--DNA, to be determined

--could be food

--some definitely fish bones, chicken or other fowl

• Footprints

--23, male and female, 18 different sizes, five associated with the victim’s shoes

--prints of feet in crime scene, surgical booties

• vapors in crime scene

--small fire set in corner, newspapers, possibly to obscure smell of the unsub’s aftershave or other odor

--spray paint fumes.

• Disposable cigarette lighters

--18 separate lighters found

--probably taken from trash--most empty of butane

--64 friction ridge prints

Rhyme barked, “The chart reads like the table of contents in my goddamn book.”

Several years ago Rhyme had written a textbook, A Comprehensive Guide to Evidence Collection and Analysis, which was a best seller, at least in the law enforcement community if not in the Times.

Sachs: “I don’t know where to start, Rhyme.”

Well, guess what? Rhyme thought, I don’t either. He was recalling another passage in the book.

While every scene will contain at least some transferred evidence from the perpetrator, it may never be discovered, as a practical matter, because of budget and time constraints. Similarly, there may be too much evidence obscuring the relevant clues, which will similarly render effective analysis impossible.

“It’s even more brilliant than I thought,” the criminalist mused. “Getting most of what he used in the crime from the trash—covered with other people’s prints. And contaminating the scene with, literally, pounds of trace and other garbage. For things he couldn’t obscure—he could hardly bring a dozen shoes with him or somebody else’s fingers—he wore booties and gloves.”

Sachs said, “But those can’t be his gloves, all the latex ones. He wouldn’t leave them behind.”

“Probably not. But we can’t afford not to analyze them, can we? And he knows it.”

“I suppose not,” said Mel Cooper, as discouraged as the rest of them. Rhyme believed the tech had had a ballroom dancing date with his girlfriend of many years last night. They were competitors and apparently quite accomplished. Lincoln Rhyme did not follow dancing.

“And he…” Rhyme’s voice faded as several thoughts came to him.

“Linc—”

Rhyme lifted his right arm and waved Sellitto silent as he continued to stare.

Finally the criminalist said excitedly, “Think about this. This person knows evidence. And that means he knows there’s a good chance he’s got some trace or other clue on him that could lead us to his identity or to the next victim he’s got in mind.”