Chapter 28 27

I?This is ridiculous. No, not at all ridiculous. Forget it, you go and walk the grid again.You must have missed something, you searched too fast just now.if you are new I am not a novice, I know how to search the scene with the fastest speed, and also know when to stop searching and use my time to do more productive things.She picked up Sellitto's small tape recorder, checked the tape inside, and pressed record. I'm New York City Police Department Patrol Officer Emilia.Sachs, No. 5885.The following is the interrogation eyewitness Lincoln.Lyme's recording content, he was an eyewitness to the 1024 attack and 1029 arson at 345 Central Park West.The inquest date is Saturday, April 20.She put the tape recorder on the table next to Rhyme's bed.

But Rhyme stared at it wide-eyed, as if the tape recorder were a snake. Well, she said: Please describe the incident. i have told long tell me now. He made a sarcastic expression, staring at the ceiling.He is of medium build, male, about fifty to fifty-five years old, wearing a police uniform.No beard this time, scar tissue and mottled neck and chest. Is his neck open?How can you possibly see his boobs? Sorry, he said with more obvious sarcasm: he had scar tissue at the base of his neck, which must have gone all the way down to his chest.The little and ring fingers of his left hand were glued together.He has what appear to be brown eyes.

Well, Rhyme, she said: We didn't know the color of his eyes before. But we also can't be sure if he wears contact lenses.He immediately retorted, feeling that this time he scored a point to recall more clearly, I can recall more clearly, but I need a little help. what? I bet there is still a bottle of Macallan untouched in the kitchen, somewhere. Later, Sachs said: I want you to keep your wits about you. But She scratched her scalp with the tips of her nails and continued: Now, I want to know the details of what happened.What did he say? I can't remember very well, he said impatiently: it's all crazy babbling, and I'm not in the mood to listen to what he has to say.

Maybe what he says sounds crazy to you, but I bet there are clues in his words that you can use. Sachs, he asked sarcastically, don't you think I might be freaked out?I mean, maybe I was just so flustered that I couldn't figure it out. She touched his hand.I know you don't believe in witnesses, but sometimes these people do see something. Interviewing these people is my specialty, Lyme. Emilia.Sachs' identity is a patrolman, a policeman who hangs around the streets all day long. I will lead you back to what happened, just like you lead me through the grid.We're sure to find some important clues.She stood up, went to the door and called: Carla?

True, he distrusted witnesses, even those in the best vantage points not personally involved in the events.As long as it is related to crime, especially the victim of violent attack, it is not trustworthy.Even now, when Rhyme recalled the previous scene of the outlaw's appearance, he could only think of a series of unorganized fragments. The magician hid behind him, standing tall, lighting the fire.The smell of whiskey, the picture of smoke rising.He had no clue at all, unable to think through the entire process of the gangster from appearance to departure. As Carla said, memory is just an illusion.

After a while, Carla walked into the guest room.Are you all right, Lincoln? very good.he murmured. Sachs explained to Kara that she hoped that she would also listen to what Lime said, and that she might be able to find some helpful clues to the case from what the gangster said.Sachs sat down again, pulling the chair closer to the bed.Let's go on, Rhyme.Tell me what happened, without jargon. He hesitated, then glanced at the tape recorder.Afterwards, he began to try to recall, and told the things he remembered one by one.The sorcerer appears, confesses that he killed the policeman, takes his uniform, and tells Rhyme about the policeman's body.

□□□ the weather is very hot □□□ Thinking of this, Rhyme said: At that time, he looked like he was pretending to perform a magic trick, and he thought I was the performer who helped the show. He heard the man talking to himself strangely again in his mind, so he said again: I remembered something.He was asthmatic, or breathing very loudly.He often opened his mouth and took deep breaths, making rustling noises. Well, Sachs said: I noticed that too at the scene by the pond, but forgot to bring it up afterwards.What else did he say?Rhyme looked at the dark ceiling of the guest room and shook his head.Or just like that, if he threatened to burn me to death, he threatened to hurt me with a knife, right, did you find the razor blade when you searched my bedroom?

No. You see, this is the evidence I was talking about.I know that's when he dropped a razor blade in my panties.The doctor couldn't find it just now, so it must have fallen out.That's what you should be looking for. Maybe the blade wasn't in your trousers at all, Carla said: I know the trick, he hid the blade back in the palm of his hand. □□□ Maybe you're slowly emasculating yourself □□□ Well, I mean, when you're being tortured, you can't actually listen too closely to what the other person has to say. Come on, Rhyme, go on thinking about it.It was this evening when Carla and I were out shopping for dinner.You are studying the evidence.Thomas takes you upstairs.You feel tired.right?

