The Steel Kiss

CRIME SCENE: 151 CLINTON PLACE,

MANHATTAN, CONSTRUCTION SITE,

ADJACENT TO 40° NORTH (NIGHTCLUB)

-Offenses: Homicide, Assault.

-Victim: Todd Williams, 29, writer, blogger, social topics.

-COD: Blunt force trauma, probably ­ball-­peen hammer (no brand determined).

-Motive: Robbery.

--Credit/debit cards not yet used.

-Evidence:

--No friction ridges.

--Blade of grass.

--Trace:

---Phenol.

---Motor oil.

-Profile of suspect (Unknown Subject 40).

--Wore checkered jacket (green), Braves baseball cap.

--White male.

--Tall (6'2" to 6'4").

--Slim (­140–­150 lbs.).

--Long feet and fingers.

--No visual of face.

CRIME SCENE: HEIGHTS VIEW MALL, BROOKLYN.

-Offense: Homicide, escape from apprehension.

-Victim: Greg Frommer, 44, clerk with Pretty Lady Shoes in mall.

--Store clerk, left Patterson Fuel Systems as Director of Marketing. Will attempt to show he would have returned to a similar or other ­higher-­income job.

-COD: Loss of blood, internal organ trauma.

-Means of death:

--Unsub 40 hacked into CIR DataWise5000 controller and opened door remotely.

--Discussion with CIR executives.

---Tracing the signal: only each manufacturer could do that. Difficult.

---Probably impossible to identify him.

---Danger of hacking could be minimized by companies’ installing security patches. CIR is sending out warning to do so.

-Evidence:

--DNA, no CODIS match.

--No friction ridges sufficient for ID.

--Shoeprint, likely unsub’s, size 13 Reebok Daily Cushion 2.0.

--Soil sample, likely from unsub, containing crystalline aluminosilicate clays: montmorillonite, illite, vermiculite, chlorite, kaolinite. Additionally, organic colloids. Substance is probably humus. Not native to this portion of Brooklyn.

--Dinitroaniline (used in dyes, pesticides, explosives).

--Ammonium nitrate (fertilizer, explosives)

---With oil from Clinton Place scene: Possibly constructing bomb?

--Additional phenol (precursor in making plastics, like polycarbonates, resins and nylon, aspirin, embalming fluid, cosmetics, ingrown toenail cures; unsub has large feet, ­so—­nail problems?)

--Talc, mineral oil/paraffinum liquidum/huile minérale, zinc stearate, stearic acid, lanolin/lanoline, cetyl alcohol, triethanolamine, PEG-12 laurate, mineral spirits, methylparaben, propylparaben, titanium dioxide.

---Makeup? No brand determination. Analysis to return.

--Shaving of metal, microscopic, steel, probably from sharpening knife.

--Sawdust. Type of wood to be determined. From sanding not sawing.

--Organochlorine and benzoic acid. Toxic. (insecticides, weaponized poisons?)

--Acetone, ether, cyclohexane, natural gum, cellulose (probably varnish).

---Manufacturer to be determined.

--White Castle napkins missing at Crime Scene HQ.

-Cause of action in civil suit for Greg Frommer’s death.

--Wrongful death/personal injury tort suit.

---Strict products liability.

---Negligence.

---Breach of implied warranty.

-Damages: compensatory, pain and suffering, punitive.

-Defendant: Unsub 40.

-Facts relevant to accident:

--Access panel opened, victim fell into gears. Opened about 16 inches.

--Access panel weighed 42 pounds, sharp teeth on front contributed to death/injury.

--Door secured by latch. On springs. It popped open for unknown reason.

--Reasons for failure?

---Intervening ­cause — ­Unsub 40’s hacking DataWise controller.

-No access to Dept. of Investigation or FDNY reports or records at this time.

-No access to failing escalator at this time (under quarantine by DOI).

CRIME SCENE: WHITE CASTLE RESTAURANT,

ASTORIA BOULEVARD, ASTORIA, QUEENS.

-Relevance to case: Unsub eats here regularly.

-Additional elements of profile of suspect.

--Eats ­10–­15 sandwiches at a time.

--Had been shopping at least once when ate here. Carried white plastic bag, something heavy inside. Metallic?

--Turned north and crossed the street (toward bus/train?). No sign he owned/drove automobile.

--Witnesses didn’t get good view of face, probably no facial hair.

--White, pale, maybe balding or crew cut.

--Used a car service on Astoria Blvd. around day of Williams’s murder.

--Awaiting word from owner of gypsy cab company.

--Service has reported on the destination.

CRIME SCENE: 348 RIDGE STREET, MANHATTAN.

-Offenses: Arson.

-Victim: None.

-Relevance to case: Unsub 40 is the same person who caused Greg Frommer’s death, intentionally opening the access panel of Midwest Conveyance escalator, at Brooklyn Heights Mall. Met Todd Williams and learned how to hack DataWise5000 smart controllers, which caused escalator accident.

-On night of Williams’s death unsub got two lists from him:

--Database of all products the controllers are found in.

--Consumers who bought some of those products.

-Additional elements of profile of suspect:

--Under name of the People’s Guardian, posted manifesto. Domestic terrorism, attacking excess consumerism.

--Can’t trace the post.

--Intentional grammatical mistakes. Probably he’s intelligent.

-Evidence:

--Improvised explosive device.

--Wax, ­low-­octane gasoline, cotton, plastic, matches. Candle bomb. Elements not sourceable.