Jeffery Deaver - The burning wire

But that just confirmed what they already knew: Raymond Galt was the perp.

They took a look at the paper and the pens the young officer had collected from Galt's apartment. They could determine no source, but the paper and the ink in the Bics were virtually the same as had been used in the demand note.

What they discovered next was much more disturbing.

Cooper was studying the results from the gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer. He said, "Got some trace here. Found it in two separate locations: the lace of the boots and the handle of the bolt cutter in Galt's apartment. And then the sleeve of the worker who'd been attacked by Galt in the tunnel downtown, Joey Barzan."

"And?" Rhyme asked.

"It's a kerosene derivative, with minute amounts of phenol and dinonylnaphthylsulfonic acid added."

Rhyme said, "It's standard jet A fuel. The phenol is an antigumming substance and the acid is an antistatic agent."

"But there's more," Cooper continued. "Something odd, a form of natural gas. Liquefied, but stable across a wide range of temperatures. And… get this, traces of biodiesel."

"Check the fuel database, Mel."

A moment later the tech said, "Got it. It's an alternative aviation fuel that's being tested now. Mostly in military fighters. It's cleaner and it cuts down on fossil-fuel use. They say it'll be the wave of the future."

"Alternative energy," Rhyme mused, wondering how this piece of the puzzle fit. But one thing he knew. "Sachs, call Homeland Security and the Department of Defense. FAA too. Tell them our boy may have been checking out fuel depos or air bases."

An arc flash was bad enough. Combined with jet propellant, Rhyme couldn't even imagine the devastation.

– Victims (deceased): -Linda Kepler, Oklahoma City, tourist. -Morris Kepler, Oklahoma City, tourist. -Samuel Vetter, Scottsdale, businessman. -Ali Mamrud, New York City, waiter. -Gerhart Schiller, Frankfurt, Germany, advertising executive. -Remote control switch for turning on current. -Components not traceable. -Bennington cable and split bolts, identical to first attack. -Galt's Algonquin uniform, hardhat and gearbag with his friction ridge prints, no others. -Wrench with tool marks that can be associated with tool marks on bolts at first crime scene. -Rat-tail file with glass dust that can be associated with glass from bottle found at substation scene in Harlem. -Probably working alone. -Trace from Algonquin worker Joey Barzan, assault victim of Galt. -Alternative jet fuel. -Attack at military base?

– Bic SoftFeel fine-point pens, blue ink, associated with ink used in demand letter. -Generic 81/2? 11 white computer paper, associated with demand letter. -Generic No. 10 size envelope, associated with envelope containing demand letter. -Bolt cutter, hacksaw with tool marks matching those at initial scene. -Computer printouts: -Articles about medical research on cancer linked to high-power electric lines. -Blog postings by Galt Re: same. -Albertson-Fenwick Model E-20 boots for electrical work, size 11, with treads the same as prints at initial scene. -Additional traces of alternative jet fuel. -Attack at military base? -No obvious leads as to where he might be hiding, or location of future attacks.

– Molotov cocktail: 750-ml wine bottle, no source. -BP gas used as accelerant. -Cotton cloth strips, probably white T-shirt, used as fuse, no source determined.

– Identified as Raymond Galt, 40, single, living in Manhattan, 227 Suffolk St. -Terrorist connection? Relation to Justice For [unknown]? Terror group? Individual named Rahman involved? References to monetary disbursements, personnel movements and something "big." -Algonquin security breach in Philadelphia might be related. -SIGINT hits: code word reference to weapons, "paper and supplies" (guns, explosives?). -Personnel include man and woman. -Galt's involvement unknown. -Cancer patient; presence of vinblastine and prednisone in significant quantities, traces of etoposide. Leukemia.

LINCOLN RHYME'S MAIN phone trilled.

The caller ID registered a number he'd been hoping to see, though not at this particular moment. Still he immediately clicked ANSWER.

"Kathryn, what do you have?"

No time for pleasantries at the moment. But Dance would understand. She was the same way when it came to a case.

"The DEA guys in Mexico City got the worker to talk-the man who gave the package to Logan just after he slipped into the country. He did take a look at what was inside, like we thought. I'm not sure it's helpful but here it is: a dark blue booklet with lettering on it. He didn't remember the words. Two letter C's, he thought. A logo of a company maybe. Then a sheet of paper that had a capital letter I followed by five or six lines. Like blanks to be filled in."

"He have any idea what they were?"

"No… Then a slip of paper containing some numbers. All he remembers is five hundred seventy and three hundred seventy-nine."

"The Da Vinci Code," Rhyme said, discouraged.

"Exactly. I like puzzles but not on the job."

"True."

Fill in the blanks.

And: Five hundred seventy and three hundred seventy-nine…

Dance added, "Then he found something else. A circuit board. A small one."

"For a computer?"

"He didn't know. He was disappointed. He said he would have stolen it if it'd been something he could sell more easily."

"And he'd be dead now if he had."

"I think he's relieved to be in jail. For that very reason… I've had a talk with Rodolfo. He'd like you to call."

"Of course."

Rhyme thanked Dance and disconnected. He then called the Commander Rodolfo Luna in Mexico City.

"Ah, Captain RET Rhyme, yes. I just spoke to Agent Dance. The mystery… the numbers."

"An address?"

"Perhaps it is. But…" His fading voice meant, of course, that in a city of 8 million people, one would need more than a few numbers to find a specific location.

"And maybe related, maybe not."

"Two separate meanings."

"Yes," Rhyme said. "Do they have any significance at all regarding the places he's been spotted?"

"No."

"And those buildings? The tenants?"

"Arturo Diaz and his officers are speaking with them now, explaining the situation. The ones there who are legitimate businesspeople are mystified because they cannot believe they are in danger. The ones who are themselves criminals are mystified because they are better armed than my troops and believe no one would dare attack them."

Five hundred seventy and three hundred seventy-nine…

Phone numbers? Coordinates? Parts of an address?

Luna continued, "We've reconstructed the route the truck took from the airport to the capital. They were pulled over once. But you may have heard about our traffic police? A 'fine' was paid immediately and no questions were asked. Arturo tells me those officers-who are, by the way, now looking for new jobs-identified your Mr. Watchmaker. There was no one else in the truck other than the driver, and, of course, they didn't bother to look over his license. And there was, in the back, no equipment or contraband that would lead us in one direction or another. So we are left to focus on the buildings he seems to be focusing on. And hope-"

"-that he isn't sneaking up behind his real victim, five miles away."

"Very much what I was going to say."

"Do you have any thoughts about the circuit board that Logan was given?"