No, said the forensic expert: I am not tired, he must take me upstairs. I think you must be very upset. That's right. So you stay awake in your bedroom. He thought of the light in the bedroom, the silhouette of a peregrine falcon outside the window.Thinking of Thomas closing the door. It was pretty quiet then Sachs said again. No wonder, it wasn't quiet at all, the damn circus across the street kept making noise.I set the alarm anyway What time is it set? I don't know, is it important to know what time it is? One detail can spawn the other two. Rhyme frowned.Where did this phrase come from?Fortune cookies?

she laughed.I came up with it, but it sounds pretty good, don't you think?Consider including this quote the next time your book is revamped. I don't write about witnesses, Rhyme said: I only write about evidence.He contradicts her, feeling triumphant again. Next, how did you first become aware of his intrusion into the bedroom?do you hear anything No, I feel a gust of wind.At first, I thought it was the air conditioning system, but then I realized it was him.He secretly blows on my neck and face. What is this for? To scare me, I guess, and he succeeded.Rhyme closed his eyes, remembered some details of the time, nodded and said: I tried to call Ron, but he glanced at Kara.He saw through my intentions.He threatened to kill me in the first place, he threatened to stab me blind if I asked for help.After I called and he found out, I thought he was really going to do it.But strangely he seemed greatly moved.He even praised my misleading methods. His voice gradually became weaker, and his thoughts fell into a blur again.

