Chapter 7 6

The Virginia area code 703 appeared on the computer screen, and the call was made. After the bell rang, a little girl answered the phone.This is the Kincaid house. Is Pike there?I want to speak to your father. May I ask you are? Lincoln.Lyme, calling from New York. Please wait a moment. After a while, a leisurely voice appeared on the other end of the phone, and the speaker was the most outstanding document appraisal expert in the country.Hi Lincoln, haven't seen you in a month or two, have you? Been very busy, Rhyme replied, what about you, what are you doing now? Oh, and it wasn't all the nuisances that nearly caused an international incident.Our British Council here has asked me to authenticate a King Edward diary they bought from a private collector.Note the tense of my statement, Lincoln.

You mean they have paid for it. $600,000. It's really a bit expensive.Do they really want it that much? Oh, there are quite a few interesting rumors behind this incident, just like Churchill and Chamberlain.But of course that's none of my business. Of course it doesn't matter.Rhyme said patiently.Temperament and patience always turned out to be better whenever he wanted to ask others to help for free. I have read this diary, and what else can I do?I can only question it. There is no malice in questioning the word itself, but once the word comes from a document appraisal expert like Kincaid, it is tantamount to branding the diary with a forged stigma.

Well, they'll have to take care of it themselves, he continued: But that's when it occurred to me that they haven't paid me yet, no, dear, the cake won't be frosted until it's cold because I'm telling the truth. Kincaid is the former chief of the Document Identification Section at FBI headquarters and a single father.In order to spend more time with his children, he quit his job at the Bureau of Investigation and set up his own document identification studio at home. How is Margaret?Sachs said into the microphone. Is that you, Emilia? right. She's fine, but I haven't seen her for days.We took Robbie and Stephanie to Planetarium this Wednesday and I was about to start killing her with the laser gun when her beeper went off.She had orders to go and kick down somebody's door and arrest them, somewhere in Panama, Ecuador, or something like that, she didn't tell me the details.By the way, how are you guys doing?

We are investigating a case and now need your assistance.Here's the thing: the suspect we're after writes his name on the guardhouse register, you know what I mean? I see.So, you need my help with handwriting recognition? The problem is, we can't find the suspect's name on the register. Name disappeared? Um. And are you sure the suspect did put his name on it? Completely correct.There was no doubt that the guard had witnessed the suspect's handwriting on the register. Can't see anything now? Nothing at all. Kincaid suddenly laughed.He was smart enough that there would be no record of him entering the building in the register.Then, the person who came later would write the name where he had written it but it had become blank, destroying the traces of his previous writing.

That's right. Is there a trace left on the next page of the register? Rhyme looked at Cobb, who immediately turned on the light, obliquely illuminating the second page of the register.Apart from pages covered in pencil marks, this is the second option experts use to gather evidence.Cobb, however, shook his head. No trace.Rhyme told Kincaid, and then asked: How the hell did he do it? He has diarrhea.Kincaid said. What's the meaning?Sellitto asked. Meaning he uses invisible ink, which in our jargon is diarrhea.The laxatives used to contain phenol too, but the drug is now banned by the Drug Enforcement Administration.Take a laxative containing phenol and dissolve it in alcohol to make blue ink.This kind of ink is alkaline, you can use it to write, but after the ink is in contact with air for a period of time, the blue ink marks will disappear completely.

Indeed, Rhyme said, recalling the basic chemistry learned in the past.Because the carbon dioxide in the air acidifies the ink, and finally offsets the color. Absolutely.Phenol is hard to find these days, but it is possible to make something similar with thymol and sodium hydroxide. Do I have to go to a specific place to buy this kind of thing? Well Kincaid thought about it.Can say wait, dear.Dad is on the phone No, it's okay.All cakes look lopsided in the oven.I'm going to Lincoln right away?All I can say is that in theory it's a very creative approach, but in all my years of service with the Bureau, I've never encountered a suspect or spy using this invisible ink.You know, this kind of thing is only used in novels, or some entertainers and performers.

