Water is, Rhyme had frequently pointed out, the universal solvent.
Emergency Service officers had cleared the scene and gotten the victim to the street level. He was doped up but conscious and his only injuries appeared to be bruises from where the water had slammed him into a wall. The unsub hadn't had time to start on the mod. The vic was bordering on hypothermia but the medical technicians got him out of his drenched clothing and into thermal blankets.
After extracting him, and clearing the scene, the police retreated while two firemen in full biohazard outfits waded through the torrent to shut the flow off. They took water samples too. Rhyme had been concerned that the unsub might have spilled into the water some toxin that, even if diluted, could injure or kill.
An ESU officer came up to them. 'Detectives. Captain.'
'Go ahead,' Haumann said.
'It's draining and the fire department's hooked up a pumper. But it's still a flood. Oh, and they've done a preliminary test of the water and there's no biohazard or chemicals, nothing significant, at any rate. So they're pumping to the sewer drains. Should be pretty clear in about an hour.'
The officer said to Sachs, 'They said they found something you'll want to see, Detective. One of the firemen's bringing it out now.'
'What?' she asked.
'Just a plastic bag. All I know.'
She nodded, not holding out much hope it had anything to do with the case. It might hold a banana peel, a joint, coins for parking meters.
Though there was always the chance it was the perp's wallet or Social Security card.
Nothing more to do here. Sachs and Sellitto walked to the ambulance. They stepped inside, through the back, closed the door. Braden Alexander was sitting in a blue robe, shivering. The ambulance was heated but the man had just gone for a serious dunking in near-freezing water.
'How're you doing?' Sellitto asked.
His jaw trembling. 'Cold, hazy from whatever the son of a bitch gave me. They said it's propofol.' He stuttered as he spoke. His words were slurred too. 'And seeing him, what he was wearing, it freaked me out.'
'Could you describe him?'
'Not real well. He was about six feet, pretty good shape. White. But he wore this yellow latex mask. Jesus. I freaked. I mean, I totally freaked. I said that, didn't I? Eyeholes and nose and mouth. That was it.'
Sellitto showed him the Identi-Kit image.
'Could be. Probably. But the mask, you know.'
'Sure. Clothes?'
'When he came at me in the garage, he was in coveralls, I think. I was freaked.' More shivering. 'But I'd seen him earlier and he was wearing something else. If it was him. He went into that building there.'
Ah, maybe they had an intact crime scene after all. Sachs sent a CS officer to take a look, with an Emergency Service backup.
'Did he say anything?' Sellitto asked.
'No. Just jabbed me with a needle. Then I started to pass out. But I saw him ...' His voice faded. 'I saw him get a scalpel out of his backpack.'
'A scalpel, not just a knife?'
'Definitely a scalpel. And he looked like he knew what to do with it. Oh, and he was touching my skin. On my stomach. Touching and pinching it. Jesus. What was that all about?'
'He's done that before,' Sachs said. 'We don't know exactly why.'
'Oh, but I remember that as he reached down, his sleeve went up, you know. And I saw he had this tattoo. It was weird. A centipede, I'm pretty sure. Yeah. But, you know, with a face.'
'What color was it?' Sellitto asked.
'Red. Now, next I know I came to and was choking and the cops, the police were dragging me out of the water. I was so cold, cold. Man. It was like I was spinning around in the ocean. Is this the guy who's been killing those people in town?'
Sometimes you withheld, sometimes you told.