Mysteries. But at the moment they'd have to remain somebody else's. Rhyme had his own enigmas to unravel and not much time in which to do so: the notations on the evidence chart about the broken watches reminded him that they had less than three hours to stop the Conjurer before he found his next victim.

THE CONJURER

Music School Crime Scene

Perp's description: Brown hair, fake beard, no distinguishing, medium build, medium height, age: fifties. Ring and little fingers of left hand fused together. Changed costume quickly to resemble old, bald janitor.

No apparent motive.

Victim: Svetlana Rasnikov.

· Full-time music student.

· Checking family, friends, students, coworkers for possible leads.

· No boyfriends, no known enemies. Performed at children's birthday parties.

· Circuit board with speaker attached.

· Sent to FBI lab, NYC.

· Digital recorder, probably containing perp's voice. All data destroyed.

· Voice recorder is a "gimmick." Homemade.

· Used antique iron handcuffs to restrain victim.

· Handcuffs are Darby irons. Scotland Yard. Checking with Houdini Museum in New Orleans for leads.

· Destroyed victim's watch at exactly 8:00 A. M.

· Cotton string holding chairs. Generic. Too many sources to trace.

· Squib for gunshot effect. Destroyed.

· Too many sources to trace.

· Fuse. Generic.

· Too many sources to trace.

· Responding officers reported flash in air. No trace material recovered.

· Was from flash cotton or flash paper.

· Too many sources to trace.

· Perp's shoes: size 10 Ecco.

· Silk fibers, dyed gray, processed to a matte finish.

· From quick-change janitor's outfit.

· Unsub is possibly wearing brown wig.

· Red pignut hickory and Parmelia conspersa lichen, both found primarily in Central Park.

· Dirt impregnated with unusual mineral oil. Sent to FBI for analysis.

· Black silk, 72 x 48". Used as camouflage. Not traceable.

· Illusionists use this frequently.

· Wears caps to cover up prints.

· Magician's finger cups.

· Traces of latex, castor oil, makeup.

· Theatrical makeup.

· Traces of alginate.

· Used in molding latex "appliances."

· Murder weapon: white silk-knit rope with black silk core.

· Rope is a magic trick. Color-changing. Not traceable.

· Unusual knot.

· Sent to FBI and Maritime Museum—no information.

· Knots are from Houdini routines, virtually impossible to untie.

· Used disappearing ink on sign-in register.

East Village Crime Scene

Victim Two: Tony Calvert.

· Makeup artist, theater company.

· No known enemies.

· No apparent connection with first victim.

· No apparent motive.

Cause of death:

· Blunt-object trauma to head followed by postmortem dismemberment with crosscut saw.

· Perp escaped portraying woman in her 70s. Checking vicinity for discarded costume and other evidence.

· Nothing recovered.

· Watch smashed at 12:00 exactly.

· Pattern? Next victim presumably at 4:00 P. M.

· Perp hid behind mirror. Not traceable. Fingerprints sent to FBI.

· No matches.

· Used cat toy ("feke") to lure victim into alley. Toy is untraceable.

· Additional mineral oil found, same as at first scene. Awaiting FBI report.

· Additional latex and makeup from finger cups.

· Additional alginate.

· Ecco shoes left behind.

· Dog hairs found in shoes, from three different breeds of dog. Manure too.

Profile as Illusionist

Perp will use misdirection against victims and in eluding police.

· Physical misdirection (for distraction).

· Psychological (to eliminate suspicion).