The Steel Kiss (Lincoln Rhyme 12)

- No friction ridges sufficient for ID.

- Shoeprint, likely unsub's, size 13 Reebok Daily Cushion 2.0.

- Soil sample, likely from unsub, containing crystalline aluminosilicate clays: montmorillonite, illite, vermiculite, chlorite, kaolinite. Additionally, organic colloids. Substance is probably humus. Not native to this portion of Brooklyn.

- Dinitroaniline (used in dyes, pesticides, explosives).

- Ammonium nitrate (fertilizer, explosives) - With oil from Clinton Place scene: Possibly constructing bomb?

- Additional phenol (precursor in making plastics, like polycarbonates, resins and nylon, aspirin, embalming fluid, cosmetics, ingrown toenail cures; unsub has large feet, so--nail problems?) - Talc, mineral oil/paraffinum liquidum/huile minerale, zinc stearate, stearic acid, lanolin/lanoline, cetyl alcohol, triethanolamine, PEG-12 laurate, mineral spirits, methylparaben, propylparaben, titanium dioxide.

- Makeup? No brand determination. Analysis to return.

- Shaving of metal, microscopic, steel, probably from sharpening knife.

- Sawdust. Type of wood to be determined. From sanding, not sawing.

- Organochlorine and benzoic acid. Toxic. (Insecticides, weaponized poisons?) - Acetone, ether, cyclohexane, natural gum, cellulose (probably varnish).

- Manufacturer to be determined.

- Napkins from White Castle, probably unsub's. Will resubmit for additional evidence.

- Stains suggest unsub drank several beverages.

CRIME SCENE: WHITE CASTLE RESTAURANT, ASTORIA BOULEVARD, ASTORIA, QUEENS

- Relevance to case: Unsub eats here regularly.

- Additional elements of profile of suspect.

- Eats 10-15 sandwiches at a time.

- Had been shopping at least once when ate here. Carried white plastic bag, some

thing heavy inside. Metallic?

- Turned north and crossed the street (toward bus/train?). No sign he owned/drove automobile.

- Witnesses didn't get good view of face, probably no facial hair.

- White, pale, maybe balding or crew cut.

- Used a car service on Astoria Blvd. around day of Williams's murder.

- Awaiting word from owner of gypsy cab company.

From what was found at the scenes, Sachs and Pulaski had concluded Unsub 40 might be a tradesman. But even if so, did workers carry around tools late at night, especially a rare one like the ball-peen hammer he'd used to kill Todd Williams? And if a tool like that had nothing to do with his job, his carrying it suggested design--a perp on the hunt for a victim. But why? What the hell are you up to, Mr. Forty? How much money could Todd Williams've had on him to justify killing? You didn't use any of his credit or debit cards, or sell them--they would have shown up by now. Stolen plastic has a very short shelf life. You didn't try to suck his bank account dry. Williams had been straight, for the most part, but she'd learned from friends of a few gay encounters. There was a rough-trade club about three blocks from the construction site where he was killed, yet extensive canvassing of the place uncovered no evidence that Williams had ever been there.

Any other reasons for the unsub to kill you?

Williams had been a former programmer by profession and now he wrote about social issues on his blog but there was nothing controversial that she'd seen. Environment, privacy. And as for the bomb making and poisoning theories--related to terrorism possibly--the evidence was sketchy and her instinct said those were dead ends.

Maybe the motive was that which was the least helpful to investigators: Williams had witnessed some other crime and the lean perp--maybe a hit man, maybe a professional burglar--had seen him and clipped him. And yet... and yet...

Come on, Rhyme...

She needed somebody to brainstorm with. But it can't be you now, can it?