The performers, Rhyme thought in disgust, looking back at the whiteboard, at SvetlanaPhotos of Rasnikhov's tragic murder.Where would the suspect go to obtain such a thing? Looks like it's in a toy store or magic item store. interesting Thank you Parker, this has helped us a lot. Come and play when you have time, Sachs said: Bring the children. Immediately, Rhyme frowned at this invitation, and he whispered to Sachs, "Why don't you just ask them to get all their friends, and the whole school?" Sachs hissed Rhyme and felt like laughing at the same time. After hanging up the phone, Rhyme said unhappily: The more you discover, the less you know.

Bedi and Saul called back to say that Svetlana seemed to be popular at the music school and hadn't made any enemies.Her off-campus working environment is also very normal, and she will not be retaliated against because she is engaged in the work of leading a group to sing at a children's birthday party. The forensic laboratory sent a package, which was a plastic bag evidence bag, containing the old handcuffs that the gangsters used to handcuff the victim. They followed Rhyme's instructions and left the handcuffs.Since drilling the locks of the handcuffs would destroy valuable evidence, they followed Rhyme's advice and forcibly pulled the handcuffs from the victim's hands.

I've never seen anything like it, said Cobb, holding up the handcuffs.Except in the movies. Rhyme agreed with him.The handcuffs were old-fashioned, heavy, and made of jagged wrought iron.Cobb carefully handled the entire set of handcuffs with a brush and tape, but could find no evidence.Nevertheless, the fact that the handcuffs were of such an old style limited the source, somewhat encouraged them.Rhyme asked Cobb to take a photo of the handcuffs and print the photo so that the investigator could compare it to the manufacturer. Sellitto got another call.He listened for a while, then said with a puzzled look: Impossible, are you sure?It is good.

What's wrong?Rhyme asked.He didn't want to hear any more puzzles. It was the general affairs director of the music school who said that there was no such worker in the school. But the two patrolmen saw it.Sachs said immediately. The school's cleaners don't work on Saturdays, they only clean on weekday evenings, and none of them fit the description of the two officers. Without that co-worker? Sellitto opened his notebook.He was cleaning just outside the second door of the concert hall when he Ah, damn it, Rhyme suddenly roared: that man is the murderer!He looked at Sellitto.That worker looks completely different from the suspect, right?

