Give it a try.

Maybe an hour or so of daylight left.

Julia Brasher. I'm new in the division.

Harry Bosch.

Yeah, I know. I've heard of you.

I deny everything.

Uh, look, sorry about butting
in with the doctor in there.

I know you were trying
to establish rapport.

And... My timing's a bit off today.

Don't worry about it.

Hey, listen, I don't know how
long I'm gonna be up there.

Forgot my light.

Oh, yeah. No problem.

- Use mine.
- Thanks.

I can, uh, go up with you.

Got a hot shot, partner... double "D."

All right.

I hate domestic disputes, don't you?

Yeah, I do, especially my own.

- Anyway, sorry about that.
- Maybe next time.

It's okay. Got another one in the car.
You can just get it back to me whenever.

- Good luck.
- You too. Be careful.

Attractive woman.

- For a cop.
- Anyone.

Okay, Doc.

Look, I can't climb that
hill and hold the dog,

so just unleash her, and
I'll do my best to keep up.

Fat chance.

Go get the bone, girl. Go!

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck.

Fuck.

Son of a bitch.

Sorry.

Wish I could write you
something for the pain,

but since I retired...

No, don't worry about it, Doc.

I can deal with it.

You said there's a crime scene up there.

I found more bones.

Thought I was looking at twigs at first.

Then I realized I was looking at a hand.

A child's hand.

A child's hand.

Why aren't you answering your cell?

- Died an hour ago.
- Mine hasn't.

I come out of the movies, I
got messages from everybody

from the watch commander
to the coroner's office

telling me about some bone case
you're working up in the hills.

I was gonna call you. Just wanted
to check missing persons first.

Unauthorized possession
of departmental property.

I could bust you on this alone, Bosch.

Yeah, I guess you could.

What I really want to know is...

who gave you permission to take
Johnson and Moore's rotation?

They had Lakers tickets. I just offered...

You gave them the Lakers tickets.

Yeah... yeah, I guess I did.

You're in court on Monday morning.

Harry, do you have any
idea how fucked up this is?

I do. But I can handle it.

You need to focus on your
court case, Detective.

Your future is on the line.

Anybody can sue anybody in this world.

The department cleared me.

Do you think that if a jury decides
that you killed an unarmed man

that... that it ends there
just because it's "civil"?

He wasn't unarmed.

Well, if Chandler convinces them that
he was, do you think for one second

that Irving won't take you
off of the homicide table?

You'll be doing auto theft in San Pedro,

living on pop-tarts

and instant ramen in a rented room.

Okay, look, first of all, Lieutenant,
we don't even know what we have up there.

It could be decades old.

Look, exactly, which is why, on Monday,

- this goes to cold case.
- No.

It stays with me.

I caught it. I keep it.

It's a hobby case, Lieutenant.

We excavate the site
tomorrow and then we evaluate.

I could be finished with this court
bullshit before we even get forensics back.

God damn it!

I need the work, Lieutenant.

This is the work I do.

You know this.

I know that if the Captain
sees your name on the reports,

he'll be shitting blood.

Tell the captain you got Edgar
working it while I'm in court.

I'll put his name on everything.

Harry, Harry, Harry.

All right, look, just...
Take a look at this.

This is what we're looking
for in terms of color.

Spread an arm's distance apart in one
line and move slowly across each quadrant.

Slowly, got it? Take your time.

This ain't a contest. We got all day.

- All right, come on. Let's go.
- Yes, sir.

Hey. Heard you need volunteers.

We could use you.

Check in with my partner over there.

Roger that.

Found more bones?

Definitely a grave site.

So it's a homicide.

I can't think of a legit reason to
bury a body up here, especially a kid.

Right femur.

"City of Bones."

The grid we laid down is
like the blocks of a city,

so we know exactly what was found where.

And every murder is the tale of a city.

Who said that?

I don't know. Somebody.

Think it's true?

Yeah. I do.

Detective Bosch.

1989.

Found it near the left wing of the
pelvis. Probably in our victim's pocket.

Pretty good marker. It
puts us inside 25 years.

Yeah. Two other things I want
to emphasize, Detective...

- grave dept hand location terrain.
- Go ahead, Doc.

Well, we have a contradiction here.

It was a shallow grave.

Whoever buried this body
basically covered it over

with loose dirt and dry leaves,
which suggests panic, poor planning.

On the other hand, a remote
location, difficult terrain...

See what I'm saying?

- Premeditation.
- Yeah.

Decomp fluid shave destroyed the clothing,
but the canvas backpack is largely intact.

So maybe burying it with
the body was a mistake.

Maybe. Waistband from a
pair of boy's underwear.

Pelvis assembly also indicates
we may have a male here.

Judging from the skeletal remains,

a child of about 9 or 10.

Give me the trowel.

Brush.

Missing lower mandible.

