I know, not yet from Manning but from a pair of tac officers of the Six-Eight I wolfed donuts and coffee with this a.m., that Manning has been on the hook all night, filing reports on the Rebbe’s murder, three for DivSix, two each for the FBI and the NSA, as well as being deposed by two ADAs from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and a prosecutor from the U.S. Attorney’s, Southern District of New York. Lapel camera video of his encounter with Instancer at the Dorot Library and more from the Rebbe’s farbrengen has been filed as evidence, not yet with the LV murders but under a separate case number. Likenesses of Instancer have been distributed to every police department in the metropolitan area and to all cable and network outlets as well as social media. Two DivSix teams, reinforced by twenty precinct officers, are at this moment canvassing the neighborhoods of Borough Park/Crown Heights and Columbia/Morningside Heights seeking any evidence or confirmation of truth regarding Instancer’s claim to employment as an associate professor or his attestation that he is or was a member of, or associated with, the Chasidic community.

Meanwhile, I have received no response from Amos Ben-David in Israel (if in fact he even got my message), for which I am secretly and selfishly relieved. I was way out of line to send that text. The act was at best unprofessional; at worst it could be a career-ender. Maybe Ben-David susses this and is thus responding with silence. If so, I am grateful.

Gleason, Manning, and Silver turn a corner. ESU operators, in assault gear and packing shields, rams, and ballistic door breachers, emerge from a locker area to the side and stride ahead of us down the hall. The feeling is like a military operation.

The teams have finally been given photos and physical descriptions of the three individuals—Viktor A. Korchmar, Isais T. Mazdr, and Alemany “Yoo-hoo” Petracek—whom they are assigned to apprehend. All three suspects are present now on the premises to be assaulted, or so our teams have been informed at the briefing at Brooklyn South. This intelligence comes from “eyes-on” surveillance of the site, as the storm is too wild for drones to fly, and from one sniper overwatch team, in position now on the roof of the Russian Orthodox church across the street from the social club.

Our assault teams pass an open roll-up door on the left, through which we glimpse outside in a service yard a pair of armored Chevy Tahoes, with their engines idling and wipers beating, and several other military-type vehicles, including an ESU K-9 unit getting ready to roll. Medics and fire department personnel hurry along the hallway, heading apparently for the same place we are.

A half dozen paces before the briefing room door, Gleason tugs Manning to the side. I can just overhear as I pass.

GLEASON