Sellitto consulted the records in his notebook.The worker was in his sixties, bald, and wore a gray coverall. Gray overalls!cried Rhyme. That's right. That's where the silk fiber comes from, and it comes from that costume. What did you say?Cobb asked. The gangster killed the student, and when the police suddenly showed up, he temporarily blinded them with a flash bang, then ran into the concert hall, set the fuze and the digital recorder so they thought he was still there, and then he put on a Coworker costume, run out the second door. But he's not like the guy who snatches the necklace on the express and just takes off a sweatshirt, the pudgy Sellitto pointed out, how could he do it in such a short time?Doing the math, he was out of the police's sight for about sixty seconds. Well, if you can come up with any non-miraculous explanation, I'd love to hear it. I can't tell, but that's impossible. Impossible Impossible Rhyme muttered unhappily as he steered his wheelchair to the whiteboard.So, what about the evidence?Just now Thomas had printed out the digital photos of the footprints that Sachs had taken and pasted them on the whiteboard. Rhyme first examined the suspect's footprints, and then examined the footprints that Sachs collected near the corridor where the workers appeared. shoe.he announced. Is it the same?Sellitto asked. Yes, said Sachs, she also went to the whiteboard.Both are size ten ECCO brand. hateful.Sellitto murmured and started massaging his belly again. Lime says hello, let's see what we've got?We have a suspect in his fifties, of medium build, of medium height, beardless, with two misshapen fingers, and since he deliberately concealed his fingerprints, he may have a criminal record. That's all we know.But Rhyme frowned immediately.No, he said grimly: that's not all we know, there are other facts that he had a change of clothes on him, that he carried a murder weapon, that he was a criminal with a plan, and would most likely do it again. kind of thing. Sachs nodded, agreeing to the unpleasant fact. Rhyme looked at Thomas' smooth handwriting on the evidence sheet on the whiteboard, and wondered: What could string these evidences together? Black silk cloth, cosmetics, short-term clothing changes, disguises, flashbangs, and firecrackers. And disappearing ink. Rhyme said slowly: I think this suspect has some magic training. Sachs nodded.possible. Sellitto also nodded in agreement.Well, even so, what do we do now? It's easy for me, says Lemm: Find our own. Our own what?Sellitto asked. what else?Our own magicians, of course. Do it again. She has done it for the eighth time. again? The man nodded.So Carla did it again. The magic practiced by Kara is the triple handkerchief release technique, which was developed by the famous magic performer and instructor Harlan.What Tarbell invented was a performance that was quite popular with audiences.Three different colored silk cloths appear to be tangled together in a knot that the magician must untangle in an instant.This is a difficult magic trick to achieve smooth movements, but Kara thinks she can do it well. However, David.Balzac didn't think so.Your coins are talking.he said with a sigh.This sentence is a harsh criticism, meaning that the technique of illusion is too clumsy or too obvious.Carla had barely finished her moves when the portly old man with the bushy white hair and tobacco-spotted goatee shook his head violently. I think it's very smooth, it's very smooth for me. But you are not the audience, I am.Come on, do it again. The place where they are located is a small stage behind the Smoke and Mirrors magic prop shop.Ten years ago, Mr. Balzac retired from the magic world and ended his international touring career. He bought this store and sold magic supplies in this crappy place, renting performance costumes and various props.Every week, the store also holds amateur magician performances, entertaining customers and local residents to watch for free.A year and a half ago, Carla served as a part-time interview editor of "Self" magazine. Frightened by Mr. Balzac's reputation, she hesitated for several months before summoning up the courage to interview him.The old magician accepted her interview, and then invited her into the office for a detailed discussion.The great Mr. Balzac told her in a husky but kind voice that she had the potential to be a great illusionist if properly trained.He further proposed that she come to work in the shop in exchange for him being her magic teacher and counselor himself. Kara had moved to New York from the Midwest for several years and knew life in the city; she immediately understood that there was more to the word consultant, especially since he had been divorced four times and she was a woman older than him. Forty years younger, a woman exuding youthful charm.But Balzac is indeed a famous magician, he has been fixed in Johnny.Carson (Annotation: Johnny Carson, host of the famous talk show "Tonight Show" on NBC radio in the United States.) Performed on the show, and has been ranked among the red stars in Las Vegas for several years in a row.He has toured dozens of countries around the world and met the main magic masters from all over the world.For Kara, who has always had a passion for magic, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.So, she accepted the offer. From the very beginning of the course, she was wary of Mr. Balzac and had prepared a hundred excuses for refusing to stay overnight.However, after the class, her heart defense also collapsed, but the reason was completely different from what she thought. He criticized her for nothing.She was severely criticized for almost every basic movement, so after an hour, Mr. Balzac yelled at her pale, tear-stained face: I said you have potential, but I didn't say you were very good. Great.If you're just looking for someone to boost your self-confidence, then you're in the wrong place.Now, are you going to go home and cry with Mommy, or keep practicing?She decided to keep practicing. In this way, they began this love-hate mentor-student relationship, which has lasted eighteen months so far.During these days, Kara kept practicing, practicing, and practicing, and there were always six or seven days a week when she didn't sleep until the early hours of the morning. Friends sometimes ask her why she loves magic so much and is so fascinated by the magical world.Maybe they're expecting, as they watch this week's movie, a story about a child being abused by a parent or teacher, or at least a timid girl who escapes a brutal school gang and enters a psychedelic world.Instead, what