Chapter 13 12

Evidence from the second crime scene has arrived, Mel.Cooper immediately put the evidence plastic bags and glass bottles on the work table in Rhyme's living room. Sellitto had also returned from the Headquarters, where he had just held a serious meeting on the sorcerer's case.Both the director and the mayor wanted to know the details of the case and the progress of the investigation, but Sellitto could not tell a few details, nor could he make any progress. Rhyme has received a property investigation report, and the two Ukrainian illusionists in the Fantastic Circus have no criminal record.The two police officers who stood guard in front of the tent also checked everywhere and reported that they did not find any clues or suspicious activities.

After a while, Sachs walked into the room, followed by the steady and demeanor Rona.Bell.When Sellitto received instructions from his superiors to add another police detective to the task force, Rhyme immediately proposed to find Bell. In the event of a fierce battle, he can provide strong backup for Sachs. Bell greeted everyone in the room one by one, but no one had mentioned to him who Carla was before.He looked at her suspiciously, and Carla replied: I am like him, she turned her head to Rhyme.Also a consultant. Nice to meet you.Bell said, while blinking in amazement, watching Carla nonchalantly juggle three copper coins at once, flipping them back and forth in her knuckles, as Sachs began working with Cooper on the evidence.Rhyme asked: Who was the deceased?

The deceased Tony.Calvert, thirty-two, unmarried.Er, in terms of his situation, it should be that he has no partner. Anything to do with that music school student? Don't know yet, Sellitto replied, and Bedi and Saul were checking it out. What is his occupation?Cobb asked. Makeup and stylist for Broadway. And the first victim was a student at the music school, Rhyme thought.One is a single woman, one is a gay man, and their living and working fields are far apart.What is the common denominator that caused them to be killed?He asked: Are there any signs of sex? Since there was no sign of sexual assault at the first murder scene, Rhyme was not surprised at what Sachs said: No, unless he went home with the memory and went to bed and indulged in it.She went to the whiteboard and pasted the digital output of the body on it.

Rhyme wheeled up to the whiteboard and studied the horrific images. What a disgusting pervert.Sellitto cursed, offering an unconstructive conclusion. What is the weapon used?Rona.Bell asked. It looks like a cross-cut saw.Cobb said after reviewing several close-up photos of the wound. Whether in North Carolina or New York, Bell has seen many scenes of massacres like this, but he still shook his head and said: Wow, this is really horrible. While Rhyme was concentrating on studying the photographs, he suddenly heard a strange sound, which seemed to be some kind of irregular hiss coming from nearby.He turned to see Carla standing right behind him, and the sound was her terrified breathing.She stared blankly at the photo of Calvert's body, one hand involuntarily grabbed the short hair on her head, and her frightened and wide eyes were filled with tears.Unable to stop the trembling of her jaw, she hurriedly turned away from the whiteboard.

Are you all right, Sachs said. Kara waved her hands, closed her eyes, and breathed abnormally rapidly. As soon as Rhyme saw the expression on her face, he knew that she was suffering terribly and had reached the limit of what she could bear.For him, this kind of horror is what he must bear in his criminal forensic career, but it does not belong to Kara's world.Of course, she seems to encounter some dangers and dangers on the stage, but that is just an illusion.It was too much to ask of ordinary citizens to take the initiative to face this nauseating sight, and it was a disgrace to the police, who desperately needed her help, to make her face such suffering.However, Rhyme knew they couldn't push her any further after seeing the horrified look on her face.He even guessed that maybe she was about to vomit and feel uncomfortable.

Sachs wanted to step forward to support her, but Lime stopped him by shaking his head.His silent message was this: He knew they might lose the girl, but they had to let her go anyway. However, he was wrong on this point. Carla took a deep breath, as divers do before stepping out of the boat, and turned to look at the whiteboard again, her eyes shooting determinedly.She has controlled herself, determined to face these bloody photos again. After some careful observation, she nodded. p. T.Selby.she said, wiping her eyes. Is this a person's name?Sachs asked. Carla nodded.M. Balzac had performed several of the man's tricks.He was an illusionist in the 1900s, and he did something like that.The name of this trick is Saw Woman, and it is the same as this murder case. It is the same as binding people, making their limbs into a big character, and then sawing them open with a saw.The only difference is this: The murderer has chosen a man to perform the show.She blinked, surprised to use the word performance.I mean, commit this crime.

