And the Oleander Room.

Billy resented that that thought intruded but there was nothing to do about it. He could–

Ah, now the news. Finally.

A city council scandal, a minor train derailment, an economic report. Then, at last, a follow up on Chloe Moore’s demise. Additional details were coughed up now, a bit of history. The facts suggested the attack was not sexual in nature. (Of course not; Billy was offended that the subject had even come up. The media. Despicable.) A rough description. So someone had spotted him near the manhole.

He listened as the story wound down.

Still nothing about tattooing. Nothing about poison.

That was typical, Billy knew. He’d read about police procedures in verifying confessions. The cops ask people taking credit for a crime certain unique details and, if they can’t answer, the supposed perpetrators are dismissed as crackpots (a surprising number of people confessed to crimes they hadn’t committed).

Nor had the story mentioned anything about the phrase ‘the second’.

But that  would be a thorn in their sides, of course.

What on earth could the message be that their mysterious perp was sending?

The Modification Commandments required, however, that it would be impossible for the police to decipher his message from the first several victims.

He shut the radio off.

Billy yawned. Sleep soon. He checked email, sent some texts, received some, then two hums of the watches told him it was time to get some rest.

When he was through in the bathroom, where he cleaned the basin and toothbrush with bleach – banishing the DNA once more – he returned to his bed, flopping down in it. He tugged his Bible from under the pillow and propped it on his chest.

Billy had had a crisis of faith a few years ago. A serious one. He believed in Jesus and the power of Christ. But he also believed he was meant to put his talents to use as a tattoo artist.

The problem was this: The book of Leviticus warned, You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks upon you: I am the LORD.

He’d been depressed for weeks upon learning this. He wrestled with how to reconcile the conflict.

One argument was that the Bible was full of such dissonance: In the same chapter, for instance, it was written: ‘Nor shall a garment of mixed linen and wool come upon you.’ Yet God surely had other priorities than sending to hell people wearing blended cloth suits.

Billy had wondered if He intended future generations to reinterpret the Bible, to bring it into line with contemporary society. But that seemed suspect; it was like those Supreme Court justices who said that the Constitution was a living thing and should change to suit the times.

Dangerous, thinking like that.

Finally the answer to this apparent contradiction appeared. Billy had reasoned: The Bible also says, Thou shalt not kill . But the Good Book was filled with instances of outright murder – including a fair amount of carnage by the Almighty Himself. So, it was okay to kill in certain instances. Such as to further the glory of God, eliminate infidels and threats, further the values of truth and justice. Dozens of reasons.

So in Leviticus, it was clear, God had to mean that tattooing too was acceptable under certain circumstances , just like taking lives.

And what better circumstances could there be than the mission Billy was on at the moment?

The Modification.

He opened his Bible. He settled on a verse in Exodus, a well read page.

And if men strive together, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart, and yet no harm follow; he shall be surely fined, according as the woman’s husband shall lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. But if any harm follow, then thou shalt give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6

NOON

The morning had been a flurry of activity, trying to correlate the evidence Sachs had come up with to pinpoint a place where the unsub might be living or had decided to make his stalking ground.

Rhyme wheeled back and forth in front of the chart, feeling in his neck and jaw the thump as the Merits chair rolled over one of the power cables bisecting the floor of his parlor.

237 Elizabeth Street

Victim: Chloe Moore, 26

– Probably no connection to Unsub

– No sexual assault, but touching of skin

Unsub 11 5

– White male

– Slim to medium build

– Stocking cap

– Thigh length dark coat

– Dark backpack

– Wore booties

– No friction ridges

– Professional tattoo artist or has been

– May be using a ‘splitter’ for the tattoos

– Uses bloodline to outline the tattoos

– Not from area; more rural probably

– Using book to learn techniques and outthink Rhyme and police?

– Obsessed with skin

– Will possibly be targeting the police

– Organized offender; will be planning attacks ahead of time

– Probably returned to the scene

COD: Poisoning with cicutoxin, introduced into system by tattooing

– From water hemlock plant

– No known source

– Concentrated, eight times normal

Sedated with propofol

– How obtained? Access to medical supplies?

Tattooed with ‘the second’ Old English typeface, surrounded by scallops

– Part of message?

– Task force at police HQ checking this out

– Scallops are cicatrization – scarring – and probably significant

Portable tattoo machine used as weapon

– Probably American Eagle

Cotton fiber

– Off white

– Probably from Unsub’s shirt, torn in struggle

Page from book

– Probably torn from Unsub’s pocket in struggle

– Probably mass produced hardcover 1996–2000

– Book is Serial Cities . He was interested in Chapter 7, about Bone Collector.

– Psychological connection with Bone Collector? Revenge?

– Using book to learn techniques and outthink Rhyme and police?

– Obsessed with skin

– Will possibly be targeting the police

Possibly used adhesive rollers to remove trace from clothing prior to attack.

Handcuffs

– Generic, cannot be sourced

Flashlight

– Generic, cannot be sourced

Duct tape

– Generic, cannot be sourced

Trace evidence

Nitric oxide, ozone, iron manganese, nickel, silver beryllium, chlorinated hydrocarbon, acetylene

– Possibly oxy fuel welding supplies

Tetrodotoxin

– Fugu fish poison

– Zombie drug

– Minute amounts

– Not used on victim here

Stercobilin, urea 9.3 g/L, chloride 1.87 g/L, sodium 1.17 g/L, potassium 0.750 g/L, creatinine 0.670 g/L

– fecal material

– Possibly suggesting interest/obsession in underground

– From future kill sites underground?

Benzalkonium chloride

– Quaternary ammonium (quat), institutional sanitizer

Adhesive latex

– Used in bandages and construction, other uses too.

Inwood marble

– Dust and fine grains

Tovex explosive

– Probably from blast site

Rhyme turned from the chart to Amelia Sachs, whom he caught staring out the window into the sleety morning. She was still obviously troubled by the news she’d received yesterday – that Pam was going on a ’round the world tour with her boyfriend, then moving in with him when they returned.

Seth was a nice young man, she’d explained as they’d lain in his sumptuous bed last night, lights out, the wind battering the windows. ‘To date. Not hole up in a hostel in Morocco or Goa. Maybe he’s Mr Perfect, maybe he’s not. Who can tell?’

‘Think it’ll blow over?’