Karen Rose - Count to Ten

Beth squared her jaw. "I'll just… leave," she said and Jenny laughed.

"No, you won't. You're not going to just walk out with him screaming behind you."

"No." Beth agreed. "I'll find another way."

Friday, December 1, 1:30 p.m.

"I'd hoped for a suspect in custody," Spinnelli said quietly. "Not two more bodies."

They had regrouped. Mia sat between Murphy and Aidan, and Reed had been joined by Miles Westphalen. Sam sat the far end of the table and Jack was still at the Beacon Inn, processing the Markov crime scene. Reed brooded, still depressed from breaking the news to two families that the people they loved were never coming home.

He didn't deal with death often in his role as a fire investigator. The apartment fire last year was the biggest loss of life he'd dealt with in his career. He couldn't fathom how Mia dealt with the families day after day for all the years she'd been with Homicide.

Across the table, she sighed. "We don't know where he is, but we're getting closer to motive. It had something to do with the kid, Thad's assault. We've got Thad Lewin and Regis Hunt in separate interview rooms. We'll talk to them when we're done here."

"I found the solid accelerant on the matches Secrest found in Manny's shoe," Reed said. "If Manny had lit one he would have been severely burned."

"Secrest checked the security tapes for White's classroom for Tuesday, the day they searched Manny's room," she said. "He saw White pause next to Manny's desk. He might have dropped the matches in his shoes then, or not. But he did find White on video dropping the knife into Joey's open backpack."

"Did they check the third boy's room? Regis Hunt?" Aidan asked.

"Secrest found another knife in Hunt's room," Mia said.

"Coated with D-tubocuranine." Sam said. "Both knives were coated with it. And I found it in the victim's urine tox."

Reed frowned. "Tubocuranine? Are you sure?"

"I did the rush urine tox myself," Sam answered. "I never saw a curare victim before and I was interested. My initial take is that the victim died of respiratory failure."

Mia's eyes widened and a chuckle of disbelief escaped her lips. "Curare? Like in Amazon jungle tribes and poison darts? You're joking."

"No, I'm not," Sam said. "Today it's used in surgery. It's available in hospitals, veterinary clinics… All your guy would have had to do was steal a vial and cook it down in a glass pot on the stove." He stood. "Thanks for lunch. I have to get back now."

"Aidan?" Spinnelli said when Sam was gone. "Anything from Atlantic City?"

"Yeah. The Silver Casino found the real Devin White on their tapes. He was an inept gambler until his luck suddenly changed. Not enough to kick him out, but enough that they watched him. Security remembered him because at the end of his stay, he met with a certain well-known card counter who had been thrown out of the casino."

"Math Boy," Mia murmured.

"Yeah. He went by the name Dean Anderson, but they found the real Anderson died two years ago. Casino security said our guy had a gift. Could calculate odds in his head like a computer. But the casino people weren't the only ones who remembered him. The police have had him on their short list for the last year."

"Do I want to know why?" Spinnelli asked.

"Rape," Aidan said succinctly. "A string of rapes for the six months before last June. They'd been watching Anderson but they think he made them. Then in June the assaults stopped. They had no idea where he'd disappeared to."

"He met the real Devin White, helped him win, won his trust." Mia shook her head. "Then he took his life and… took his life."

"It would explain why he faked his prints for the school. He knew he was wanted and didn't want to get traced back," Murphy said thoughtfully.

"That's what I figured. And," Aidan added, "most of the rape victims had broken legs so they couldn't run or kick. When we find him, New Jersey wants a bite."

"They'll have to stand in line," Mia muttered.

"We have to catch him first," Spinnelli said, "and we still don't know the bastard's real name. Murphy?"

"We've covered about half the search area. Nobody's seen him."

A thought poked through the dark cloud in Reed's mind. "Did you check pet shops?"

"No," Murphy said. "Why?"

"Because this guy likes animals and he's had access to a surgical pharmacy. Some of the big pet shops have vet offices in them now. I just took my daughter's puppy to one for his shots. One-stop shopping. It's worth a try."

"Yeah, it is," Murphy agreed. "I'll go when we're done."

Spinnelli stood up, tugged at his uniform. "I've got to get to that press conference. We've had about three hundred calls on the photo the news services have been broadcasting. Stacy's weeded out the obvious crackpots. Aidan's eliminated some of the others. I've left the list on your desk, Mia."

She turned to Westphalen who'd been silent. "What are you thinking, Miles?"

"I'm thinking there are patterns here as well as an understanding of human nature."

"Okay," she said. "What about the patterns?"

"Numbers. He says 'count to ten' and does mental statistics to help him gamble. He's been very precise in everything he's done. And think about this. He stole Devin White's identity, but he didn't have to take his job. He likes math. He likes numbers."

"He managed the football pool at Hope." Mia pulled the stat sheets they'd taken from the computer in his classroom and frowned. "He lost often."

Reed went around the table to look over her shoulder. "But he lost only when the Lions lost. He picked the Lions even when his own statistics said they'd lose."

She looked up at him, a smile playing on her lips. "Home team sentiment?"

He nodded. "Our boy's got ties to Detroit."

"Let's send his picture to Detroit PD. See if anybody recognizes him."

"Send it to their DCFS," Miles suggested. "I'll bet he's been in trouble before. And he knows the way these kids' minds work. Look at the traps he set for Manny and Jeff. He tempted them with the things he knew they'd be powerless to refuse." He waved his hand before Reed could say a word. "That they'd choose not to refuse," he amended.

"Thank you," Reed said dryly. "But you're right. He did pick the best temptation. And even if Manny didn't light the matches, he was caught with contraband. He knew the first thing Jeff would do would be to test the sharpness of the blade, to see if was real. And even if he didn't, he'd be caught. Sent to real jail. You're right. He knows the drill. He's spent time in juvie or knows someone who has."

"Thank you," Miles said, just as dryly. "One other thing. The way he focused on the Doughtertys. He missed them twice and went back for them a third time."

"He had to finish," Mia said. "They're super important or he's super compulsive."

"I'm thinking some of the first, more the second," Miles said. "Maybe his compulsive personality is something we can use."

"But like Spinnelli said, we have to find him first," she sighed.

Murphy tapped the table with his ever present carrot stick. "Mia, you said you'd have the list of the kids Penny Hill placed with the Doughertys by noon."

"You're right. I should have had the list by now. I'll call them. Aidan, can you keep helping us with the three hundred phone calls?"

"Sure."

She stood up. "Then let's go."

Lido, Illinois Friday, December 1, 2:15 p.m.

He'd forgotten how much he hated the sight of corn. Miles of corn. As a boy it had mocked him, swaying so gently, as if everything were all right with the world. This place, this house, this corn… had become Shane's grave.

They'd rebuilt the house on the same foundation. The new place was bright and cheerful. A kid's tricycle was in the yard and a young woman moved around inside. He could see her when she passed in front of the window as she went about her chores.