Rhyme asked the same question again: Is there a limited number of people who know the trick? No, this trick is too famous, even more famous than the Vanishing Man, anyone who has a little knowledge of the history of magic must know it.He had expected this kind of answer, but he said: Thomas, put that on.After finishing speaking, he said to Sachs: Okay, now tell us what happened to Calvert. The victim seemed to be going to work, so he went out through the back door. Neighbors said this was his habit.When he was walking through a dead-end alley, he saw this. She pointed to a black toy cat in a plastic bag and said: A toy cat.

Carla glanced at the toy cat.It's automatic, like a robot, and we call it a fake. fake what? fake.It's a prop used to trick viewers into thinking it's something real.Like a fake knife without a blade, or a mug with a hidden space inside. Sachs pressed the switch on the toy cat, and the fake cat immediately started to move around, purring like a real cat from time to time.The victim must have seen the cat before walking over to check it out, and maybe thought the cat was injured, she continued: This is how the magician used this trick to lure the victim into a dead end. Is the source available?Rhyme asked Cobb.

Manufactured by Hong Kong Xinlu Company, I checked the company's website, and there are hundreds of sales locations for this kind of toy across the country.Rhyme sighed.It seems that the phrase "the source is too extensive to be traced" has become the most common phrase in this criminal case.Sachs went on: So Calvert walked up to the cat and knelt down to check.And the suspect was hiding somewhere, and then he It's a mirror.Rhyme cut her off and turned to Carla, who nodded. Illusionists often use mirrors, and by placing them at the right angle, they can make anyone or anything hidden behind them disappear.

Then Rhyme remembered that the store Karla worked in was called Smoke and Mirrors. But then it seemed that something happened, which gave the victim a chance to escape, and Sellitto took over, and then came the more exaggerated part.We went through the tapes of the 9/11 report, and Calvert fled back to the apartment, went back to his place, and called the police.He said his attacker was outside the house and all the doors were locked.But at this moment, the phone was cut off suddenly, and it seemed that the sorcerer had broken into the house at that time. Maybe it's Sachs coming in through the window, have you checked the fire safety doors?

