He knew that he had just entered a restaurant on Hollywood Boulevard, but everything about the place smacked of New York. Everything about it reminded him of train rides into the city as a teenager and the modest home in New Jersey where he had been raised by his aunt. Everything about it brought back memories of his aunt and their life together. At least the good ones.

The front door swung open.

Matt turned and watched a young couple enter, the woman smiling at the maître d’ as she smoothed back her blond hair. Even though he didn’t recognize her, Matt guessed that she might be an actress. People were eyeing her from their tables as if she was, and no one looked away as she strolled down the aisle with her friend toward an open table that seemed more private than the rest. From the sleepy look in the young woman’s eyes, the glint, the joy, the easy way she carried her body—and from where Matt stood, it was a better than decent body—he could tell she liked attention.

He watched her take her seat before turning away to check the time. It was early. Hughes wouldn’t show for another twenty minutes, maybe even a half hour. Spotting an empty stool at the bar, Matt sat down and ordered a beer, then noticed his cell phone vibrating in his pocket. He pulled it out and checked the touch screen, hoping that it might be Hughes. Instead, he found the name of his new supervisor, Lieutenant Bob Grace, blinking on the display. They had met for the first time earlier in the day. Grace had given Matt a tour of the Hollywood station, shown him where his desk would be in the morning, and introduced him to his new partner, Denny Cabrera, who only had fifteen minutes because he was on his way to court.

Matt took in a nervous breath and exhaled as he stepped away from the bar to take the call.

“Sounds like you’re celebrating,” Grace said.

“Not yet.”

“So everything’s cool? You’re still good?”

Matt could hear the worry in his supervisor’s voice. It seemed obvious that Grace wanted to know if he had been drinking. But even more, it seemed clear that he needed to know he could trust Matt’s answer.

“Everything’s good,” Matt said. “I just got here, Lieutenant. What’s up? What can I do?”

Grace cleared his throat. “You were supposed to start tomorrow, Jones. I know that’s how we left it. But I’m in deep shit, and I need you tonight.”

“What’s happened?”

“Somebody’s been murdered in Hollywood. That’s all I know. That’s all it takes.”

Matt glanced at the blonde seated with her friend, both caught up in the good mood of the room and laughing like they didn’t have a care in the world.

“Where?” he asked.

“Between Yucca and Hollywood on North Cherokee. You can’t miss it. You’ll see why it’s so fucked up when you get there.”

“I’m still in Hollywood,” Matt said. “I’m only a block away.”

“That’s even better. Listen, Jones, I realize I’m throwing you into the fire on this one, but it can’t be helped. We’ve had a bad week. You and Cabrera are all I’ve got left tonight.”

All I’ve got left . . .

Matt understood what Grace meant and didn’t take it as a slight. Cabrera was almost as green as Matt, with just three months under his belt working in Hollywood.