Maybe no time at all.
But he could come to no conclusions based on the evidence they had. And the day dragged on, slow as an IV drip. A fax arrived. Cooper read it. "From the document examiner in Queens. They opened up the newspaper that was in the Mazda. No notations anywhere and nothing was circled. Those're the headlines." He taped it to the board.
ELECTRICAL BREAKDOWN CLOSES POLICE STATION FOR ALMOST 4 HOURS
NEW YORK IN RUNNING FOR GOP CONVENTION
PARENTS PROTEST POOR SECURITY AT GIRLS' SCHOOL
MILITIA MURDER PLOT TRIAL OPENS MONDAY
WEEKEND GALA AT MET TO BENEFIT CHARITIES
SPRING ENTERTAINMENT FOR KIDS YOUNG AND OLD
GOVERNOR, MAYOR MEET ON NEW WEST SIDE PLAN
"One of those's significant," Rhyme said. But which one? Was the killer targeting the girls' school? The gala? Had he tested out a gimmick that disrupted the electricity at the police station? He felt all the more frustrated because they had some new evidence but its meaning remained elusive.
Sellitto's phone rang. As he took the call, everyone stared at him, anticipating another death.
The time was now 1:03.
Well into the afternoon, well into the killing time.
But apparently the news wasn't bad. The detective lifted an eyebrow in pleasant surprise and said into the receiver, "That's right.... Really? Well, that's not far away. Could you come over here?" He then gave Rhyme's address and hung up.
'Who?"
"Edward Kadesky. The manager of the circus in Ohio, the one where Weir was burned. He's in town. He got the message from his service in Chicago and he's coming over to talk to us."
THE CONJURER
Music School Crime Scene
. Perp's description: Brown hair, fake beard, no distinguishing, medium build, medium height, age: fifties. Ring and little fingers of left hand fused together. Changed costume quickly to resemble old, bald janitor.
. No apparent motive.
. Victim: Svetlana Rasnikov.
. Full-time music student.
. Checking family, friends, students, coworkers for possible leads.
. No boyfriends, no known enemies. Performed at children's birthday parties.
. Circuit board with speaker attached.
. Sent to FBI lab, NYc.
. Digital recorder, probably containing perp's voice. All data destroyed.
. Voice recorder is a "gimmick." Homemade.
. Used antique iron handcuffs to restrain victim.
. Handcuffs are Darby irons. Scotland Yard. Checking with Houdini Museum in New Orleans for leads.
. Sold to Erick Weir last month. Sent to Denver P.O. box. No other leads.
. Destroyed victim's watch at exactly 8:00 A.M.
. Cotton string holding chairs. Generic. Too many sources to trace.
. Squib for gunshot effect. Destroyed.
. Too many sources to trace.
. Fuse. Generic.
. Too many sources to trace.
. Responding officers reported flash in air. No trace material recovered.
. Was from flash cotton or flash paper.
. Too many sources to trace.
. Perp's shoes: size 10 Ecco.
. Silk fibers, dyed gray, processed to a matte finish.
. From quick-change janitor's outfit.
. Unsub is possibly wearing brown wig.
. Red pignut hickory and Parmelia conspersa lichen, both found primarily in Central Park.
. Dirt impregnated with unusual mineral oil. Sent to FBI for analysis.
. Tack-Pure oil for saddles and leather.
. Black silk, 72 x 48". Used as camouflage. Not traceable.
. Illusionists use this frequently.
. Wears caps to cover up prints.
. Magician's finger cups.
. Traces of latex, castor oil, makeup.
. Theatrical makeup.
. Traces of alginate.
. Used in molding latex "appliances."
. Murder weapon: white silk-knit rope with black silk core.
. Rope is a magic trick. Color changing. Not traceable.
. Unusual knot.
. Sent to FBI and Maritime Museum-no information.
. Knots are from Houdini routines, virtually impossible to untie.
. Used disappearing ink on sign-in register.
East Village Crime Scene
. Victim Two: Tony Calvert.. Makeup artist, theater
company.
. No known enemies.
. No apparent connection
with first victim.. No apparent motive.. Cause of death:. Blunt-object trauma to head followed by postmortem dismemberment with crosscut saw.
. Perp escaped portraying woman in her ]os. Checking vicinity for discarded costume and other evidence.
. Nothing recovered.
. Watch smashed at 12:00 exactly.
. Pattern? Next victim
presumably at 4:00 P.M.
. Perp hid behind mirror. Not
traceable. Fingerprints sent to FBI.
. No matches.
. Used cat toy ("feke") to lure
victim into alley. Toy is
untraceable.
. Additional mineral oil found, same as at first scene. Awaiting FBI report.
. Tack.Pure oil for saddles
and leather.
. Additional latex and makeup from finger cups.
. Additional alginate.
. Ecco shoes left behind.
. Dog hairs found in shoes, from three different breeds of dog. Manure too.
. Manure from horses, not dogs.
Hudson River and Related Crime Scenes
. Victim: Cheryl Marston.
. Attorney.
. Divorced but husband not a suspect.
. No motive.. Perp gave name as "John." Had scars on neck and chest. Deformed hand confirmed.
. Perp did quick change to unbearded businessman in chinos and dress shirt, then biker in denim Harley shirt.. Car is in Harlem River.