No.As for the windows, they were locked from the inside. OK, but you should still search the fire doors.Rhyme said briefly. Then, he must have snatched the key from the victim's house. There were no fingerprints on the key, Sachs said, only the victim's. He must have the key.Rhyme insisted. No, Carla said: he unlocked it himself. Impossible, Rhyme said: perhaps he had sneaked in there before and had the duplicate key ready.Sachs, you should go back and check to see if he The lock was opened by him with a tool, and the young girl said stubbornly: I can guarantee this. Rhyme shook his head.Can two locks be opened in sixty seconds?It is simply impossible to do it. Kara sighed.I'm sorry, but I have to say that sixty seconds is definitely enough for him to unlock two locks.And, maybe he spent even less time. Well, let's say he can't, Rhyme said gruffly: Then Kara cut him off.Let's first assume he did.This is very important and must not be missed.This fact can help us to know him a little bit more, knowing that for him, the door lock is not a thing at all. Rhyme glanced at Sellitto, and the detective said immediately: I've got to say, I've caught a dozen or so habitual burglars in my time with the Burglary Squad, and none of them could pick locks that fast. Mr. Balzac asked me to practice lockpicking for ten hours a week. Carla said: I didn’t bring any tools, but if I were to do it, I can open your outer door in 30 seconds, and it takes 60 seconds. Unlock the lock on the inner door, and this is before I have learned how to rub the lock.If it were a sorcerer, he could shorten the time by more than half.I know you love to talk about evidence, everything depends on evidence, but if you want Emilia to go back and search for things that don't exist, it's just a waste of time. Are you sure?Sellitto asked. Yep, 100% sure. Sachs glanced at Rhyme.Reluctantly accepting Carla's assumption (but privately, he was glad the girl was showing courage, it would go a long way toward improving that look and that smile on her face), nodded, Thomas said: Well, put that on the form, and say our gentleman is skilled at lockpicking. Sachs continued: "The weapon used by the sorcerer to stun the victim could not be found at the scene.Judging from the blunt force trauma on the head of the deceased, the gangster may have used an iron pipe, and he had been taken away from the scene. The results of the fingerprinting are in.A total of eighty-nine fingerprints had been collected from the mortuary at the crime scene and from places the sorcerer might have touched, but Rhyme took a closer look and immediately noticed that some of them looked strange.He knew that it was caused by the fingertips worn by the gangster, so he didn't bother to study the rest of the fingerprints. They turned their attention back to the evidence that Sachs had collected from the scene and found traces of mineral oil, the same as at the music school scene earlier.In addition, they found more latex, cosmetics and alginate. Detective Kwan from the 5th Precinct called in to report that they had searched all the dumpsters near Calvert's house, but found no transformational props or murder weapons.Rhyme thanked him and told him to go on with the search.The detective said he would, but the falseness of his tone told Rhyme that the search was over. Rhyme to Sachs: You said he broke Calvert's watch? Yes.The time when the watch stopped at noon was just over a few seconds. The last time the victim was killed was eight o'clock. It seemed that he was proceeding according to the schedule.Maybe there will be a third victim at four o'clock this afternoon. There are less than three hours left now. Cobb said: There is no clue about the mirror either.Couldn't find the manufacturer so it must have been ripped from a frame somewhere.There were some real fingerprints on the mirror, but some were covered up by the suspect's fingertip marks, so I guessed these prints were left by the store clerk who sold the mirror or by the manufacturer.However, I will still enter them all into the automatic fingerprint identification center for comparison. I also found a pair of shoes.Sachs said, pulling a plastic bag from the crate. Is it his? I guess so.These shoes are the same ECCO brand as the shoe prints we found at the music school, and they are also the same size ten. Strange, why did he leave the shoes on purpose?Sellitto wondered. Rhyme guessed: Maybe he thought we already knew that he was wearing ECCO shoes at the first scene. If he dressed up as an old lady and still wore these shoes, he might be spotted by the police who rushed to the scene. Mel."We took a lot of microscopic evidence from the shoe's upper, sole and jagged indentation in front of the heel," Cooper said.He opened a bag and scraped out the contents.That's a lot.He said lightly, then leaned over and began to examine the pile of dirt carefully. Although this is only a small pile of debris, it is as large as a mountain to a forensic expert, and it may contain a lot of information.Mel, zoom out, Rhyme said: let's see what's in there. Although scientific instruments and equipment are changing with each passing day, in forensic laboratories, the most commonly used tool is the microscope.In theory, the modern microscope is completely the same as the crude brass-mounted microscope invented by the Dutchman Ravenhoek in the 16th century. Rhyme owns an old scanning electron microscope, which is rarely used these days.At this time, there are two other microscopes in the temporarily arranged laboratory in his living room.One of them is a compound polarizing microscope from the German Leitz company. Although this model is old, it is the most trusted equipment of Lehme.This microscope has three observation holes in the center of the binocular eyepiece used by the observer, and a photographic lens.The second microscope is what Cobb is using now, a stereomicroscope that he had previously used to examine the fibers found at the first crime scene.Compared with other microscopes, the magnification of this microscope is not high, and it is only suitable for examining objects in three-dimensional space, such as insects, plants and minerals. A microscopic image appeared on