How did he break in? He walked in with the policemen who were delivering evidence of Grady's assassination. hateful!Sellitto said: From now on, anyone who wants to enter this house will check their ID, everyone. He mentioned misleading, Sachs continued the topic just now, and he also praised you.Besides these, did he say anything else? I forgot, Rhyme murmured, saying nothing. Didn't say anything?she asked softly. I forgot.Lincoln.Rhyme was angry.Angry that Sachs was pressing him, angry that she wouldn't let him have a glass of wine to numb the horror.He was even more angry at himself for letting her down. But she also had to understand that it was cruel to force him to recall the scene. It was to force him back into the fire, into the plumes of smoke that had entered his nostrils and endangered his precious lungs. etc.thick smoke Lincoln.Lyme says: Fire. fire? Now that I think about it, that's the word he mentioned most often, and it seems he's quite fascinated by fire.He also mentioned the name of an illusion, that's right, the burning mirror.According to him, such illusions would set fire to the stage, from which the illusionist must escape.As I remember, he seemed to turn into a demon afterward, or someone else would become a demon. Rhyme and Sachs look at Kara together, and she nods.I know about this show, but it's not that common.There are too many devices required on the stage, and it is quite dangerous.Today's theater owners are reluctant to allow performers to perform this play. He went on to talk about fire, saying it was the only thing on the stage that couldn't be faked, and how the audience secretly wished the illusionist was burned when they saw it.By the way, I remembered something else.he Go ahead, Rhyme, you're doing well. Don't interrupt, he said unhappily: Didn't I say that he seemed to be performing a show at that time?He seemed to be paranoid, staring at blank walls and talking to people he couldn't see.He seemed to be talking about my audience, I forgot what he called them.He is crazy. imaginary audience. That's right.After a while I remembered, he was talking about valuable audiences.He speaks directly to those who do not exist: my precious audience. Sachs frowned and glanced at Carla, but this time Carla shrugged too.We often speak to the audience, which is called jargon.A long time ago performers would say my honorable audience or my dearest lady and sir, but everyone thought that was so disgusting and hypocritical that the jargon is not so well-behaved these days. Rhyme, go on. I have nothing more to say, Sachs, all I can say, the rest is just a blur. I bet it must be more than that.It's like a big crime scene, and the important clues are inside, which may be the key to unlocking the whole case.You have to think in a different direction to find out.She leaned closer to Rhyme.Now, let's say this is your bedroom, and you're lying on that Frescal bed.Where is he standing now? The forensic expert nodded.There, near the end of the bed, facing me.He's on my left, near the door. What about his posture? posture?I have no idea. think about it. I guess he's looking at me.His hands kept moving, as if he were speaking in public. Sachs stood up and took the position he had just said.is it here? a little closer. She moved a bit. That's it. She stood there, in the pose the gangster had been in, and that did bring back some memories for Rhyme.It occurred to me that he mentioned those victims and said that it was not his fault that he killed them. personal reason. He was right to kill them, I remembered.He killed them because of their representatives. Sachs nodded, and took notes to record the key points as an aid outside the recording.represent?She said confusedly: What does this mean?I don't know either.One of the victims is a musician, the other is a lawyer, and the other is a makeup artist. Their age, gender, occupation and residence are all different, and there is no relationship between them.What will they represent?Upper middle class life, city dwellers, higher education may have clues in the rationale why they were picked.But, who would know? Sachs frowned and said: You are wrong. What? She said slowly: Your description of memory just now is not correct. Of course it was impossible for me to write down every word he said, and there was no stenographer around me at that time. I don't mean that.Sachs thought for a moment, then nodded and said: You personalize what he said.You speak your language, not his.Urban dweller, rationalization What I need to know is the language he used at that time. I don't remember what he said, Sachs.He said he did not attack the victims personally.That's all. She shook her head.No, I bet he would never say that. What's the meaning? It is impossible for a murderer to refer to those he killed by the victim.They don't humanize them, at least not to a suspect like the sorcerer. Sachs, that's bullshit taught in police school psychology. No, that's how it is, Rhyme.We would think they were victims, but the suspect would just think they deserved to die for a reason.If you think about it again, he must not have mentioned the victim, right? What's the difference? Because he said they were some sort of representation, and we had to find out what that was.What on earth did he call those people? I do not remember. Well, I know he didn't say the victim.So, did he mention another title?For example, Svetlana, Tony, what does he call Joely?Marston?Call her blonde?Call her a lawyer?Or the woman with the big boobs?I bet he would never use the word urban dweller. Rhyme closed his eyes, trying to recall the scene.Still, he shook his head.i don't remember Suddenly, a word jumped into his mind.rider. What? You are right, he did not use the word victim.He called her by Horse Rider. Very good!she says. Rhyme immediately felt extremely satisfied. What about the others? No, he only mentioned one person.Rhyme was pretty sure of that. Sellitto said: So he sees the victim as someone doing a particular activity whether that's their job or not. Yes, Rhyme agreed, people who play music, people who do makeup, people who ride horses. But how should we use this clue?Sellitto asked. Sachs asked the same question often at the crime scene, so she immediately quoted Rhyme's answer every time: Don't know yet, officer, but we know him better.After speaking, she reviewed her notes again.Well, now we know that he will do razor tricks, mention the show of burning mirrors; Represents something whatever that is.Can you think of anything else besides these? Rhyme closed his eyes again, trying to think hard.But he kept seeing razors, flames, and smelling smoke. Gone.He said, opening his eyes and looking at her.That's about it. All right.You're doing great, Rhyme. However, he could hear the meaning of her words.He was familiar with the tone, for it was the way he used to speak.This means that, in fact, she does