glean enough jargon to avoid suspicion.
'Don't worry, Mr. Cutter, I've had plenty of experience with logos and corporate ID. I'll show you some samples when you arrive. You said eight? I look forward to it.'
Mr. Cutter knew his man would be alone. After Deschamps became one of the Absolutes several months back, Mr. Cutter dedicated over a hundred hours to the artist's schedule and habits. His female always left Monday and returned late on Thursday. Though Mr. Cutter worked a day job, his schedule was flexible, allowing him to devote the necessary hours to stalking his quarry.
Nothing in the universe was more important.
Mr. Cutter arrived at the house at 7:50 p.m. and Deschamps suggested meeting in the studio. He turned his broad back and led the way, showing a strong roll of shoulder and shapely cut of bicep beneath the short-sleeve dress shirt. Perfect. And untainted, as Mr. Cutter already knew. Deschamps wasn't the type for scarifying trends like tattoos and piercings; he was picture perfect from neck to knees.
He'd even sent Mr. Cutter the picture to prove it.
Mr. Cutter conducted his true business, then cleaned the studio like a maid possessed. Removing every mote of evidence wasn't overly difficult with knowledge and planning. Time wasn't an issue Deschamps's woman never arrived before 22:00 on Thursday. He didn't want her late, but delays sometimes long ones were inevitable in her line of work, and Mr. Cutter- dropped the thermostat to its lowest point.
Nelson had been even easier than the artist. Mr. Cutter instantly recognized a man driven by greed. The phone call had been almost delicious.
'You don't know me, Mr. Nelson, but we have a friend in common.'
'Tony? Ranee? Bobby?'
'Now, now, you know not all of your friends want to be, how shall I say, friends in the morning. Just night friends. Nameless night friends. Generous nameless night friends.'
Laughter from Nelson. He loved little games, you could tell.
'I'd enjoy just meeting you, Mr. Nelson, somewhere quiet, out of the way… I'm a man of simple tastes and ample wallet… There's a little park not far from me…'
It had worked so wonderfully. Nelson, too, was perfect from chin to knee, just like his photographs had predicted.
A pickup truck pulled into the morgue lot. Mr. Cutter bent low and reached to the glove box as if looking for something, face averted.
When the truck passed by, he sat up and returned to his reflections.
Two of his projects had gone well, one had gone to hell.
It was his first attempt. Horrible. He'd been deceived by a man-child and should have beaten the bastard's face into paste right there in the farm-field dark with the music and watermelons. After seeing the disgusting thing the little scummer had scrawled on his chest, Mr.
Cutter head-bashed the bastard with a rock, then slipped away unnoticed, leaving the drugged-up fools to their glowing necklaces, water bottles, and filthy clutchings.
Thirty-seven and a half hours of research and planning turned into vapor. Fortunately, Nelson had sent his particulars a week later. He'd been so easy it almost made up for the time spent on… what was the little bastard's name? Farrier?
Mr. Cutter glanced at his watch. Almost noon, almost time for her to step out for lunch, clockwork. He pulled the visor down and leaned back. Thinking of her, his heart began racing in his chest, pumping a delicious mix of fear and joy to every cell in his body. He needed to see her walk outside into the hard sunlight. It scrinched up her face in that crazed bitch-anger, one of her moods set to crash over her like a glass wave, hot shards slashing everywhere.
The first time he'd seen her, since she'd come back, she was outside.
Outside walking inside. Angry; not sun anger but her wild hidden fury, bitch-hot fury full of lies and promises.
He'd seen it even through her pathetic lying disguise; a kiss is just a sheath over the biting.
He recognized her as Mama.
And knew the universe had granted him a second chance.
'I used what's called a Rapidograph technical pen,' I said, pointing to my thigh, my pants around my ankles, 'and wrote the words found on Deschamps. The lab's micro-photographs indicate the writing was done stroke by stroke to keep the ink from pooling due to skin porosity. I tried three times and the fastest inscription took over ten minutes.'
'I barely see the writing,' Deputy Chief Belvidere said from across the table, squinting. 'Almost like he didn't want it seen.' Chief Hyrum seemed uncomfortable around burgundy briefs. 'Very, um, thorough, Detective Ryder,' he said. 'I think that's all we need.'
I retrieved my pants and sat down.
Squill said, 'I congratulate Detective Ryder for his independent research and hope he checks it against that of our experts. That's the beauty of the combining PSIT with proven investigative technique: the theoretical and the practical can mix and merge; when fanciful flights are tempered by reality, they can sometimes be instructive.'
Fanciful flights tempered by reality. Zing.
Hyrum ahetned uncertainly and addressed the room at large. 'We formed the PSIT to respond to the growing numbers of, well, freakish crimes.
Detectives Nautilus and Ryder proved themselves in the Adrian case.
That's why Detective Ryder was promoted from the uniformed division, and why he and Detective Nautilus received extra training. Though this is the trial run of the PSIT, they deserve a modicum of latitude in investigating these murders.'
'Yes,' Harry whispered. I held my breath. Were we about to be blessed?
'I agree completely,' Squill said. 'Both of the affected neighborhoods have citizens who are frightened. And vocal. Both are near downtown.
We can't have people afraid of those neighborhoods, not with the mayor's urban revitalization plan under way.'
Hyrum listened intently, his head bobbing to the cadences of politics.
Politics had structure.
Squill continued. 'Which is why I welcome the PSIT's involvement. By combining in task-force mode we'll maximize our resources to the fullest.'
Out of nowhere the words, 'task force.' I knew task force in departmental lexicon defined a rigid vertical structure perhaps overarching the procedural revisions of the PSIT. Everyone's eyes moved to Hyrum; investigational structure was his call. He reached for a legal pad. After a few halting marks he displayed the results: a single baseball-sized circle at the top of the page. He tapped its center with his pen.
'Here's how I want it organized: Detectives Nautilus and Ryder will lead field investigation of the cases, all information channeled their direction…'
I glanced at Harry. He raised an eyebrow. Hyrum continued tapping the page, thinking, structuring.
'Detectives Ryder and Nautilus will work with the' he put the pad on the table and drew another circle directly below the first one. He held the pad up and tapped the second circle 'district detectives assigned to the case. Information freely shared, copies of the murder books to everyone involved…'
We were top circle! Underneath us was the investigative team we'd assemble. I was thinking Larry Twilling from Four, Ben Dupree from Two, maybe finesse Sally Hargreaves on board.
'We're blessed,' I whispered to Harry.
Hyrum started drawing again, a final circle at the bottom of the page to indicate Command's position as recipient of data, hands off, but kept in the loop, of course. He worked slowly, making it compass perfect, the end seamlessly joining the beginning.
'Now,' Hyrum said, nodding at his sheet, 'by assigning this case task force designation, I'm putting '
Hyrum flipped the pad upside down and tapped what was now the top circle.
' Captain Squill in overall command of the force and its configuration, plus continuing to act as liaison to myself and the deputy chiefs.
He'll also handle media inquiries, demonstrating the task force's, uh..