a computer screen for Rhyme and the rest of the task force to view. If you are a student who is new to forensic science, you will immediately adjust the microscope to the highest magnification and maximize the evidence.But according to practical experience, the most appropriate inspection magnification is not too high.At first Cobb magnified only four times, and then adjusted to 30 times magnification. Ah, focus on one point, on one point.cried Rhyme. Cooper adjusted the high-magnification knob on the objective lens, and the image on the screen immediately became clear. Well, just move like this.Lyme said. Cooper twisted a control knob on the microscope stage to move the slide stage.He turned slightly, and hundreds of objects of various shapes passed slowly on the screen, some were extremely dark in color, some were red or green, and some were even translucent.Rhyme always had the feeling that whenever he looked through the eyepiece of the microscope he felt like a voyeur, excited to peer into the unknown. Moreover, this world may have profound implications. There was hair in it, Rhyme said: animal.He judged this from the number of scales on the hair. what animal?Sachs asked. It's a dog, dare I say it.Cobb answered first, and Rhyme agreed with him.Cobb immediately went online, and after a while, he called up the image file of animal hair from the database of the New York City Police Department.There are two varieties that match the wrong ones, and three.One is a breed with medium-length hair, such as a German Shepherd or Malinois.There are two other long-haired breeds, the English Sheepdog and the Briar.Cobb held the image on the screen still, and all saw a mass of slightly brown-textured sticks and tubes. What is that long thing?Sellitto asked. Is it fiber?Sachs guessed. Rhyme looked at what Sellitto had said.It's dry grass, or some kind of plant, but I don't recognize anything else.Mel, check it out with a gas chromatograph. Not long after, the gas chromatography mass spectrometer completed the test results, and a chart appeared on the screen of the machine, which listed the analyzed substances: bile pigment, fecal bilein, urobilin, indole, nitrate, Skatole, mercaptans, hydrogen sulfide. ah! ah?Sellitto asked, what do you mean by saying ah? Instructions, Microscope One. The screen changed back to the previous image. This is evident in dead bacteria, half-digested fiber and weeds.This is shit!Well, sorry for the foul language, he said sarcastically: it's dog poop.It appears that our suspect stepped where he should not have stepped. This is an exciting discovery.Hair and feces are typical good physical evidence, as long as they find the same marks on a certain suspect, a certain place or a certain car, then it is almost certain that this person is a magician or a place he has been in contact with . The automatic fingerprint identification system of the Federal Bureau of Investigation has sent back the report, and all the fingerprints on the mirror left in the alley at the scene were found to be unidentified, but this was already expected by everyone. What else is there?Rhyme asked. No more, said Sachs: That's all. While Rhyme was revisiting the evidence list, the downstairs doorbell rang, and Thomas went to answer the door.After a while, he brought in a uniformed officer.And many who walked into the legendary Lincoln for the first time.Like the young men at Lyme's Hideaway, the constable stood at the door in trepidation, afraid to step inside.I want Detective Bell, they say he's here. I am.Bell said. This is Charles.Forensic crime scene report from Grady's office burglary. Thank you, boy.Bell took the envelope and nodded to him.The young man glanced at Lincoln in horror.Lime took one look, then turned and left quickly. Bell took out the report and flipped through it, but shrugged: This is not my major.Hey Lincoln, do you have a moment to take a look for me? No problem, Rona, said Rhyme: You take the staples off and put them on that page-turner over there, and Thomas will do it for you.What case is this?It was with Andrew.Constable related case? Yes.He took Charles.Tell Rhyme about the burglary of Grady's office.After the nurse Thomas put up the on-site forensic report, Rhyme drove the wheelchair to the page-turner.He read the first page very carefully before saying: Instructions, turn the page.Then continue to read. The gangster's method of intrusion was very simple. He only broke the glass on the office door in the corridor, then reached in and unlocked the door (as for the wooden door between the secretary's office and the prosecutor's personal office, because there were two lock, and the wooden door is quite thick, so thieves cannot break in). The investigators from the crime scene forensics team found some interesting items on the desk of the secretary's office and nearby, they found some fibers.However, the report only indicated that its color is mostly white, a small part is black, and only one is red, and there is no other description.In addition, they found two tiny fragments of gold leaf. Police determined that the thieves broke in after the cleaners had finished cleaning, so the fibers were not left behind by Grady's secretary or anyone else who had legally entered the office during the day.The on-site forensic team judged that these fibers were most likely from the suspect. Rhyme read the last page.that's all?he asks. It seems so.Bell replied. Rhyme let out a snarl and ordered immediately: command, phone, dial: Vincent.Peretti. Peretti was recruited by Rhyme himself to join the on-site forensic team. At that time, Rhyme thought he was extremely talented in criminal forensics.But it turns out that he is more outstanding in the political art inside the police station, which is more esoteric than criminal forensics, which is completely different from Lyme, who always likes to take the lead in going to the crime scene in person.After Rhyme retired due to injury, Peretti took over as forensics chief. The phone was finally connected, and Piriti picked up the phone and said: Lincoln, how are you? very good.Vincent, I You're working on the witcher case, aren't you?How are things going? Still in progress.I'm calling to talk