Back Worst Fears Realized Save as PDF
Chapters (75)
  1. Cover
  2. Contents
  3. Dedication
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. 64
  68. Acknowledgments
  69. “We Are Very Different People”:Stuart Woods on Stone Barrington
  70. Stone Barrington: The First Five
  71. About the Author
  72. Praise for Stuart Woods and
  73. Books by Stuart Woods
  74. Credits
  75. About the Publisher

“Now, on fingerprints,” Andy said. “Interpol got a match for Erwin. He had been arrested half a dozen times, all over Europe, for participation in violence at international soccer matches. He’s one of a lot of repeat offenders. The Hamburg police confirm this, and, more important, they confirm that he has a younger brother who has also been arrested a number of times for the same thing, name of Peter Hausman. I’m running the other set of prints with Interpol now, on the supposition that they belong to Peter. The only other sibling is Ernst, who works at the cigarette factory and who is, apparently, a solid citizen. The boys’ mother is named Helga, and she refused to speak more than a few words with the police. She wouldn’t answer any questions about the boys’ father, who, apparently, doesn’t live in the house with them.”

“Bingo,” Dino said. “Now we’re getting somewhere.”

“Where are we getting?” Stone asked. “What have we learned that will help us find Mitteldorfer, or Hausman, or whatever his name is?”

“I checked the Hausman name against utility records,” Andy said. “There are only two Hausmans in New York City: one is an elderly, retired machinist who lives in Queens, and the other has been a cab driver for the past sixteen years.”

“Then we’re back to the pictures in the paper,” Stone said, “and we’ve had only the one report.”

“And it was on Hausman, not Mitteldorfer,” Dino said. “Andy, talk to the local TV stations and get both the photograph of Mitteldorfer and the sketch of Hausman on the air tonight, but have the Hausman sketch altered to show very short hair.”

“Right,” Andy said. “Anything else?”

“Concentrate on getting that done; we’re short of time.”

“Actually, Lieutenant, there’s something else I want to tell you.”

“Shoot.”

“It’s about the Bean murder; it didn’t seem important until now, and, well, Mick Kelly asked me not to bring it up. There didn’t seem to be any reason to, so I didn’t.”

“What is it?” Dino asked.

“When the three killings—Bean, Stone’s secretary and the Hirsch woman—happened so close together, I thought they were all connected.”

“We all did,” Dino said.

“Well, now I don’t think Bean is connected to the other two. First of all, Hausman denied any knowledge of her, and he seems credible, in the light of his confessing to six other murders.”

“Good point,” Dino said. “You got another suspect?”

Stone spoke up. “Not me, I hope.”

“Not you, Stone,” Andy said. “Tell me, is there any reason why someone in the DA’s office might want Susan Bean to be shut up?”

Stone sat up straight in his chair. “Very possibly,” he said. “Why do you ask?”

“Well, you remember that Mick and I got to Bean’s apartment pretty fast after you called it in?”

“Yes,” Stone replied.