'Is he on the heavy side, has a mustache?'
'No, that's Detective Benedict. He's Daniels's partner. Jack is a woman. Short for Jacqueline, I think. She's a lieutenant.'
'Thanks.'
Hanging up, he feels excitement crackle through his body like electricity. He rushes back home to his pictures, leafing through them until he finds one of Daniels leaving the scene in her crappy Chevy Nova.
'I know who you are.' The Gingerbread Man rubs his finger over her face. 'And I know what you drive. But I'll know more. Much more.'
He smiles. Chicago thinks a simple bitch like that can catch him?
Think again.
He checks his watch. Nine in the morning. He isn't going to grab the second girl for another two hours. What time does the good lieutenant go to work? Is she there right now?
He decides to check. Picking up the bag of candy with pliers to avoid leaving fingerprints, he carries the gift to his truck and takes a meandering path to the 26th District.
It looks like any other building in Chicago, except this one houses cops rather than offices or apartments. There is a parking lot next to it with a big sign that reads 'Police Vehicles Only.' On his third trip around the lot, he spies Jack's Nova, near the back, between two patrol cars.
'Hey, buddy!'
A cop flags him down. He almost hits the gas in panic, but when the pig approaches, it's obvious what he wants.
'It's on me, Officer.' The Gingerbread Man smiles, handing the cop his selection. 'I appreciate you keeping the city safe.'
The pig doesn't even thank him, waddling off down the street, letting the biggest arrest of his life drive away.
The Gingerbread Man parks in front of a meter and puts on some leather gloves. Cradling the bag of goodies in his jacket, he walks briskly back to the police station and enters the parking lot as if he belongs there. Two uniformed patrolmen give him a glance, and he nods a hello, confident and at ease. They return the nod and walk on.
Adrenaline threatening to make his heart explode, he approaches Jack's car and pulls the slim-jim out of his pants leg. It's a long strip of thin metal with a forked end. He forces it between the driver's-side window and the weather stripping, and jams it down into the inner workings of the car door. By feel, he finds the lock mechanism and pushes down.
Up pops the button, in about the same amount of time it would have taken to open it with a key.
The interior smells faintly of perfume. Even though he's in a hurry, he climbs behind the wheel and savors the moment.
Violation is such a rush.
'I'm in your car, Jack.'
He sniffs the steering wheel. Hand cream and hair spray.
It tastes salty.
On the floor is an empty cardboard coffee cup. He picks it up and licks the smudge of lipstick on the rim.
His eyes close, and he can see Jack, tied up in his basement, naked and bloody and screaming.
Such an excellent idea.
Another look around proves the parking lot is still empty. He places the package on the passenger seat and searches through the glove compartment for the lieutenant's vehicle registration. He memorizes the address, grinning at how easy this is.
'I'll be seeing you, Jack.'
His lingering has put him a few minutes behind schedule. He doesn't want to be late grabbing the second whore. He has a bunch of new things he's just aching to try out with her.
He makes sure no one is watching, then he gets out of the car and strolls back to his truck, a spring in his step.
What a day this is turning out to be.
Chapter 6
I WAS FINISHING MY THIRD CUP of coffee when the FBI walked in.
They didn't immediately announce themselves as Feebies when they entered my office, without knocking. But both wore tailored gray suits, Harvard ties, spit-shined shoes, and crew cuts. Who else could they be -- yearbook committee?
'Lieutenant Daniels?' The one on the right continued before I acknowledged him. 'I'm Special Agent George Dailey. This is Special Agent Jim Coursey.'
Special Agent Coursey nodded at me.
'We're from the Bureau,' Special Agent Coursey said.
Special Agent Dailey nodded at me.
Dailey was slightly taller, and his hair a shade lighter, but that minimal difference was negligible. They could
