Jeffery Deaver - The Vanished Man

THE CONJURER

Music School Crime Scene

• Perp's description: Brown hair, fake beard, no distinguishing, medium build, medium height, age: fifties. Ring and little fingers of left hand fused together. Changed costume quickly to resemble old, bald janitor.

• No apparent motive.

• Victim: Svetlana Rasnikov.

• Full-time music student.

• Checking family, friends, students, coworkers for possible leads.

• No boyfriends, no known enemies. Performed at children's birthday parties.

• Circuit board with speaker attached.

• Sent to FBI lab, NYC.

• Digital recorder, probably containing perp's voice. All data destroyed.

• Voice recorder is a "gimmick." Homemade.

• Used antique iron handcuffs to restrain victim.

• Handcuffs are Darby irons. Scotland Yard. Checking with Houdini Museum in New Orleans for leads.

• Sold to Erick Weir last month. Sent to Denver P.O. box. No other leads.

• Destroyed victim's watch at exactly 8:00 A. M.

• Cotton string holding chairs. Generic. Too many sources to trace.

• Squib for gunshot effect. Destroyed.

• Too many sources to trace.

• Fuse. Generic.

• Too many sources to trace.

• Responding officers reported flash in air. No trace material recovered.

• Was from flash cotton or flash paper.

• Too many sources to trace.

• Perp's shoes: size 10 Ecco.

• Silk fibers, dyed gray, processed to a matte finish.

• From quick-change janitor's outfit.

• Unsub is possibly wearing brown wig.

• Red pignut hickory and Parmelia conspersa lichen, both found primarily in Central Park.

• Dirt impregnated with unusual mineral oil. Sent to FBI for analysis.

• Tack-Pure oil for saddles and leather.

• Black silk, 72 x 48". Used as camouflage. Not traceable.

• Illusionists use this frequently.

• Wears caps to cover up prints.

• Magician's finger cups.

• Traces of latex, castor oil, makeup.

• Theatrical makeup.

• Traces of alginate.

• Used in molding latex appliances.

• Murder weapon: white silk-knit rope with black silk core.

• Rope is a magic trick. Color-changing. Not traceable.

• Unusual knot.

• Sent to FBI and Maritime Museum – no information.

• Knots are from Houdini routines, virtually impossible to untie.

• Used disappearing ink on sign-in register.

East Village Crime Scene

• Victim Two: Tony Calvert.

• Makeup artist, theater company.

• No known enemies.

• No apparent connection with first victim.

• No apparent motive.

Cause of death:

• Blunt-object trauma to head followed by postmortem dismemberment with crosscut saw.

• Perp escaped portraying woman in her 70s. Checking vicinity for discarded costume and other evidence.

• Nothing recovered.

• Watch smashed at 12:00 exactly.

• Pattern? Next victim presumably at 4:00 P. M.

• Perp hid behind mirror. Not traceable. Fingerprints sent to FBI.

• No matches.

• Used cat toy ("feke") to lure victim into alley. Toy is untraceable.

• Additional mineral oil found, same as at first scene. Awaiting FBI report.

• Tack-Pure oil for saddles and leather.

• Additional latex and makeup from finger cups.

• Additional alginate.

• Ecco shoes left behind.

• Dog hairs found in shoes, from three different breeds of dog. Manure too.

• Manure from horses, not dogs.

Hudson River and Related Crime Scenes

• Victim: Cheryl Marston.

• Attorney.

• Divorced but husband not a suspect.

• No motive.

• Perp gave name as "John." Had scars on neck and chest. Deformed hand confirmed.

• 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.

• Hotel is Lanham Arms.

• 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.

• 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.

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

• Gasoline-soaked handkerchief, not traceable.

• Ecco shoes, no trace.

Detention Center Escape Scenes

• Squibs and bladder from fake wound – homemade, no source.