The Vanished Man (Lincoln Rhyme 5)

"Special one?" Thom asked.

"Yeah, in private. So there's nobody around to hear you lie to your boss."

"Oh, those phones," the aide said, putting his arm around her shoulders and directing her toward the doorway. "The one I use for that's in the hall."

THE CONJURER

Music School Crime Scene

* Perp's description: Brown hair, fake beard, no distinguishing, medium build, medium height, age: fifties. Ring and little fingers of left hand fused together. Changed costume quickly to resemble old, bald janitor.

* No apparent motive.

* Victim: Svetlana Rasnikov.

* Full-time music student.

* Checking family, friends, students, coworkers for possible leads.

* No boyfriends, no known enemies. Performed at children's birthday parties.

* Circuit board with speaker attached.

* Sent to FBI lab, NYC.

* Digital recorder, probably containing perp's voice. All data destroyed.

* Voice recorder is a "gimmick." Homemad

e.

* Used antique iron handcuffs to restrain victim.

* Handcuffs are Darby irons. Scotland Yard. Checking with Houdini Museum in New Orleans for leads.

* Destroyed victim's watch at exactly 8:00 A.M.

* Cotton string holding chairs. Generic. Too many sources to trace.

* Squib for gunshot effect. Destroyed.

* Too many sources to trace.

* Fuse. Generic.

* Too many sources to trace.

* Responding officers reported flash in air. No trace material recovered.

* Was from flash cotton or flash paper.

* Too many sources to trace.

* Perp's shoes: size 10 Ecco.

* Silk fibers, dyed gray, processed to a matte finish.

* From quick-change janitor's outfit.