• Knows great deal about clocks and watches and which timepieces had been sold at recent auctions and were at current horologic exhibits in the city.

• Threatened dealer to keep quiet.

• Bought 10 clocks. For 10 victims?

• Paid cash.

• Wanted moon face on clock, wanted loud tick.

Evidence:

• Source of clocks was Hallerstein’s Timepieces, Flatiron District.

• No prints on cash paid for clocks, no serial number hits. No trace on money.

• Called from pay phones.

CRIME SCENE THREE

Location:

• 481 Spring Street.

Victim:

• Joanne Harper.

• No apparent motive.

• Didn’t know second victim, Adams.

Perp:

• Watchmaker.

• Assistant.

• Probably man spotted earlier by victim, at her shop.

• White, heavyset, in sunglasses, cream-colored parka and cap. Was driving the SUV.

M.O.:

• Picked locks to get inside.

• Intended method of attack unknown. Possibly planning to use florist’s wire.

Evidence:

• Fish protein came from Joanne’s (orchid fertilizer).

• Thallium sulfate nearby.

• Florist’s wire, cut in precise lengths. (To use as murder weapon?)

• Clock.

• Same as others. No nitrates.

• No trace.

• No note or poem.

• No footprints, fingerprints, weapons or anything else left behind.

• Black flakes—roofing tar.

• Checking ASTER thermal images of New York for possible sources.

Other:

• Perp was checking out victim earlier than attack. Targeting her for purpose. What?

• Have police scanner. Changing frequency.

• Vehicle.

• Tan.

• No tag number.

• Putting out Emergency Vehicle Locator.

• 423 owners of tan Explorers in area. Cross-reference against criminal warrants. Two found. One owner too old; other is in jail on drug charges.

• Owned by the man in jail.

WATCHMAKER’S EXPLORER

Location:

• Found in garage, Hudson River and Houston Street.

Evidence:

• Explorer owned by man in jail. Had been confiscated, and stolen from lot, awaiting auction.

• Parked in open. Not near exit.

• Crumbs from corn chips, potato chips, pretzels, chocolate candy. Bits of peanut butter crackers. Stains from soda, regular, not diet.

• Box of Remington .32-caliber auto pistol ammo, seven rounds missing. Gun is possible Autauga Mk II.

• Book—Extreme Interrogation Techniques. Blueprint for his murder methods? No helpful information from publisher.

• Strand of gray-and-black hair, probably woman’s.

• No prints at all, throughout entire vehicle.

• Beige cotton fibers from gloves.

• Sand matching that used in alleyway.

• Smooth-soled size-13 shoe print.

Chapter 20

“I need a case file.”

“Yeah.” The woman was chewing gum. Loudly.

Snap.

Amelia Sachs was in the file room at the 158th Precinct in Lower Manhattan, not far from the 118th. She gave the night-duty file clerk at the gray desk the number of the Sarkowski file. The woman typed on a computer keyboard, a staccato sound. A glance at the screen. “Don’t have it.”

“You sure?”

“Don’t have it.”

“Hm.” Sachs gave a laugh. “Where do we think it’s run off to?”