Jeffery Deaver - The Cold Moon

No other drugs, infection or disease in blood.

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

Checking missing persons reports.

Recovered jacket in New York Harbor. Bloody sleeves. Macy's, size 44. No other clues, no sign of body.

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.

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

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.

Results inconclusive.

Other:

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

Have police scanner. Changing frequency.

Vehicle.

Tan.

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.

Owned by man in jail.

WATCHMAKER'S EXPLORER

Location:

Found in garage, Hudson River and Houston Street.

Evidence:

Explorer owned by man in jail. Had been confiscated, and stolen from lot, awaiting auction.

Parked in open. Not near exit.

Crumbs from corn chips, potato chips, pretzels, chocolate candy. Bits of peanut butter crackers. Stains from soda, regular, not diet.

Box of Remington.32-caliber auto pistol ammo, seven rounds missing. Gun is possible Autauga Mk II.

Book- Extreme Interrogation Techniques. Blueprint for his murder methods? No helpful information from publisher.

Strand of gray-and-black hair, probably woman's.

No prints at all, throughout entire vehicle.

Beige cotton fibers from gloves.

Sand matching that used in alleyway.

Smooth-soled size-13 shoe print.

CRIME SCENE FOUR

Location:

Barrow Street, Greenwich Village.

Victim:

Lucy Richter.

Perp:

Watchmaker.

Assistant.

M.O.:

Planned means of death unknown.

Entry/exit routes not determined.

Evidence:

Clock.

Same as others.

Left in bathroom.

No explosives.

Wood alcohol stain, no other trace.

No note or poem.

No recent roof tarring.

No fingerprints or shoe prints.

No distinctive trace.

Wool fibers from shearling jacket or coat.

INTERVIEW WITH VINCENT REYNOLDS

AND SEARCH OF CHURCH

Location:

10th Avenue and 24th Street.

Perp:

Watchmaker:

Name is Gerald Duncan.

Businessman from "the Midwest," specifics unknown.

Wife died in NY; he's murdering for revenge.

Armed with pistol and box cutter.

His phone can't be traced.

Collects old clocks and watches.

Searching watchmakers and horologic organizations.

No immediate hits.

No info from Interpol or criminal information databases.

Assistant:

Vincent Reynolds.

Temp employee.

Lives in New Jersey.

History of sexual assaults.

Evidence:

Five additional clocks, identical to others. One missing.

In Vincent's room:

Junk food, sodas.

Condoms.

Duct tape.

Rags (gags?).

In Duncan's room:

Horological magazines.

Tools.

Clothes.

Programs from Tampa and Boston art museums.

Additional duct tape.

Old broom with dirt, sand and salt.

Three Bic pens.

Coins.

Receipt from parking garage, downtown.