Who is Joe Pike from L.A. Requiem and what is their importance?

Joe Pike is an enigmatic former police officer-turned private detective who co-owns Cole's detective agency. He is renowned for his physical strength and quickness, his quiet demeanor, and his sunglasses. As a child, he suffers through a physically abusive relationship with his father, and he joins the Marine Corps at the age of seventeen in order to escape his home life. He excels as a soldier, is recruited for special forces while still in boot camp, and serves with distinction in Vietnam.

Once he joins the Los Angeles Police Department, he is partnered with Abel Wozniak, a veteran street cop with many sources in the community. Pike falls in love with Wozniak's wife, Paulette, but never expresses his feelings out of respect for his partner's marriage. He soon discovers that Wozniak is corrupt, making money by partnering with petty thieves. Pike corners Wozniak and the man kills himself, resulting in Pike's total ostracism from the rest of the Los Angeles police community.