God only knows what’s going through Manning’s mind now. Recounting the experience later, he can’t even guess at time duration. He remembers recognizing Instancer. He remembers the jeans, the T-shirt, the hoodie.

INSTANCER

I’m a little miffed at you, Manning. You tried to kill me tonight. Twice. Don’t tell me that wasn’t your intention.

Manning can feel the storm outside. His fourth-floor room looks out onto Sixty-Eighth Street. The gale howls off the park and bends, screaming, down the crosstown street.

Manning struggles to speak. He can’t make his lips move.

MANNING

(barely audible)

Who are you?

INSTANCER

Who am I? You’re the shit-hot detective. You tell me.

Instancer rises. He picks up the chair he’s been sitting in and crosses with it to Manning’s bedside. He sits. Manning strains to keep his head up, but he can’t. His eyes dart to his service weapon in its shoulder holster draped over the bedpost.

INSTANCER

Don’t even think about it.

Instancer leans forward, directly over Manning.

INSTANCER

Oh, I see. You’ve got a headache. Does it hurt?

Instancer slips his left hand beneath Manning’s neck. He elevates Manning’s head several inches off the pillow.

INSTANCER

Where’s the pain? Here?

With a crisp, two-finger punch of his right hand, Instancer hammers Manning between the eyes. Manning’s body jackknifes in agony. He cries out.

INSTANCER

Oh, I’m sorry, did that hurt?

Instancer punches Manning again in the exact same spot. Again Manning cries out. He squirms wildly, trying to wriggle away. Instancer seizes him and pulls him back.

Instancer slaps Manning violently across the temple. Manning thrashes in his tormentor’s grasp, seeking to grapple with him. Instancer eludes Manning’s grasp with ease. Again he pulls Manning upright, again he hammers him, even harder, between the eyes.

INSTANCER

Who am I? The question is who are you?

The bud in my left ear is monitoring Manning. It’s turned down to MIN.

But now I hear something.

I thumb the volume up and activate the video feed on my phone.

On my screen appears real-time video from Manning’s lapel cam.

I see Instancer, pacing in the center of Manning’s room.

RACHEL

What’s happening? What are you looking at?

I show Rachel and Ben-David the screen. I’m on my feet, grabbing my holster and calling my Crown Vic.

ME

(to Rachel)

Stay here.

RACHEL

Are you crazy?

In ten seconds she and Ben-David and I are out the door and sprinting down the stairs to the curb, at which my self-driving car is pulling up right now.

In Manning’s room Instancer continues pacing. Manning writhes, clutching his skull.

INSTANCER

You know, I didn’t take to you at first, Manning. I thought you were kind of a dick.

It takes all of Manning’s strength to make his lips form words.

MANNING