• Victim: Braden Alexander

  – Not killed

• Unsub 11-5

  – See details from prior scenes

  – Six feet

  – Yellow latex mask

  – Yellow gloves

  – Possibly man in Identi-Kit image

  – Possibly coveralls

  – Probably from Midwest, West Virginia, mountains – other rural setting

  – Had scalpel

• Sedated with propofol

  – How obtained? Access to medical supplies? (No local thefts)

• Potential Kill Zone

  – Underneath garage

  – Similar infrastructure to other scenes

  IFON

  ConEd

  Metro-North rail Emergency Communication Link

• Handcuffs

  – Generic, cannot be sourced

• Tattoo

  – Implants

  – ‘17th’

  – Loaded with concentrated nicotine

  Nightshade family

  Too many locations to source

• Trace from plastic bag

  – Human albumin and sodium chloride (plastic surgery in his plans?)

  – ‘No. 3’ written on bag in red water-soluble ink generally used for water treatment but not in prior locations or here, so could be a poison for future attack (however too many sources to find)

Sidney Place, Brooklyn Heights (Pam Willoughby’s apartment)

• Victim: Seth McGuinn

  – Not killed, minor injuries

• Unsub

  – Red centipede tattoo

  – Confirmed had American Eagle tattoo machine

  – Fit general description from earlier attacks

  – Coveralls

• Sedated with propofol

  – How obtained? Access to medical supplies? (No local thefts)

• American Medical 31-gauge single-use hypodermic syringe.

  – Used primarily for plastic surgery

• Toxic extract from white baneberry plant (doll’s eyes)

  – Cardiogenic

• No friction ridges
• No footprints (wore booties)
• Handcuffs

  – Generic, cannot be sourced

• Trace:

  – Fibers from blueprint/engineering diagram

  – Cicutoxin trace, probably from earlier scene

Rhyme Townhouse

• Unsub

  – No friction ridges

  – No footprints (booties)

  – Talented lock picker (used pick gun?)

• Hair

  – Beard stubble, but probably from prior scene

• Toxin

  – Tremetol from snakeroot

CHAPTER 50

Leaving the poisoned whisky for Rhyme had been as exhilarating as Billy Haven had expected. More, actually.

Part of this was the need to derail the criminalist’s investigation. But part too was the thrill of the game. Sneaking inside, right under the man’s nose, while he and his associates were in the front hall, watching the excitement in the park.

Dark-skinned male …

Making his way through the East Village, Billy was reflecting that the Commandments took into account nearly everything about the Modification. But some contingencies it didn’t cover. Like poisoning the forensic expert who anticipated everything.

He was now on a similar mission.

Thou shalt be prepared to improvise.

The residents in this part of the city seemed frazzled, unclean, distracted, tense. After the abortive trip to the hospital in Marble Hill, escaping, he’d felt a certain contempt for those on the streets of the Bronx, but at least he’d observed plenty of families, shopping together, going into diners together, heading to or from school events. Here, everyone seemed on their own. People in their twenties mostly, wearing threadbare winter coats and ugly boots, protecting them from the gray-yellow slush. A few couples but even they seemed drawn together by either rootless infatuation or desperation. No one appeared really in love.

He pitied them but he felt contempt for these people too.