1. Robert Moreno was accompanied by a woman in her thirties, possibly an escort or prostitute. He might have paid her a “significant” sum of cash. Her given name was “Lydia.”
2. He and this individual left the driver in his limo at a downtown location for a period of several hours. Farada’s impression was that Moreno did not want him to know where he was going.
3. The driver offered a motive for Moreno’s anti-American sentiments. A good friend was killed by U.S. troops in the Panama invasion, December 1989.

Sachs was taken aback. The memo was nearly identical to the email she had sent to Laurel earlier, as instructed by the Overseer. Except for a few variations.

From: Detective Amelia Sachs, NYPD

To: Assistant District Attorney Nance Laurel

Re: Moreno Homicide, Update, Tuesday May 16

In researching leads to the case I identified the driver (Atash Farada) with Elite Limo, who drove Robert Moreno throughout the city on May 1. My discussions with him revealed several things of importance to the investigation:

1. Moreno was accompanied by a woman in her thirties possibly an escort or prostitute. I considered too whether or not she was a terrorist or other operative. He might have paid her a “significant” sum of cash. Her first name was Lydia.
2. He and the woman left the driver in a downtown location for a period of time. Driver’s impression was that Moreno did not want him to know where he and Lydia were going.
3. Driver suggested motive for anti-American activity. Good friend was killed in Panama invasion.

Laurel stole my work.

And not only that but she had to fucking edit it too.

Sachs went through the half dozen other memos that she’d dutifully written and sent to the ADA.

If you don’t mind…

Well, Sachs did mind—because they were all doctored to make it sound like Laurel had done the research. In fact, Sachs’s name didn’t appear on a single piece of paper. Rhyme’s was prominently featured but Sachs was virtually cut out of the investigation altogether.

Goddamn it. What was this about?

Looking for answers, she dug through the stacks. Many of the documents were copies of court opinions and legal briefs.

But one at the bottom was different.

And it explained a great deal.

Sachs glanced at Mel Cooper, who was hunched over a microscope. He hadn’t seen her pilfering Laurel’s paperwork. Sachs took the document she’d just uncovered and photocopied it, slipping the sheet into her purse. She returned the original to Laurel’s workstation and was very careful to put it back exactly where she’d found it. Even though the space seemed cluttered, Sachs wouldn’t have been surprised if the prosecutor had memorized the position of every paper—and paper clip—before leaving.

Sachs wanted to be sure the woman had no idea she’d been busted.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 17

IV

SLICE

Chapter 46

CHAPTER 46

CAPTAIN RHYME, YOU ARE FEELING BETTER?”