resolve all this in an hour, or a day. But I promise you, you will resolve it.”
“And you’re a professional, so I can trust you.”
“Exactly.”
“Thanks,” Eve said as she got to her feet again.
“I have one suggestion. A kind of experiment.”
“It doesn’t involve pressure syringes or ‘you’re getting sleepy’?”
“No. You have a strong mind, a flexible subconscious. I wonder if the next time you dream of Stella, you’ll think of me.”
“Why?”
“As I said, an experiment.” Mira lifted a hand, briefly brushed Eve’s cheek. “I’d be interested in the results.”
“Okay, I can try. But I’m hoping I vented her out some. I’ve got a mass murderer to catch.”
“I’ll send you my thoughts once I’ve reviewed everything.”
“I appreciate it.” Eve paused at the door, glanced back. “I really do.”
She went to her office first. No point touching base with Morris, she decided after checking her incomings. He’d sent her another batch of reports, and after a quick read she found nothing new, not from him or the reports from the lab.
She did deeper runs to familiarize herself with the Lester brothers before the interviews, then headed up to Whitney’s office.
She hated the media circus, so was relieved, even a little pleased to find Kyung with Whitney. The media liaison, and Chief of Police Tibble’s top spinner, wasn’t—as she’d told him after their first meeting—an asshole.
He wore a dove gray suit with a deeper gray shirt and a flash of red in the tie. Perfectly tailored, she noted, to his tall, fit body. His smile added charm to his smoothly handsome face.
“Lieutenant, a pleasure to see you again. It seems we have another difficult situation.”
“Yeah, upwards of eighty people dead is a situation.”
“One that must be carefully handled with the media. There’s already been speculation regarding a terrorist attack. That we want to deflect and defuse.”
“It might have been one.”
“
“No. Agreed.”
“Commander Whitney will read a statement, and he’ll take questions for a brief period. Chief Tibble has opted not to attend, as by so choosing he was able to convince the mayor to leave this to the NYPSD—for the moment.”
Keep the politics out. “Good.”
“You won’t take questions.”
“Even better.”
“The commander will simply acknowledge that you head an experienced investigative team, all of whom prioritized this incident. You’re already working several leads, conducting interviews, examining evidence—and so forth.”
“What are we telling them about the difficult situation?”
He smiled again, gently. “The NYPSD has recovered and identified a substance which was dispersed by an individual or individuals. Contact with this substance caused violent behavior.”
“That’s pretty straightforward.”
“Too many leaks have already sprung regarding the substance, the aftermath. It will be your job to stick to the statement when and if questioned by any reporter.”
“That’s no problem. Except I’ve already spoken with Nadine Furst, and used my own judgment.”
She noted Kyung’s mild look of pain, plowed on. “She’ll hold the information I told her to hold until I clear it, but with it she’ll be able to gather information that may be relevant regarding the Red Horse cult, and any connection to this investigation.”
“How much did you give her?” Whitney demanded.
“Enough so she’ll dig into—confidentially—the cult, and anyone suspected or confirmed to have been a part of it.”
“I realize you and Nadine have a personal dynamic,” Kyung began.
“It’s not a matter of our dynamics. It’s a matter of her ethics. She agreed not to use the information I gave her until I cleared it. She won’t. There’s a connection,” Eve continued, addressing both men. “She’ll keep digging until she finds it—unless I find it first.”
“Nadine’s given me no reason to doubt her word or her ethics,” Whitney commented. “If the Red Horse angle leaks …”
“It won’t have come from her, or from my team. If it leaks, it’s a damn sure bet it came from the killer. Sir?”
“Go ahead, Lieutenant.”
“We handle this, media-wise, in a straightforward fashion. Keep the details lean, but don’t cover up the fact something was done to these people. I think that’s exactly the right way to go. Going on the theory we have one guy, or a guy with a partner or partners. He’ll enjoy the attention. The fast spurt of questions, the careful answers. But it won’t be enough. The commander is a calm, and okay, commanding presence. While our guy’d enjoy the fact the NYPSD’s commander is leading the charge, he’s probably going to be irked he didn’t get the mayor to come out and dance. Then he’s going to bask awhile as the reporters get their stories on. But it won’t be enough,” she repeated.
“You’re saying he’ll be compelled to repeat the experience.”
“Kyung, he’s going to hit again unless we catch him first however we play it. Nobody goes to this much trouble, this much planning, achieves a whopping success, then dusts his hands off and moves on.”
“That’s …” Kyung searched for the proper word. “Unsettling.”
“Oh yeah. And if we go by the other theory, whacked religious cult picking up where they left off during the Urbans, same deal. This type needs to feed, and the appetite’s voracious. For the thrill and satisfaction of the kill, from the glow and ego of the aftermath. Everybody’s talking about him. They’ll be talking about all the memorials for all the dead. All that grief’s like chocolate sauce. It just sweetens the meal.”
“You’re telling me to prepare for another statement, more briefings.”
“Don’t plan a vacation. Sir, I’ve got an interview coming in.”
“Go. If you’re in Interview or following up a viable lead, don’t come in for the media conference. The media, and the public,” Whitney continued before Kyung could protest, “will be satisfied the lead investigator is working the case.”
“Thank you, sir.” She beat feet before he could change his mind.
Eve moved through the buzz of Homicide. Cops who weren’t out in the field or in Interview worked their ’links and comps. The smell of bad coffee swirled so thickly she could have bathed in it.
“Dallas.” Peabody intercepted her. “I’ve got Devon Lester in Interview B. He came right in.”
“Cooperative.”
“Baxter and Trueheart have Adam Stewart in A. I don’t know the status. I’m having Christopher Lester brought in, and hooked C for him. The uniforms are going to signal me when he’s tucked in.”
“Okay. Quick overview. The Lester boys are tight. Christopher’s five years older, big IQ, did the fast track through school. Some big, fancy degrees in chemistry, biology, nanotech. He heads his own department at Amalgom, developing and testing new vaccines.”
“Kind of tailor-made for brewing up a psychedelic stew.”
“He’d know how, or could find out. I didn’t come up with a connection to Red Horse. Neither brother has any religious affiliation. Devon, average student, got an undergrad degree in business and management. Christopher’s married, twelve years, two sons. Devon’s divorced once, currently in three-year same-sex marriage.”
“I looked at criminal on Christopher,” Peabody told her. “Traffic violations. He likes to drive fast. But that’s it.”
“Their finances diverge like the education,” Eve continued. “Chris pulls in about four times what his brother