not intend to end. She looked up from her notebook and said slowly: You know what, you keep quoting Lucard. Rhyme nodded.Lucard was the earliest police detective and criminal forensicist in France. He discovered a principle related to the crime scene, and later generations called it by his name.This principle is: at any criminal scene, there must be a phenomenon of exchange of trace evidence between the suspect and the victim or the scene itself. Well, I think that just like the evidence, there will be a psychological exchange phenomenon on the scene. Rhyme laughed, thinking the idea was crazy.Lucard was a scientist, and he would never have liked to see the principles he developed applied to the cunning and elusive mind.What are you trying to say? She goes on.Your mouth didn't get taped to begin with, did it? Yes, it was posted at the end. So, this means that you have a communication experience with him.You participated in the exchange process. I? isn't it?Didn't you say anything to him? Of course I did.But so what?What matters is what he said. I think he must say something in response to you. Rhyme stared at Sachs carefully.There was a crescent of soot on her cheek, and sweat was beading on her pouty upper lip.She sat very close to him, and although her tone remained calm, from the way she sat, he could feel the tension in her preoccupation.She didn't realize it, of course, but Rhyme knew that she seemed to be feeling the same way he had guided her to investigate crime scenes miles away. Rhyme, you think back, she said: Think back to when you were alone with the suspect.It doesn't have to be a hexer only, any suspect can be, what would you say to them?What do you want to know from them? His response was a long sigh, his voice full of mockery and helplessness.However, the questions Sachs posed did elicit some memories in him.I remembered!He said: I asked who is he? good question.How did he answer? He said he was a wizard no, not just a wizard, but a special term.Rhyme narrowed his eyes, trying to bring himself back to the horrible scene.He seems to say what kind of wizard he is like an evil western wizard.He frowned and thought for a moment, then said: Yes, he said he was a wizard from the north.I remember him saying so. Does this noun have any meaning?Sachs asked Carla. No. He said he could escape from anywhere.The only exception is that he's worried that there's no way to get past us. Well, he means me.He's afraid we'll stop him, that's why he's here.He said he had to stop me before noon tomorrow, which should be the time for him to kill again.No, wait.This is my personal interpretation.He did not say when he would commit crimes again. But you made a good point, Sellitto said: He started killing every four hours, and then two hours apart.There had been no new victims since noon today, if Buck didn't count.He is now resting and resting, and plans to commit crimes again tomorrow. That's what I thought, Ron. Wizards of the North, said Sachs, looking down at the blotter in his hand.come to me again Rhyme sighed again.Sachs, I think enough is really enough.I am completely gutted. Sachs turned off the tape recorder, leaned over to Rhyme, and wiped the sweat from his brow with a tissue.I see.But what I was going to say is, next time I want to have a glass of wine.What do you think of this sentence? If you want to drink, you must ask you or Kara to pour the wine. Rhyme said to her: Don't let that guy touch it.He turned his head cautiously at Thomas. Would you like something?Thomas asked Carla. Rhyme said: Dare I say, she wants Irish coffee why doesn't Starbucks sell it? Kara declined Lime's whiskey in favor of a Maxwell or Verges instant coffee. Sellitto asked if there was anything to eat, because the sandwich he was supposed to have, like Carla's coffee, would not make it back to the Lyme house. After watching Thomas leave the guest room and go to the kitchen, Sachs handed Kara the notes she had just made and asked her to write down on the whiteboard everything she thought was relevant to the illusionist's profile.Carla got up immediately and walked into Rhyme's living room lab with her notebook. You did a good job just now, Sellitto said to Sachs: Excellent interrogation, I have never seen a sergeant do a better job than you.Sachs nodded knowingly, without any smile on his face.But Rhyme could see that she was actually quite happy to be praised. A few minutes later, Mel.Cobb walked into the guest room (his face, too), held up a plastic bag and said: Here's all the evidence from that Mazda.The bag contained a large sheet of paper that looked like The New York Times folded in half.It was clear at first glance that this scene was not handled by Sachs: any paper evidence that got wet should be placed in a paper bag or a fiber mesh container, not a plastic bag.Using plastic bags encourages mold growth and speeds up the destruction of evidence. That's all they found?Rhyme asked. So far yes.They haven't been able to lift the car yet, it's too dangerous. Rhyme asked again: Can you see the date in the newspaper? Cobb examined the soaked paper.It was two days ago. The paper, then, belonged to the sorcerer, Rhyme pointed out, and the car had been stolen before this date.Why would someone leave just one sheet instead of the entire newspaper?This question, like many that Rhyme has asked, is purely rhetorical, and he doesn't need anyone at all to have the opportunity to answer it.Because there must be an article in this newspaper that is very important to him.So this article is also very important to us.Of course, maybe he, like those bad old men, has a special hobby for lingerie advertisements in newspapers.But even if that's the case, it's a helpful clue.Do you have a way to see what's on it? No, it can't be opened yet, it's too wet. Well, off to the documentation lab then.And if they can't open it, at least they can infrared scan the newspaper's headlines.Cobb arranged for a police officer to send the evidence to the New York City Police Department's crime laboratory in Queens, and then called the leader of the document analysis team who stayed there to test it as quickly as possible.After making the contact, he immediately returned to the laboratory and put the newspaper into another bag that was more suitable for delivery. Thomas returned with a drink and a plate of sandwiches.Sellitto immediately attacked the plate of food. Carla returned a few minutes later, taking the coffee from Thomas gratefully.While adding sugar to the glass, she said to Sachs: When I was writing those clues on the whiteboard just now, a thought flashed through me, so I called the phone.I think, I already know the man's real name. Who's real name?asked Rhyme, sipping his glass of scotch. Of course it belonged to the sorcerer. All of a sudden, the whole room suddenly fell silent, except for the soft tinkle of Carla stirring the coffee with a spoon.