Jeffery Deaver - The Vanished Man

• Perp did quick change to unbearded businessman in chinos and dress shirt, then biker in denim Harley shirt.

• Car is in Harlem River.

• Duct tape gag. Can't be traced.

• Squibs, same as before. Can't be traced.

• Chains and snap fixtures, generic, not traceable.

• Rope, generic, not traceable.

• Additional makeup, latex and Tack-Pure.

• Gym bag, made in China, not traceable.

Containing:

• Traces of date-rape drug flunitrazepam.

• Adhesive magician's wax, not traceable.

• Brass (?) shavings. Sent to FBI.

• Consistent with clockwork mechanism, possible bomb timer.

• Permanent ink, black.

• Navy-blue windbreaker found, no initials or laundry marks.

Containing:

• Press pass for CTN cable network, issued to Stanley Saferstein. (He's not suspect – NCIC, VICAP search negative.)

• Plastic hotel key card, American Plastic Cards, Akron, Ohio. Model APC-42, negative on prints.

• CEO is searching for sales records.

• Dets. Bedding and Saul canvassing hotels.

• Narrowed down to Chelsea Lodge, Beckman and Lanham Arms. Still checking.

• Restaurant check from Riverside Inn, Bedford Junction, NY, indicating four people ate lunch, table 12, Saturday, two weeks prior. Turkey, meatloaf, steak, daily special. Soft drinks. Staff doesn't know who diners were. (Accomplices?)

Alley where Conjurer was arrested:

• Picked the cuff locks.

• Saliva (picks hidden in mouth).

• No blood type determined.

• Small razor saw for getting out of restraints (also hidden in mouth).

• No indication of Officer Burke's whereabouts.

• Report body somewhere on Upper West Side.

Harlem River scene:

• No evidence on riverbank, except skid marks in mud.

• Newspaper recovered from the car.

Headlines:

ELECTRICAL BREAKDOWN CLOSES POLICE STATION FOR ALMOST 4 HOURS

NEW YORK IN RUNNING FOR GOP CONVENTION

PARENTS PROTEST POOR SECURITY AT GIRLS' SCHOOL

MILITIA MURDER PLOT TRIAL OPENS MONDAY

WEEKEND GALA AT MET TO BENEFIT CHARITIES

SPRING ENTERTAINMENT FOR KIDS YOUNG AND OLD

GOVERNOR, MAYOR MEET ON NEW WEST SIDE PLAN

Lincoln Rhyme Crime Scene:

• Victim: Lincoln Rhyme

• Perp's identity: Erick A. Weir.

• LKA Las Vegas

• Burned in fire in Ohio, three years ago. Hasbro and Keller Brothers Circus. Disappeared after. Third-degree burns. Producer was Edward Kadesky.

• Conviction in New Jersey for reckless endangerment.

• Obsessed with fire.

• Manic. Referred to "Revered Audience."

• Performed dangerous tricks.

• Married to Marie Cosgrove, killed in fire.

• He hasn't contacted her family since.

• Weir's parents dead, no next of kin.

• No VICAP or NCIC on Weir.

• Referred to himself as "Wizard of the North."

• Attacked Rhyme because he had to stop him before Sunday afternoon. (Next victim?)

• Eye color – brown.

• Psychological profile (per Terry Dobyns, NYPD): Revenge motivates him though he may not realize it. He wants to get even. Angry all the time. By killing he takes away some of the pain because of death of his wife, loss of ability to perform.

• Weir contacted assistants recently: John Keating and Arthur Loesser, in Nevada. Asking about the fire and people involved with it. Described Weir as crazed, overbearing, manic, dangerous, but brilliant.

• Contacting former manager at time of fire, Edward Kadesky.

• Killed victims because of what they represented – possibly happy or traumatic moments before the fire.

• Gasoline-soaked handkerchief, not traceable.

• Ecco shoes, no trace.

Profile as Illusionist

• Perp will use misdirection against victims and in eluding police.

• Physical misdirection (for distraction).

• Psychological (to eliminate suspicion).

• Escape at music school was similar to Vanished Man illusion routine. Too common to trace.

• Perp is primarily an illusionist. Talented at sleight-of-hand.

• Also knows protean (quick change) magic. Will use breakaway clothes, nylon and silk, bald cap, finger cups and other latex appliances. Could be any age, gender or race.

• Calvert's death = Selbit's Cutting a Woman in Half Routine.

• Proficient at lock-picking (possibly lock "scrubbing").

• Knows escapism techniques.

• Experience with animal illusions.

• Used mentalism to get information on victim.

• Used sleight of hand to drug her.

• Tried to kill third victim with Houdini escape. Water Torture Cell.

• Ventriloquism.

• Razor blades.

• Familiar with Burning Mirror routine. Very dangerous, rarely performed now.

• • •

The man was stocky, of medium height. A silver beard and wavy hair to match.

Rhyme, now suspicious after Weir's visit last night, greeted Edward Kadesky then asked for identification.

"You don't mind," Sellitto continued, explaining that they'd recently had trouble with a perp masquerading as someone else.

Kadesky – a man not used to being unrecognized, let alone carded – was put out but he complied and offered Sellitto his Illinois drivers license. Mel Cooper took a subtle look at both the picture and the producer and then gave a nod to Rhyme.

The tech had already gone on-line with Illinois DMV and gotten the license particulars and a picture of the man. All of which checked out.

"Your message said this was about Erick Weir?" Kadesky asked. His gaze was hawk-like and imperious.

"Right."

"So he's still alive?"

That the man would ask the question was a disappointment to Rhyme; it meant that Kadesky probably knew even less than they did.

Rhyme said, "Very much alive. He's a suspect in a series of homicides in town."

"No! Who did he kill?"

"Some local residents. A police officer too," Sellitto explained. "We were hoping you could give us some information that'd help find him."

"I haven't heard about him since just after the fire. Do you know about that?"

"A little," Sachs said. "Fill us in."

"He blamed me for it, you know… It was three years ago. Weir and his assistants were doing the illusion and quick-change acts in our show. Oh, they were good. I mean, astonishing. But we'd been having complaints for months. From the staff and from the audience. Weir scared people. He was like a little dictator. And those assistants of his – we called them the Moonies. He had them indoctrinated. Illusion to him was like a religion. Sometimes people got hurt in rehearsal or during the show – even audience volunteers. And Weir couldn't've cared less. He thought magic worked best when there was some risk. He said magic should be a hot iron; it should brand your soul." The producer laughed grimly. "But we can't have that in the entertainment business, now, can we? So I talked to Sidney Keller – he was the owner – and we decided we had to fire him. One Sunday morning before the matinee I told the stage manager to let him go."

"That was the day of the fire?" Rhyme asked.

Kadesky nodded. "The manager found Weir rigging the stage with propane lines for an illusion of his. The Burning Mirror. He told him what we'd decided. But Weir lost it – he shoved the manager down the stairs and kept right on rigging the trick. I went down to the stage. He grabbed me. We weren't really fighting, just scuffling, but a propane line was loose. We fell into some metal chairs and, I guess, a spark ignited the gas. He was burned and his wife was killed. The whole tent was destroyed. We talked about suing him but he snuck out of the hospital and disappeared."

"We found a case in New Jersey. Reckless endangerment. Do you know if he was arrested anywhere else?" Rhyme asked.