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Chapters (73)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Dedication
  4. Acknowledgements
  5. PART I
  6. Chapter 1.
  7. Chapter 2.
  8. Chapter 3.
  9. Chapter 4.
  10. Chapter 5.
  11. Chapter 6.
  12. Chapter 7.
  13. Chapter 8.
  14. Chapter 9.
  15. Chapter 10.
  16. Chapter 11.
  17. Chapter 12.
  18. Chapter 13.
  19. Chapter 14.
  20. Chapter 15.
  21. Chapter 16.
  22. Chapter 17.
  23. Chapter 18.
  24. Chapter 19.
  25. Chapter 20.
  26. Chapter 21.
  27. Chapter 22.
  28. Chapter 23.
  29. Chapter 24.
  30. PART II
  31. Chapter 25.
  32. Chapter 26.
  33. Chapter 27.
  34. Chapter 28.
  35. Chapter 29.
  36. Chapter 30.
  37. Chapter 31.
  38. Chapter 32.
  39. Chapter 33.
  40. Chapter 34.
  41. Chapter 35.
  42. Chapter 36.
  43. Chapter 37.
  44. Chapter 38.
  45. Chapter 39.
  46. Chapter 40.
  47. Chapter 41.
  48. Chapter 42.
  49. Chapter 43.
  50. Chapter 44.
  51. PART III
  52. Chapter 45.
  53. Chapter 46.
  54. Chapter 47.
  55. Chapter 48.
  56. Chapter 49.
  57. Chapter 50.
  58. Chapter 51.
  59. Chapter 52.
  60. Chapter 53.
  61. Chapter 54.
  62. Chapter 55.
  63. Chapter 56.
  64. Chapter 57.
  65. Chapter 58.
  66. Chapter 59.
  67. Chapter 60.
  68. Chapter 61.
  69. Chapter 62.
  70. Chapter 63.
  71. Chapter 64.
  72. EPILOGUE
  73. ALSO BY ROBIN COOK

But there was one unit left unchecked: Berti Ristani’s crew based in Weehawken, New Jersey. Ristani was a particularly nasty customer, willing to do just about anything to make a name for himself. Buda realized he hadn’t seen the guy in a year. He thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to make the visit himself for political reasons in addition to providing an alibi for tonight, just in case. Buda grabbed his car keys and set out for Weehawken. He knew he didn’t need to call ahead. Ristani could always be found in the same place.

Chapter 54.

54.

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
NEW YORK CITY
MARCH 25, 2011, 8:31 P.M.

Detective Captain Lou Soldano was frustrated. He was standing inside the taped-off area of the street that marked the McKinley crime scene. A full crime-scene unit had combed the area for clues, but none were to be found. They hadn’t even found the shell casing from the gun that was used to shoot the student. All they had was a shopping bag with a device one of the techs identified as a Geiger counter that the woman had been carrying when she was abducted.

Officers were taking statements from witnesses, hoping to get information on the perpetrators and on the van they had used. The reports he’d heard were wildly contradictory, from the men’s heights to their clothing. One witness swore that only two men had been involved, while all the others claimed three. The one thing they agreed on was that all the men had been wearing ski masks. The van was described consistently as dirty white, but they had nothing on the make or license plate.

George Wilson had given the most detailed account, and even told Lou something important and most likely related. He said that Pia had been assaulted in her dorm room the previous night and threatened with violence, which now had come to pass. When asked why she didn’t report the incident, George said she was afraid of the police because of her childhood experiences. He said that he had encouraged her to go to the police on multiple occasions. When asked why he didn’t report it himself, George said because he respected her wishes and privacy, and she had asked him not to.