. Duct tape gag. Can't be traced.. Squibs, same as before. Can't be traced.
. Chains and snap fixtures, generic, not traceable.. Rope, generic, not traceable.. Additional makeup, latex and Tack-Pure.
. Gym bag, made in China, not traceable. Containing:
. Traces of date rape drug
ftunitrazepam.
. Adhesive magician's wax,
not traceable.
. Brass (?) shavings. Sent to
FBI.
. Consistent with
clockwork mechanism,
possible bomb timer.
. Permanent ink, black.
. Navy-blue windbreaker found,
no initials or laundry marks.
Containing:
. Press pass for aN cable network, issued to Stanley Saferstein. (He's not suspect-NCIC, VI CAP search negative.)
. Plastic hotel key card, American Plastic Cards, Akron, Ohio. Model APC-42, negative on prints.
. CEO is searching for sales records.
. Dets. Bedding and Saul canvassing hotels.
. Narrowed down to Chelsea Lodge, Beckman and Lanham Arms. Still checking.
. Restaurant check from Riverside Inn, Bedford Junction, NY, indicating four people ate lunch, table 12, Saturday, two weeks prior. Turkey, meatloaf, steak, daily special. Soft drinks. Staff doesn't know who diners were. (Accomplices?). Alley where Conjurer was arrested:
. Picked the cuff locks.
. Saliva (picks hidden in
mouth).
. No blood type determined.
. Small razor saw for getting
out of restraints (also
hidden in mouth).
. No indication of Officer Burke's whereabouts.
. Report body somewhere on
Upper West Side.
. Harlem River scene:. No evidence on riverbank,
except skid marks in mud.
. Newspaper recovered from
the car. Headlines:
ELECTRICAL BREAKDOWN CLOSES POLICE STATION FOR ALMOST 4 HOURS NEW YORK IN RUNNING FOR GOP CONVENTION
PARENTS PROTEST POOR SECURITY AT GIRLS' SCHOOL MILITIA MURDER PLOT
TRIAL OPENS MONDAY
WEEKEND GALA AT MET TO BENEFIT CHARITIES SPRING ENTERTAINMENT FOR KIDS YOUNG AND OLD
GOVERNOR, MAYOR MEET ON NEW WEST SIDE PLAN
Llncoin Rhyme Crime Scene
0 Victim: Lincoln Rhyme
. Perp's identity: Erick A. Weir.
0 LKA Las Vegas
0 Burned in fire in Ohio, three years ago. Hasbro and Keller Brothers Circus. Disappeared after. Thirddegree burns. Producer was Edward Kadesky.
0 Conviction in New Jersey for reckless endangerment.. Obsessed with fire.. Manic. Referred to "Revered Audience." 0 Performed dangerous tricks. 0 Married to Marie Cosgrove, killed in fire.
0 He hasn't contacted her
family since.
0 Weir's parents dead, no next of kin. 0 No VICAP or NCiC on Weir. 0 Referred to himself as "Wizard of the North."
0 Attacked Rhyme because he had to stop him before Sunday afternoon. (Next victim?)
0 Eye color-brown.
0 Psychological profile (per Terry
Dobyns, NYPD): Revenge motivates him though he may not realize it. He wants to get even. Angry all the time. By killing he takes away some of the pain because of death of his wife, loss of ability to perform.
0 Weir contacted assistants recently: John Keating and Arthur Loesser, in Nevada. Asking about the fire and people involved with it. Described Weir as crazed, overbearing, manic, dangerous, but brilliant.
0 Contacting former manager at time of fire, Edward Kadesky.
0 Killed victims because of what
they represented-possibly happy or traumatic moments before the fire.
0 Gasoline-soaked handkerchief, not traceable.
0 Ecco shoes, no trace.
Profile as illusionist
0 Perp will use misdirection against victims and in eluding police.
0 Physical misdirection (for distraction).
0 Psychological (to eliminate suspicion).
0 Escape at music school was similar to Vanished Man illusion routine. Too common to trace.
0 Perp is primarily an illusionist.
0 Talented at sleight of hand.
0 Also knows protean (quick
change) magic. Will use breakaway clothes, nylon and silk, bald cap, finger cups and other latex appliances. Could be any age, gender or race. 0 Calvert's death = Selbit's Cutting a Woman in Half Routine.
0 Proficient at lock picking (possibly lock "scrubbing"). 0 Knows escapism techniques. 0 Experience with animal
illusions.
0 Used mentalism to get information on victim.
0 Used sleight of hand to drug her.
0 Tried to kill third victim with
Houdini escape. Water Torture
Cell.
0 Ventriloquism.. Razor blades.
0 Familiar with Burning Mirror
routine. Very dangerous, rarely performed now.
...The man was stocky, of medium height. A silver beard and wavy hair to match.
Rhyme, now suspicious after Weir's visit last night, greeted Edward
Kadesky then asked for identification. "You don't mind," Sellitto continued, explaining that they'd recently had
trouble with a perp masquerading as someone else. Kadesky-a man not used to being unrecognized, let alone cardedwas put out but he complied and offered Sellitto his Illinois driver's license. Mel Cooper took a subtle look at both the picture and the producer and then gave a nod to Rhyme. The tech had already gone on-line with Illinois D MV and gotten the license particulars and a picture of the man. All of which checked out.
