Jeffery Deaver - The Cold Moon

Coast Guard and ESU divers checking for body and evidence in New York Harbor.

Checking missing persons reports.

Perp:

See below.

M.O.:

Perp forced victim to hold on to deck, over water, cut fingers or wrists until he fell.

Time of attack: Between 6 P.M. Monday and 6 A.M. Tuesday.

Evidence:

Blood type AB positive.

Fingernail torn, unpolished, wide.

Portion of chain-link fence cut with common wire cutters, untraceable.

Clock. See below.

Poem. See below.

Fingernail markings on deck.

No discernible trace, no fingerprints, no footprints, no tire tread marks.

CRIME SCENE TWO

Location:

Alley off Cedar Street, near Broadway, behind three commercial buildings (back doors closed at 8:30 to 10 P.M.) and one government administration building (back door closed at 6 P.M.).

Alley is a cul-de-sac. Fifteen feet wide by one hundred and four feet long, surfaced in cobblestones, body was fifteen feet from Cedar Street.

Victim:

Theodore Adams.

Lived in Battery Park.

Freelance copywriter.

No known enemies.

No warrants, state or federal.

Checking for a connection with buildings around alley. None found.

Perp:

The Watchmaker.

Male.

No database entries for the Watchmaker.

M.O.:

Dragged from vehicle to alley, where iron bar was suspended over him. Eventually crushed throat.

Awaiting medical examiner's report to confirm.

No evidence of sexual activity.

Time of death: Approximately 10:15 P.M. to 11 P.M. Monday night. Medical examiner to confirm.

Evidence:

Clock.

No explosives, chemical- or bioagents.

Identical to clock at pier.

No fingerprints, minimal trace.

Arnold Products, Framingham, MA.

Sold by Hallerstein's Timepieces, Manhattan.

Poem left by perp at both scenes.

Computer printer, generic paper, HP LaserJet ink.

Text:

The full Cold Moon is in the sky,

shining on the corpse of earth,

signifying the hour to die

and end the journey begun at birth.

– The Watchmaker

Not in any poetry databases; probably his own.

Cold Moon is lunar month, the month of death.

$60 in pocket, no serial number leads; prints negative.

Fine sand used as "obscuring agent." Sand was generic. Because he's returning to the scene?

Metal bar, 81 pounds, is needle-eye span. Not being used in construction across from the alleyway. No other source found.

Duct tape, generic, but cut precisely, unusual. Exactly the same lengths.

Thallium sulfate (rodent poison) found in sand.

Soil containing fish protein-from perp, not victim.

Very little trace found.

Brown fibers, probably automotive carpeting.

Other:

Vehicle.

Probably Ford Explorer, about three years old. Brown carpet.

Review of license tags of cars in area Tuesday morning reveals no warrants. No tickets issued Monday night.

Checking with Vice about prostitutes, re: witness.

No leads.

INTERVIEW WITH HALLERSTEIN

Perp:

EFIT composite picture of the Watchmaker-late forties, early fifties, round face, double chin, thick nose, unusually light blue eyes. Over 6 feet tall, lean, hair black, medium length, no jewelry, dark clothes. No name.

Knows great deal about clocks and watches and which timepieces had been sold at recent auctions and were at current horologic exhibits in the city.

Threatened dealer to keep quiet.

Bought 10 clocks. For 10 victims?

Paid cash.

Wanted moon face on clock, wanted loud tick.

Evidence:

Source of clocks was Hallerstein's Timepieces, Flatiron District.

No prints on cash paid for clocks, no serial number hits. No trace on money.

Called from pay phones.

CRIME SCENE THREE

Location:

481 Spring Street.

Victim:

Joanne Harper.

No apparent motive.

Didn't know second victim, Adams.

Perp:

Watchmaker.

Assistant.

Probably man spotted earlier by victim, at her shop.

White, heavyset, in sunglasses, cream-colored parka and cap. Was driving the SUV.

M.O.:

Picked locks to get inside.

Intended method of attack unknown. Possibly planning to use florist's wire.

Evidence:

Fish protein came from Joanne's (orchid fertilizer).

Thallium sulfate nearby.

Florist's wire, cut in precise lengths. (To use as murder weapon?)

Clock.

Same as others. No nitrates.

No trace.

No note or poem.

No footprints, fingerprints, weapons or anything else left behind.

Black flakes-roofing tar.

Checking ASTER thermal images of New York for possible sources.

Other:

Perp was checking out victim earlier than attack. Targeting her for a purpose. What?

Have police scanner. Changing frequency.

Vehicle.

Tan SUV.

No tag number.

Putting out Emergency Vehicle Locator.

423 owners of tan Explorers in area. Cross-reference against criminal warrants. Two found. One owner too old; other is in jail on drug charges.

BENJAMIN CREELEY HOMICIDE

56-year-old Creeley, apparently suicide by hanging. Clothesline. But had broken thumb, couldn't tie noose.

Computer-written suicide note about depression. But appeared not to be sucidally depressed, no history of mental/emotional problems.

Around Thanksgiving two men broke into his house and possibly burned evidence. White men, but faces not observed. One bigger than other. They were inside for about an hour.

Evidence in Westchester house:

Broke through lock; skillful job.

Leather texture marks on fireplace tools and Creeley's desk.

Soil in front of fireplace has higher acid content than soil around house and contains pollutants. From industrial site?

Traces of burned cocaine in fireplace.

Ash in fireplace.

Financial records, spreadsheet, references to millions of dollars.

Checking logo on documents, sending entries to forensic accountant.

Diary re: getting oil changed, haircut appointment and going to St. James Tavern.

St. James Tavern

Creeley came here several times.

Apparently didn't use drugs while here.

Not sure whom he met with, but maybe cops from the nearby 118th Precinct of the NYPD.

Last time he was here-just before his death-he got into an argument with persons unknown.

Checked money from officers at St. James-serial numbers are clean, but found coke and heroin. Stolen from precinct?

Not much drugs missing, only 6 or 7 oz. of pot, 4 of coke.

Unusually few organized crime cases at the 118th Precinct but no evidence of intentional stalling by officers.

Two gangs in the East Village possible but not likely suspects.

Interview with Jordan Kessler, Creeley's partner, and follow-up with wife.

Confirmed no obvious drug use.

Didn't appear to associate with criminals.

Drinking more than usual, taken up gambling; trips to Vegas and Atlantic City. Losses were large, but not significant to Creeley.

Not clear why he was depressed.

Kessler didn't recognize burned records.

Awaiting list of clients.

Kessler doesn't appear to gain by Creeley's death.

Sachs and Pulaski followed by AMG Mercedes.

FRANK SARKOWSKI HOMICIDE

Sarkowski was 57 years old, no police record, murdered on November 4 of this year, survived by wife and two teenage children.

Victim owned building and business in Manhattan. Business was doing maintenance for other companies and utilities.

Art Snyder was case detective.

No suspects.

Murder/robbery?

Business deal went bad?

Killed in Queens-not sure why he was there.

File and evidence missing.

No known connection with Creeley.