‘What is it, Lincoln?’ Pulaski asked.

‘Explosives. Gunpowder, specifically. Smokeless – modern formulation.’

Sachs asked the tech, ‘From a discharged weapon?’

‘No. Some actual grains. Pre-burn.’

Pulaski asked, ‘He reloads his own ammunition?’

It was a reasonable suggestion. But Rhyme considered this for a moment and then said, ‘No, I don’t think so. Usually it’s only snipers and hunters who reload. And our unsub hasn’t left any evidence that he’s either. Not much interest in firearms at all.’ Rhyme stared at the computer printout of the GC/MS. ‘No, I think he’s using the raw powder for an improvised explosive device.’ He sighed. ‘Poison’s not enough. Now he wants to blow something up.’

537 St. Marks Street

• Victim: Eddie Beaufort, 38

  – Employee at TT Gordon’s tattoo parlor

  – Probably not intended victim

• Perpetrator: Presumably Unsub 11-5
• COD: Poisoning with amatoxin alpha-amanitin (from Amanita phalloides, death cap mushroom), introduced via tattooing
• Tattoo reads: ‘the six hundredth’
• Sedated with propofol

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

• Handcuffs

  – Generic, unable to source

• Trace

  – Nitrocellulose, di-ethylene glycol dinitrate, dibutyl phthalate, diphenylamine, potassium chloride, graphite: smokeless gunpowder

  Planning to use improvised explosive device?

CHAPTER 56

‘You know how skeptical I am of motives.’

Sachs said nothing, but a cresting smile told her reaction.

Easing his wheelchair up to the evidence boards, Rhyme continued, ‘But there’s a time when it’s appropriate to ask about them – particularly when we’ve built up a solid evidentiary base. Which we have. The possibility of a bomb – possibility, mind you – may take this out of psychotic-perp world. There’s a rational motive at work possibly. Our unsub’s not necessarily satisfying deep-seated yearnings to do the Bone Collector one better. I think he may have something more calculated in mind. Yes, yes, this could be good,’ he added enthusiastically. ‘I want to look at the victims again.’

The team perused the charts. Rhyme said, ‘We can take Eddie Beaufort out of the equation. He was killed because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Lon and Seth and I were attacked to slow us down. There were four intended attacks as part of his plan: We ruined two of them – Harriet Stanton at the hospital and Braden Alexander at the Belvedere Apartments. And two were successful. Chloe and Samantha. Why those four?’ Rhyme whispered, ‘What about them beckoned?’

Sachs said, ‘I don’t know, Rhyme. They seemed purely random … happenstance victims.’

Rhyme stared up at the board in front of him. ‘Yes, the victims themselves are random. But what if—’

Pulaski blurted, ‘The places aren’t? Did he pretend to be psycho to take attention away from the fact that there’s something at the scenes he wants to blow up?’

‘Ex-actly, rookie!’ Rhyme scanned the boards. ‘Location, location, location.’

Cooper said, ‘But blow up what? And how?’

Rhyme scanned the crime scene photos again. Then: ‘Sachs!’

She lifted an eyebrow.