about something else.Now Rona.Bell is here, I just got the report on the break-in at Grady's office. Oh, that was with Andrew.Constable's case.Yes, that case involved Grady's safety.Is there anything you want me to do? I'm looking at this report now, but this report is only preliminary.I need more information.The forensics team found some fibers at the scene and I would like to know the composition, length, diameter, color temperature, dyes used, and the correct amount of these fibers. Wait, I'm going to get my pen.after a little while.OK, please speak. I also need static sampling photos of all the footprints on the floor, and need to know everything on the secretary's desk, cupboards, and bookshelves.I want to know what's on all the surfaces, drawers and walls, and where exactly they are. Everything the suspect touched?OK, I think it should be fine.I can No, Vincent, everything in the office, everything in it.Paper clips, a picture of the secretary's child, a model in the top drawer.I don't care if the suspect touched it or not. These words made Periti a little unhappy, but he still said: I will find someone to do what you say. Rhyme couldn't figure out why Periti didn't do it himself. If it were him, even if he was the leader of the investigation resource team, he would definitely do all these things in person immediately. But now he is only a consultant, and his influence on the investigation resource group is extremely limited.Thank you, Vincent. You're welcome.The man on the other end of the phone said coldly. After hanging up the phone, Rhyme said to Bell: I can't help at the moment, Rona, unless I have more information.Fiber and backcountry national armies are a real mystery.But in this moment, they have to focus on the other person.Rhyme himself has many mysteries to solve; and time is running out.The time the two crushed watches stopped was written on the evidence sheet, reminding him that they had less than three hours to stop the sorcerer before he found his next victim. □□□ magician Music school crime scene ．Description of the suspect's appearance: brown hair, fake beard, no obvious features.Age: about fifty years old.Medium build, medium height.The ring finger and little finger of the left hand are glued together.Can quickly change clothes to look like an elderly, balding co-worker. ．The motive for the killing is unknown. ．Victim: Svetlana.Lasnikhov.Full-time student at a music school.We are checking family, friends, classmates and colleagues, looking for possible clues. (No boyfriends, no apparent enemies. Worked as a performer at a kids birthday party.) ．Circuit board with speaker: Sent to the FBI New York office laboratory for inspection (it is a digital recorder, which may have recorded the suspect's voice, and all information has been destroyed.) The recorder is a secret device and a self-made item. ．Use old-fashioned handcuffs to handcuff the victim.These are Derby style handcuffs, antique handcuffs from England.A visit has been sent to the Houdini Museum in New Orleans. ．The victim's watch was broken, and the hands stopped at exactly eight o'clock in the morning. ．Cotton thread, used to tie the folding chair. (The style is general and the sources are too wide.) ．Firecrackers, used to create sound effects.Destroyed by explosion. (The sources are too broad.) ．Fuse, general style.Sources are too broad. ．The homicide police reported a strong flash.No substance was found at the scene.Could be glitter cotton or glitter paper. (The sources are too broad.) ．Suspect shoes: ECCO brand, size ten. ．Silk fibers, dyed grey, satin-brushed.Dropped from the quick change worker outfit. ．The suspect may have been wearing a brown wig. ．Red hickory trees and slum lichens, both of which grow primarily in Central Park. ．The soil contains unusual amounts of mineral oil.Sent to the FBI for testing. ．Black silk cloth, 72 x 48 inches, used for shelter.Unable to trace source.Mesmers often use this black cloth. ．Wear something on your hand to cover your fingerprints.finger cots. ．Traces of latex, castor oil, cosmetics. ．Traces of alginate.Used to cast latex gear. ．Murderer's Weapon: White silk cord with a black silk core.The rope is used for magic show.Change color.Unable to trace source. ．Special knot.It has been sent to the FBI and the Maritime Museum has no news yet.Use knots for Houdini shows that are practically impossible to untie. ．Use invisible ink on school registers. East Village Crime Scene ．The second victim: Tony.Calvert.Makeup and stylist for Broadway theaters.No obvious enemies.No apparent relationship with the first victim. ．There was no apparent motive for the killing. ．Cause of death: Fatal blunt trauma to the head, the body was sawn in two after death. ．The suspect fled disguised as an elderly woman in her seventies.A search is ongoing in the immediate area for costumes and other evidence discarded by the suspect. ．The watch was broken and the hands stopped at twelve noon. (Stationary pattern? The next victim may show up at four in the afternoon.) ．The suspect hid behind a mirror.Mirror cannot trace the source.Fingerprints have been sent to the FBI. (No matches.) ．Use a toy cat (fake) to lure the victim into a dead end. (Toys cannot trace the source.) ．Mineral oil was found again, same as the first scene.Awaiting the FBI's laboratory report. ．Rediscover latex and makeup from finger cots. ．Alginate was discovered again. ． ECCO brand shoes were left at the scene. ．There is dog hair on the shoe, possibly from three different breeds.There was also feces on the shoes. illusionist profile ．Suspects use misdirection to confront their victims and evade police: physical misdirection (for distraction); psychological misdirection (to remove suspicion). ．The way to escape from the music school is similar to the Vanishing Man trick. (Too common to trace.) ．The suspects are mainly illusionists. ．Skilled hand tricks. ．Also know how to transform (quick change of clothes).Use easy-to-remove clothing, nylon and silk cloths, bald covers, finger cots, and other latex gear.May be of any age, gender and race. ．Calvert's Death: Selby's Sawyer Trick. ．Proficient in lockpicking (possibly familiar with rubbing lockpicking techniques). □□□