Darker Angels

Lieutenant Ed Howard was three months away from retirement after twenty-five years with LAPD. He had just returned from spending a week’s leave in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, where he and his wife had been house hunting. The lieutenant listened to them but wasn’t overly attentive. On his desk was a stack of realtor brochures, and Ed Howard’s mind seemed focused more on northern Idaho than L.A. or the briefing. Howard was ready to join other retired California law enforcement officers who had migrated to Northern Idaho over the past thirty-five years. Coeur d’Alene, in particular, a place of spectacular natural beauty and quiet neighborhoods where the air smelled of pine, had become an unofficial refugee camp for ex-Los Angeles police officers.

Over two hundred former LAPD cops lived in a three-county area around Coeur d’Alene. For some, economics primarily motivated the move to Idaho. It was cheaper to live there than almost anywhere else, and their pension checks went much further. Others went there for the fishing, the outdoors, the quiet, and because it was a place with built-in brethren. But for most, it was an escape from an interactive galaxy of choked freeways, big-city crime, high taxes, and street gangs too numerous to count. One of Howard’s ex-partners had moved to Idaho and told him how great it was. After spending only a week there, Howard agreed and would move there too.

A D3 from RHD named Terry Snider would promote and take over the Open-Unsolved Unit after Howard departed. Drew had heard good things about Snider and looked forward to working with him.

Before talking to their supervisor, Drew and Li had agreed not to mention the connection between their suspect and Guillermo Escobar. So close to pulling the pin, they knew the last thing Howard wanted was any waves or some highly charged political situation blowing back on him.