No teeth on the upper.

Dental I.D. would be too easy.

Don't despair, Detective.

Cranium shows clear evidence of
fracture line sand surgical healing.

Hospital records.

Another indicator we're dealing
with relatively contemporary bones.

Stellate fracture on the occipital.

Blunt-force trauma.

That's the most likely explanation.

I'll canvass the neighborhood
first thing in the morning.

I'd start with the doctor.

I'll bet he's been on the street forever.

- I'll text you if anything comes up.
- You know where to find me.

Find more than one body up there?

I don't know.

Hang on. They still looking?

Yeah. Still got crews up there.

- Come on, man. Give me something.
- I got nothing for you.

How much longer are you
guys gonna be up there for?

- Do you know?
- If I did, I'd let you know.

Hey! What...

I've seen you before.

What are you doing here?

You know this guy?

He's been in court all week.

Nate Tyler, "Times."

A reporter. Motherfucker.

We ought to arrest your ass.

- For what?
- For being an all-around douche.

That's a felony, isn't it?

Where I come from.

I'm on public property, reporting
on a criminal investigation.

You can't write about this.

It's too soon. You'll fuck it up.

You're covering the trial.

Now you're up here poking around.

You're covering me.

A hit piece. You're
doing a hit piece on me.

An in-depth, unbiased feature story

about a cop who has... fair to say...

something of a checkered past.

My partner's right. It's premature.

You want to write about me, go ahead,

but give us a chance first
to find out what it is.

When the time comes, you'll
give me the exclusive?

Exactly. Keep me abreast
of all the developments?

I give you my word.

I'd like to help you out, Bosch, I really
would, but this isn't like the old days.

You can't sit on a story like this.

It's already public.

If I don't write about it,
some pissant blogger will.

My mistake. I thought you
were a pissant blogger.

Fuck you. Sorry. No can do.

Fuck him.

We out of here? I got beau coup shit to do.

- We're out of here.
- Later.

- Good work today, Boot.
- Thanks.

Boot? You're a "Boot"?

Long story.

Well, we can stand in line.

You can tell me all about
it over a warm cocoa,

or we can go to Musso &
Frank's for an ice-cold Martini.

Tough choice. Flip a coin?

Cheers.

Good work today, Boot.

Thanks.

You don't seem like a rookie.

I know. I'm old.

Not what I meant.

No, I just got the cop bug late.

Took me a while to figure out
what I wanted to do with my life.

- So, what'd you do before this?
- Let's see.

Uh, college, travel, law school, lawyer.

Lawyer.

Check, please.

It didn't last very long.

It was just a couple of
years at my dad's law firm.

Must have been pretty bad, you
trade a briefcase for a Billy Club.

It wasn't bad, just boring.

So, this is it? Dream come true?

- For now, yeah.
- Right.

Who could resist all this?

Police work... it's so glamorous.

Do your job, risk your life.

They drag you into court, try
to make you look like Ted Bundy

when the other guy really is Ted Bundy.

You worried about the trial?

I'm not worried about what I did.

I know what I did was right.

I'm worried about what
the jury will think I did.

Anyway... Fuck it.

How's your Martini?

Spectacular.

This is a great place.

Old L.A. There's not much of it left.

Where'd you get those?

Long story.

I still think it's one of
the last noble callings.

What? Police work?

Homicide, what you do.

Homicide's dull, after the fact.

Somebody takes somebody else's life.

We show up.

Doesn't sound dull to me.

Seriously, you take some genuinely
evil people off the board.

Sometimes, when we get lucky.

No, I think there's more to it than luck.

And it counts.

You know, what you do... it counts.

Shit.

Crap.

I hate Mondays, man.

You and me both, brother.

Shit.

Seriously?

Yeah. I'm quitting... for real.

We resume today where we left off Friday...

Ms. Chandler's direct
examination of Detective Bosch.

You suspected Mr. Flores of killing
several women, is that correct?

- He was one of a number of suspects, yes.
- How many victims?

Three we're certain of,
possibly several more.

And how many suspects were you investigating
in connection with these murders?

The task force was investigating
over a dozen or so, roughly.

A dozen or so.

And you personally?

My partner and I were charged
with investigating Roberto Flores.

- Did Mr. Flores have a criminal record?
- No.

Had he ever even been
arrested on any charge?

No.

Was Mr. Flores ever
arrested for these murders?

- You know he wasn't.
- Your Honor.

Please answer the question, Detective.

- No.
- And why is that?

He died before he could
be taken into custody.

- You killed him.
- He drew a gun on me.

So you say.

His weapon was found at the scene.

- Was his DNA found on that weapon?
- No.

Was it ever tied to him,

- forensically, in any way?
- No.

Is it possible someone else
placed that weapon at the scene

- after you shot and killed him?
- No.

- Objection
- Sustained.

