Douglas Preston - Reliquary

Frock sat forward in his wheelchair, an unreadable expression on his face.

Margo looked back and forth between the two scientists. Was it possible that Brambell had kept them in the dark or something, intending to garner the credit himself?

“Please take a close look at this next slide.” A new image appeared on the screen: the X ray showing the four white triangles that Margo had first noticed.

“Here we have four small triangles of metal embedded in the lumbar vertebrae of the unknown skeleton. We were all perplexed as to their meaning after Dr. Green here first pointed them out. Then, just last night, I had a stroke of inspiration as to their possible origin. I spent much of today in contact with orthopedic surgeons. If I am correct, we will know the identity of the murdered individual by the end of the week, perhaps sooner.”

He grinned and gazed about the hall triumphantly, lingering for an insolent moment on Frock.

“I assume you believe those triangles to be—” Pendergast began.

“For the time being,” Brambell interrupted pointedly, “I can say no more on the subject.” He waved the remote and a new slide flashed up, showing an extensively decomposed head, eyes missing, teeth exposed in a lipless grin. Margo was as repelled by the sight as she had been when the head was first wheeled into the lab.

“As you all know, this head was also brought to us yesterday for analysis. It was discovered by Lieutenant D’Agosta while investigating recent murders among the homeless population. Although we won’t be able to give you a full report for several more days, we know that it belongs to an indigent man who was murdered approximately two months ago. Numerous marks can be seen, some from teeth and some apparently from a crude weapon—again especially noticeable around the remaining cervical vertebrae. We’re planning to have his corpse exhumed from Potter’s Field for a more thorough investigation.”

Oh no, Margo thought.

He flashed several more slides. “We studied the excoriation of the neck and concluded that, again, the force used was most consistent with a human attacker, certainly not Mbwun.”

The screen flashed to white, and Brambell placed the pointing remote on a table next to him. As the lights came up, D’Agosta rose from his seat. “That’s a bigger relief than you’ll ever know,” he said. “But let me get this straight. You’re saying that a person made those bite marks?”

Brambell nodded.

“Not a dog or some other animal that might be living down in the sewers?”

“Given the nature and condition of the marks, it’s hard to rule out a dog completely. But it’s my belief that a human, or perhaps several humans, fit the bill better. If we had even one clear dentition pattern we would know, but, alas…” He spread his hands. “And if certain of those marks turn out to be made by a rough weapon of some sort, then a dog would obviously be out of the question.”

“And you, Dr. Frock? What do you think?” D’Agosta turned.

“I concur with Dr. Brambell,” Frock said curtly, shifting in his chair. “If you will recall,” he rumbled, “I was the one who originally suggested that this was not the work of some creature like Mbwun. I am pleased to be vindicated. However, I must protest the way Dr. Brambell has proceeded on his own with the identification of Cadaver A.”

“Duly noted,” Brambell said, with a thin smile.

“A copycat killer,” said the fat policeman triumphantly.

There was a silence.

The man stood up and looked around the room. “We’ve got a weirdo out there who was inspired by the Museum Beast,” he said loudly. “Some nut running around, killing people, cutting off their heads, and maybe eating them.”

“That,” said Brambell, “is consistent with the data, except—”

The fat policeman cut him off. “A serial killer who is also a homeless man.”

“Look, Captain Waxie,” D’Agosta began, “that doesn’t explain—”

“It explains everything!” the man named Waxie said obstinately.

Suddenly a door banged open at the top end of the hall, and a raised voice echoed angrily down over the group.

“Why the hell wasn’t I told of this meeting?”

Margo turned, instantly recognizing the pitted face, the immaculate uniform, the heavy encrustation of stars and braids. It was Police Chief Horlocker, coming down the aisle at a brisk walk, followed by two aides.

A weary look flitted across D’Agosta’s face before a mask of neutrality descended. “Chief, I sent—”

“What? A memo?” Glowering, Horlocker approached the row of seats where D’Agosta and Waxie were sitting. “Vinnie, the way I hear it, you made the same goddamn mistake at the Museum. You didn’t involve the top brass from the beginning. You and that jackass Coffey kept insisting it was a serial killer, that you had it under control. By the time you realized what it really was, you had a museum full of dead people.”

“If you’ll pardon my saying so, Chief Horlocker, that’s a highly inaccurate rendition of what happened.” Pendergast’s mellifluous voice rang clearly across the hall.

Margo watched Horlocker look toward the voice. “Who is this?” he demanded.

D’Agosta began to speak, but Pendergast raised his hand to stop him. “Allow me, Vincent. Chief Horlocker, I am Special Agent Pendergast of the FBI.”

Horlocker frowned. “I’ve heard of you. You were part of that whole balls-up in the Museum, too.”

“Colorful metaphor,” Pendergast replied.

“So what is it you want, Pendergast?” Horlocker asked impatiently. “This isn’t your jurisdiction.”

“I’m assisting Lieutenant D’Agosta in an advisory capacity.”

Horlocker frowned. “D’Agosta doesn’t need any help.”

“Forgive me for contradicting you,” Pendergast said, “but I think he—and you—need all the help you can get.” His eyes moved from Horlocker to Waxie, and back to Horlocker again. “Don’t worry, Chief, I’m not after the collar. I’m here to help in profiling, not to scoop the case.”

“Very reassuring,” Horlocker snapped. He turned back to D’Agosta. “So?” he demanded. “What have you got?”

“The Medical Examiner believes he can ID the unknown skeleton by Friday,” D’Agosta said. “And he thinks the teeth marks probably belong to a human. Or several.”

“Several?” Horlocker asked.

“Chief, in my opinion the evidence is beginning to point to more than one perp,” D’Agosta said. Brambell nodded his assent.

Horlocker looked pained. “What, you think we’ve got two cannibalistic psychos running around? For Chrissakes, Vinnie, use your head. What we’ve got is a homeless serial killer who’s preying on his own kind. And once in a while a real person wanders into the wrong place at the wrong time—like Pamela Wisher, or that guy Bitterman—and gets their ass killed.”

“A real person?” Pendergast murmured.

“You know what I mean. A productive member of society. Somebody with an address.” Horlocker frowned, turning to D’Agosta. “I gave you a deadline, and I expected a lot more than this.”

Waxie heaved himself up from his chair. “I’m convinced this is the work of a single perpetrator.”

“Exactly,” said Horlocker, looking around the room, waiting for a challenge. “Now, we’ve got a homeless man, out of his gourd, probably living in Central Park somewhere, who thinks he’s the Museum Beast. And with this damn Times article, half the city’s going apeshit.” He turned to D’Agosta. “So how are you planning to handle it?”

“ Du calme, du calme, Chief,” Pendergast said soothingly. “I have often found it true that the louder a person speaks, the less they have to say.”