The Steel Kiss

“Home-Safe Products Atlas garage door opener, extended-reach model. Opens the door from fifty yards. He took the switch out and threw the rest away, I’d guess.”

The remaining trace revealed more walnut sawdust, some glass fragments from Rose’s town house, more glue associated with adhesive from an earlier scene, but nothing else new.

“Put everything up on the boards.”

CRIME SCENE: 4218 MARTIN STREET, BROOKLYN.

-Offense: Attempted Assault.

-Suspect: Unsub 40.

-Victim: Rose Sachs, unharmed.

-Means of attack: Rigged circuit breaker box to electrocute.

-Evidence:

--No friction ridge, DNA.

--Insulation from Hendrix Cable.

--Additional adhesive, as from earlier scene.

--Walnut sawdust.

--Glass shards associated with earlier scene (this location).

--Unsub wore ­flesh-­colored cotton gloves.

--Electricians tape from one of:

---Ludlum Tape and Adhesive.

---Conoco Industrial Products.

--Hammersmith Adhesives.

--­Home-­Safe Atlas garage door opener.

“Everything common, Mel?” Rhyme asked.

“Yep. Sold in a hundred stores in the area. Not very helpful.”

Two voices: “But he was improvising the attack at your mother’s town house, Sachs.” At the same time Archer said, “But he didn’t plan your mother’s attack ahead of time, Amelia.”

Rhyme laughed at their tripping over each other’s words yet again. He explained to Sachs, “The unsub’s planned out all the other attacks against his victims ahead of time. But he made a last-minute decision to attack your mom. He hadn’t figured you to be so persistent, so much of a risk to him. Which means he bought the tape, the electric wire, the glass and glazing compound and the garage door opener around the same time. Likely some or all at the same place. It would have been smart to buy them separately over a period of days or weeks but he didn’t have a choice. He had to stop you.”

Archer looked over the chart. “Maybe the parts for the gas bomb that he used downtown too—to destroy Todd Williams’s office.”

“Very possibly,” Rhyme said. “Let’s start with the garage door opener, don’t you think? Sachs?” He’d been speaking to her.

“What’s that?” She’d been distracted, reading a text.

“The garage door opener. Get a list of retail locations, then canvass to see if anybody bought the other items there.” Rhyme added, “Start with Queens. Expand from there.”

Sachs called Major Cases and put together a canvass team to start searching for the purchases. She then disconnected and emailed them a list of the items Unsub 40 would have bought. Rhyme noted she looked out the window for a moment. Then turned and walked close to him.

“Rhyme. You have a minute?”

One of those useless expressions. Why not just say: I want to talk to you. Let’s lose the bystanders. But of course he nodded. “Sure.”

He wheeled toward her and together they headed into the parlor across the hallway. She remained silent for a moment. He knew her well. When someone is your lover and your professional partner there’s very little psyche that remains hidden. She was not being dramatic. She was weighing what she wished to say the way one would carefully measure a drug found in a bust to most accurately describe the charges against the suspect. Sachs was certainly given to impulse in some things. But matters close to her heart were swathed in thick deliberation.

She sighed and turned. Then sat. “There’s something I have to talk to you about.”

“Yes. Go ahead.”

“I could have told you a few days ago. I didn’t. I’m not sure why I didn’t. Nick is out.”

“Carelli? Your friend.”

“My friend, yes. He was released from prison. He contacted me.”

“And he’s well?”

“Pretty much. Physically. I’d think being inside would change you more.” She shrugged and it was clear to Rhyme she didn’t want to go down this path. “There’s something I debated about telling you. I didn’t. But now I have to.”

“A preface like that, Sachs? Pray continue.”

SUNDAY VI …AND MATE

CHAPTER 47

At 11:30 a.m. the canvass team looking into the unsub’s purchases for his improvised weapons, in the attempt on Rose Sachs’s life, had a hit.

Rhyme was frustrated that it had taken so long but then they’d made the discovery about the garage door opener and the other purchases only late last night, when most of the hardware stores were closed. And few opened early today, Sunday morning.

“Fucking blue laws,” he’d snapped.