they got was a perfectly normal girl who was a cheery Girl Scout, a top student, a gymnastics team, a cookie baker, and a member of the school choir.Her road to acting began undramatically, first in Cleveland, accompanied by her grandparents, at the Penn and Teller magic show. The group, which is now regularly performed in Las Vegas and on TV shows.) performance; a month later, under the chance meeting, because her father was going to participate in the Turbo Products Conference, the whole family was able to travel to Las Vegas. It was the first time she came into contact with flying tigers and dazzling magic shows. That was the way it was, nothing special happened.When she was a sophomore at Kennedy School, she started a magic club and poured all the money she earned from working as a babysitter into magic magazines, instructional videos, and prop sets.If that wasn't enough, she actively displayed entrepreneurial efforts, tidying gardens and shoveling snow for others, so that she could save enough money to perform at the Big Apple Circus and Cirque du Soleil when they toured within fifty miles of her home. Tickets for admission. However, it is not entirely without reason that Carla has embarked on and persisted in this path.It's just that the drive that drives her to do it is quite simple, all she wants is the look of surprise on the faces of the audience for that brief moment, whether it's the ten or twenty people who have to watch her at Thanksgiving dinner relatives (although her father would never allow her to dig a hole in the living room floor for a trapdoor, she changed her approach and successfully performed the feat of levitating cats in the air), or a large auditorium packed with spectators (she performed at a high school gifted student show, received a standing ovation and twice encored in a row).However, in this paragraph to David.During the days when Balzac was studying, she did not get the feeling of a successful performance at all.For the past year and a half, she has felt at times that she seems to have lost some of her former talents. However, just when she was thinking of quitting and was about to ask him to resign, he actually nodded and smiled slightly after watching her practice.On several occasions, he even opened his mouth to say that the trick was perfectly executed. At this moment, Kara felt that her world had become complete again. However, she spent most of her life floating around like dust. She was busy with store chores, kept accounts for Mr. Balzac, took inventory, and calculated staff salaries. Administrator of .smokeandmirrors.com, putting in more and more time.Since the salary Mr. Balzac paid her was not much, she had to do other work to support her life, so she found another job that was somewhat in line with her English degree, working for another magic theater's website. Write some articles.Then, about a year ago, her mother's condition began to deteriorate, and Carla, an only child, had to spend what little time she had left with her. It's a completely exhausting life. But so far, Kara has managed it.In just a few years, Mr. Balzac will definitely announce that she is ready to perform on stage, ask her to leave with his blessing, and arrange for her to meet with magic show producers all over the world. Like Jenny used to say: Hold on, girl, and stay on top of the galloping horse. Now Kara has done Tarbell's triple handkerchief technique again.Mr. Balzac flicked the cigarette ash on the ground, frowned and said: Your left ring finger has to be raised a bit more. Did you see the knot in the handkerchief? If I didn't see it, he growled angrily: Then why did I ask you to raise your ring finger higher?Do it again.The same magic was repeated again. This time, Carla remembered to lift that fucking ring finger a little bit higher. Swish swish_The intertwined handkerchiefs slipped away smoothly, and then flew into the air like a few banners of victory.ah.Balzac let out a sound and nodded slightly. It wasn't a traditional compliment, but Kara knew the meaning behind his ahh. She put the magic props aside, walked to the messy work area behind the counter, and began to busy register the goods that were delivered on Friday afternoon. Mr. Balzac went back to the computer and continued to conceive of an article about Jasper .Mascarene's article.Mascarene was a British magician who created a special forces unit in North Africa during World War II, using magic skills to fight Nazi Germany.Mr. Balzac writes entirely from memory, never referring to any literature or collecting information.This is exactly David.Another of Balzac's great talents: his knowledge of the magic world was as profound and deep as his temper was erratic and violent. Did you hear that the Fantastic Circus is coming to town?She said it out loud: Premiere tonight. The old magician only grunted. do you want to go?She went on and on, I think we should go and see. Cirque du Soleil is another, larger and older competitor to Cirque du Soleil.It combines traditional circus performances, classical Italian improvisational comedy, modern music and dance, avant-garde performing arts and street magic, and belongs to the next-generation circus system. But David.Balzac, on the other hand, is an old school traditionalist, with Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and late-night talk shows program.) route.Magic is magic, what's the difference?he said unhappily. Despite this, Kara has always liked the Fantastic Circus and made up her mind to pull him to watch the show.But just before she started to persuasion, a very beautiful red-haired policewoman suddenly entered the store door.She went straight into the store and asked to see the person in charge of the store. I am the boss, and my name is David.Balzac.What's the matter with you? The policewoman said: We are investigating a case where the suspect involved may have had a little magic training.We are currently investigating magic merchandise stores across the city and would like your assistance. You mean, someone else did a fraud or something?Balzac asked, with a tone that made Kara feel that he was full of wariness.In the past, magic was often associated with con artists. For example, pickpockets were as proficient as magicians, and some charlatans often used magic skills to deceive mourners into saying that they had psychic abilities and could Communicate with their dead relatives. But this time, the visit of the policewoman proves that this poor image of the link has been upgraded again. In fact, she said, glancing at Carla and then back at Balzac.This time it was a homicide.