Let's turn to something you can prove.

Was there a pattern to these victims?

Did they share any similarities?

They were all young, Asian or Hispanic,
dark-haired, similar height, body type.

- And who were they?
- They were never identified.

You don't know their real names?

- We do not.
- And why is that?

It was our supposition they were
illegals working as prostitutes.

Their bodies had been
stripped of all identification,

and we were never able to make
any kind of forensic matches.

And no one ever came forward

- to identify them or claim their remains?
- No.

- Undocumented immigrants.
- That was our assumption.

- Prostitutes.
- As I said, our best guess.

Marginal, vulnerable
women often victimized,

- preyed upon, would you agree?
- Yes.

You have sympathy for them.

I have sympathy for all the victims
of the murders I investigate.

Don't serial killers
often target prostitutes?

As you said, they're vulnerable.

And don't you have a particular interest

in these sorts of crimes,
a personal interest?

I take each case as it comes.

No one case or one kind of case
matters to meany more than any other.

Detective, what did your
mother do for a living?

She was a prostitute.

Your mother was a prostitute?

Yes.

Is your mother still living?

No.

- How old were you when she died?
- 12.

How did she die?

She was murdered.

And was her murder ever solved?

No.

What happened to you after her murder?

I went in to the system.

Youth Halls, Foster Homes.

So, the killer was never
caught, never punished.

No.

Detective, when you shot
and killed Mr. Flores,

weren't you, in effect,
avenging your mother's death?

- Objection.
- You've got a lot of fucking nerve.

- I'm way ahead of you, Mr. Belk.
- Counselor, you know better.

I apologize, Your Honor.

Detective, another outburst like
that, and I'll hold you in contempt.

I'm sorry, Your Honor.
It won't happen again.

Strike that last question
and response from the record.

How'd it go?

Chandler ambushed me.

Somebody slipped her my file.

Jesus.

Golliher's ready for us.

If you're up for it.

After this bullshit, the morgue
will be a breath of fresh air.

We recovered about 60% of
the skeleton at the site.

Given the shallow nature of the grave,
the rest of the remains were no doubt

- scattered by animals over the years.
- Is that enough? 60%?

More than enough in this case, Detective.

- More than enough.
- Tell us what you got, Doc.

Let's start with the basics.

Young male Caucasoid.

Comparison to maresh growth standard indices
puts his age at approximately 10 years old.

But this child was a victim of
severe, prolonged physical abuse.

Victims of chronic abuse
often suffer growth disruption,

abuse-related stunting
that skews age estimation.

What you get is a skeleton
that's smaller than it should be.

The long-limb bones are
shorter than one would expect.

How old is he really?

Uh, I would say... best guess... 12 or 13.

- Time of death?
- We have the coin.

Which gives us the early parameter of 1989.

So you think he's been
in the ground since then?

- 25 years?
- Well, we have surgical evidence

that supports the
estimation of 18 to 24 years.

Cause of death?

Let's save cause of death for last.

Uh, but before we get to that,
I want to give you an idea

of what this boy had to endure
during his short lifetime.

All right. Tell it your way, Doc.

Well, even with partial remains,

we have definitive proof of tremendous
skeletal trauma and chronic abuse.

Bones heal themselves.

Through the study of bone regeneration,
we can establish a history of abuse.

On these bones, there are multiple
lesions and different stages of healing...

fractures old and new. We only
have two of the four extremities,

but both of them show
multiple instances of trauma.

I counted 44 distinct locations

indicating separate trauma
and various stages of healing.

Jesus Christ. 44?

And that's just the bones.

The damage that would have been inflicted
on his vital organs and tissue...

it must have been tremendous.

Without a doubt, somebody kicked the
shit out of this kid on a daily basis.

Let me show you something.

The femur, the upper thigh.

This line here where the color
changes is one of the lesions.

This boy suffered a powerful blow
in the weeks before his death.

It didn't break the
bone, but it damaged it.

Would no doubt have caused
bruising and affected his walk.

Somebody must have noticed.

You would think.

The right humerus shows two
separate and healed breaks...

one spiral fracture, one bucket.
Ah, spiral fracture is the result

of twisting the arm with great force.

Bucket fracture is a result from pulling
the arm with the same kind of violence.

The ulna, the lower arm, shows a healed
latitudinal fracture, a parry fracture.

The break caused a slight deviation

- in the attitude of the bone.
- You want to explain what that means to my partner?

That means the bone was allowed
to heal in place after the injury.

Nobody took him to a doctor.

Apparently not.

It's a common accidental injury,
but it can also be a defensive one.

- Ward off a blow with the forearm.
- Because of the lack of medical attention,

my supposition is that this
was not an accidental injury

but, rather, part of the abuse pattern.

I got to take a leak. Keep going.

sync and correction by solfieri
www. addic7ed. com