A few, but I dont want to get too far ahead of myself. I will say that the case of the man that died falling off of the Ramble Bridge in Cold Spring did not seem to fit the profile of someone wanting to end his life. But well cross that bridge when we get there. Branson smirked at the wordplay and Rachel had to admit that it was morbidly funny.

Anyway, if you guys are ready, we can head out to the Williamsburg Bridge. Ill drive.

They all got up and headed for the door. Rachel took the steps and felt a vague swaying in her head. She winced and stopped walking for a moment, waiting for those familiar white streaks to appear across her vision. But the sensation of vertigo passed quickly and after a few moments, it all went back to normal. Jack, a few steps ahead of her as he followed after Branson, hadnt noticed.

Slightly nervous, Rachel caught up as Branson held the door open for them. Rachel smiled appreciatively, though she could not help but feel that even though they had not yet even properly started the case, shed already dodged a bullet.

***

As they walked to the place along the side of the bridge where the third man had presumably climbed out over the suicide barriers less than forty-eight hours ago, Rachel looked to the left and saw the expanse of the Williamsburg Bridge. Out that way, it would connect Manhattans Lower East Side with the area of Brooklyn that sat below them. Rachel wasnt overly familiar with New York City, but she was quite certain the neighborhood itself was called Williamsburg. Somewhere behind them, the Brooklyn-Queens expressway buzzed with life.

Right here, Branson said, standing behind Rachel and slightly to the right, was where the eyewitness said she saw the second figure. The place where the two of you are currently standing is where its believed the jumper, Edwin Newkirk, jumped from. But as you read in the report, he made some pretty good distance. Its the primary reason we think he was pushed. Unless he was expressly trying to see how far out he could jump, it just doesnt add up.

Rachel looked at the so-called suicide gates in front of her. It was little more than a gatereally just one more layer of deterrent from a would-be jumper. In other words, youd have to be pretty determined to really get out there to the edge and jump.

But if there were a second person, Rachel said, theyd have to be on the other side of the gates. Experimentally, she reached her arm through the steel rails of the gate. She supposed someone could reach out and give a shove, but it would take one hell of a stretch.