Jeffery Deaver - The burning wire

"You think he's going to hit City Hall?" McDaniel asked urgently, the phone in his hand drooping.

"I think there's a connection. That's all I can say. Put it on the board and we'll think about it. What else do you have from the generator?"

"More hair," Cooper announced, holding up a pair of tweezers. "Blond, about nine inches long." He slipped it under the microscope and slid the specimen tray up and down slowly. "Not dyed. Natural blond. No color degradation and not desiccated. I'd say it's from somebody younger than fifty. Also refraction variation on one end. I could run it through the chromatograph, but I'm ninety percent sure it's-"

"Hair spray."

"Right."

"Woman probably. Anything else?"

"Another hair. Brown. Shorter. Crew cut. Also under fifty."

"So," Rhyme said, "not Galt's. Maybe we've got our Justice For the Earth connection. Or maybe some other players. Keep going."

The other news wasn't so encouraging. "The flashlight he could've bought in a thousand places. No trace or prints. The string was generic too. The cable he used to wire the doors at the school? Bennington, the same he's been using all along. Bolts are generic but similar to the others."

Eye on the generator, Rhyme was aware his thoughts were spinning dizzily. Part of this was the attack he'd experienced a short time ago. But some of it had to do with the case itself. Something was wrong. Pieces of the puzzle were missing.

The answer had to be in the evidence. And just as important: what wasn't in the evidence. Rhyme now scanned the whiteboards, trying to stay calm. This wasn't to stave off another episode of dysreflexia, per doctor's orders; it was because nothing made you blind faster than desperation.

– Identified as Raymond Galt, 40, single, living in Manhattan, 227 Suffolk St. -Terrorist connection? Relation to Justice For the Earth? Suspected ecoterror group. No profile in any U.S. or international database. New? Underground? Individual named Rahman involved. Also Johnston. 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 relationship unknown. -Cancer patient; presence of vinblastine and prednisone in significant quantities, traces of etoposide. Leukemia. -Galt is armed with military 1911 Colt.45. -Masquerading as maintenance man in dark brown overalls. Dark green, as well? -Wearing tan leather gloves.

– Victim (deceased): Luis Martin, assistant manager in music store. -No friction ridge prints on any surface. -Shrapnel from molten metal, as a result of the arc flash. -0-gauge insulated aluminum strand cable. -Bennington Electrical Manufacturing, AM-MV-60, rated up to 60,000v. -Cut by hand with hacksaw, new blade, broken tooth. -Two "split bolts," 3/4-inch holes in them. -Untraceable. -Distinctive tool marks on bolts. -Brass "bus" bar, fixed to cable with two 1/4-inch bolts. -All untraceable. -Boot prints. -Albertson-Fenwick Model E-20 for electrical work, size 11. -Metal grating cut to allow access to substation, distinctive tool marks from bolt cutter. -Access door and frame from basement. -DNA obtained. Sent out for testing. -Greek food, taramasalata. -Blond hair, 1 inch long, natural, from someone 50 or under, discovered in coffee shop across the street from substation. -Sent out for tox-chem screening. -Mineral trace: volcanic ash. -Not naturally found in New York area. -Exhibits, museums, geology schools? -Algonquin Control Center software accessed by internal codes, not outside hackers.

– Delivered to Andi Jessen at home. -No witnesses. -Handwritten. -Sent to Parker Kincaid for analysis. -Generic paper and ink. -Untraceable. -No friction ridge prints, other than A. Jessen, doorman, messenger. -No discernible trace discovered in paper.

– Victims (deceased): -Linda Kepler, Oklahoma City, tourist. -Morris Kepler, Oklahoma City, tourist. -Samuel Vetter, Scottsdale, businessman. -Ali Mamoud, 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, hard hat 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.

– Delivered to Bernard Wahl, Algonquin security chief. -Assaulted by Galt. -No physical contact; no trace. -No indication of whereabouts or site of next attack. -Paper and ink associated with those found in Galt's apartment. -Additional traces of alternative jet fuel embedded in paper. -Attack on military base?

– Victims (deceased): -Larry Fishbein, New York City, accountant. -Robert Bodine, New York City, attorney. -Franklin Tucker, Paramus, New Jersey, salesman. -One friction ridge of Raymond Galt. -Bennington cable and split bolts, same as at other scenes. -Two hand-made remote relay switches: -One to shut off power to elevator. -One to complete circuit and electrify elevator car. -Bolts and smaller wires connecting panel to elevator, not traceable. -Victims had water on shoes. -Trace: -Chinese herbs, ginseng and wolfberry. -Hairspring (planning on using timer, rather than remote for future attacks?). -Dark green cotton heavy-duty clothing fiber. -containing trace of aviation jet fuel. -Dark brown cotton heavy-duty clothing fiber. -Containing trace of diesel fuel. -Containing additional Chinese herbs.

– Bennington cable, identical to that at other scenes. -Generator, Power Plus by Williams-Jonas Manufacturing, stolen from job site in Manhattan. -Digital voice recorder, Sanoya brand, on which was recorded segment from TV show or film. Cable TV. -Additional traces of taramasalata. -Brite-Beam Flashlight. -Untraceable. -Six-foot string holding flashlight. -Untraceable. -Trace evidence, associated with the area around City Hall: -Quartz and ammonium chloride copper cleaner. -Terra-cotta dust, similar to building facades in area. -White marble stone dust. -Hair, 9 inches long, blond, sprayed, person under 50, probably woman's. -Hair, 3 / 8 inches long, brown, person under 50.