Manning informs Ms. Davidson and Dr. Ben-David “as a courtesy, as well as a mandate of the statutory code” that he and his associates, i.e., Uribe and me, are required by law to wear on their persons at all times lapel cameras and digital recording devices. He indicates his own, pinned to his suit jacket—a device no bigger than a tie tack.

“This is for your protection as well as ours as law enforcement professionals,” Manning says, “to ensure that all procedures are scrupulously adhered to. But you need to be aware, for your own sake, that everything any of us says or does is being recorded and may under certain circumstances be introduced as evidence in a criminal proceeding.”

Ben-David thanks Manning. He asks if Manning wishes to be called “Detective” or “Lieutenant.”

MANNING

Call me Jim.

(to Rachel)

Ma’am, do you wish to be addressed as “Rabbi”?

Ms. Davidson glances from Manning to me. How much she recalls of our private exchange in her hospital room two nights ago, I have no idea. My own feelings toward her remain, despite my better judgment, protective.

RACHEL

“Ms. Davidson” will be fine.

MANNING

Ms. Davidson, Dr. Uribe informs me that his team has discovered within this vehicle . . . your vehicle, as your presence here and your demand to reclaim it attest . . .

Manning turns his body so that his lapel camera picks up the van.

MANNING

. . . certain “items of interest” to Homicide Division Six and to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. Do you have any objection to me and Detective Dewey continuing the search that Dr. Uribe initiated?

RACHEL

I do.

BEN-DAVID

Detective, is this necessary?

MANNING

I’m afraid it is.

Ten minutes later Manning is standing beside the evidence table, jaw-to-jaw with Rachel and Ben-David.

All civil niceties have been deep-sixed.

Rachel’s “Obsession Wall” has been taken from the van and brought forward under the lights. At its epicenter is the poster-sized photo of Jake Instancer.

The X’d out photographs of men, which Manning and I glimpsed thirty-six hours ago in the haste and dislocation after Ms. Davidson’s vehicle crash, are seen now to be pix of the “LV” victims—Davis and Justman, the two in Russia, and the four others that Manning and DivSix had till only a few moments earlier been unaware of.

But the kicker, plucked by Uribe from the margins of the Obsession Wall, is a list of thirty-six names. The document is headed:

TZADIKIM NISTARIM

meaning in Hebrew, as Uribe informs us:

THE HIDDEN RIGHTEOUS MEN

Uribe hands the list to Manning. He states for Rachel and Ben-David’s benefit as well as Manning’s that his team has run the roster through DivSix’s international crime database. On the list, Uribe says, is every “LV” victim so far, including the four newest ones.

MANNING

(to Uribe)

Lemme guess. Famous men, all known for their moral rectitude and upright character.

Manning turns to Rachel.

MANNING