Stefan could think of no other waltz that so perfectly blended music and death.
Chapter 47
About time," Rhyme muttered.
The evidence from the most recent kidnapping had arrived and Ercole was assisting Beatrice in setting it out on the examination tables in the lab. Rhyme, Sachs and Thom were observing from the situation room.
"His shoe?" Rhyme asked. This discovery surprised, and pleased, him. Shoes are wonderful forensically; not only do they often offer distinctive tread marks to help link a perp to a scene, but the shoe itself can contain a treasure of DNA, fingerprints and, in running shoes like this, trace tucked into the cavities of the sole. Rhyme had once nailed a perp because of the precious way he tied his oxfords.
Sachs explained how the Composer had lost it in the struggle with the victim's, Khaled's, wife.
In a gloved hand, Ercole carried the shoe to Rhyme. "A Converse Con, in the proper size."
Beatrice barked, "Why you have picked it up?"
He turned and glared at her. "I simply am showing it to Captain Rhyme. He had commented on
it. It's in an evidence bag. And I am wearing gloves."
"But now we are needing to include another chain-of-custody entry! And everywhere a piece of evidence travels, there can be risk of contaminated."
True. Rhyme lifted an eyebrow to Ercole, who sighed, set the shoe down on a table and signed the card Beatrice offered.
Dante Spiro and Massimo Rossi joined them.
Spiro cast a look Ercole's way. "Now, Forestry Officer, it is safe to say we have the start of a pattern. Will you concede that?"
"Refugees."
"Si. That is his preferred target--in Italy, at least. We have three such victims."
Rossi said, "The director of the camp is convinced that he is targeting asylum-seekers because he believes we will not be so diligent in pursuing the case. Although that is hardly true." He waved at the charts.
"But," Ercole said, "I am wondering..."
Spiro said, "How this is in harmony with the businessman in New York?"
"Correct, Procuratore."
"There will be a way to incorporate that, I believe. Patterns are not always symmetrical. We are not sure yet. We are, however, advancing."
Sachs then said, "You mentioned the director, Rania Tasso. One thing she told me that was interesting. I'm not sure what to make of it. She said the Composer didn't kill Malek Dadi. He tried to save him."
"Is this true?" Rossi asked.
Spiro was frowning but said nothing.
"She was sure," Sachs continued.
"Who then was the killer?"
"Muggers, thieves. Some refugees in the camp. They got to him before the Composer did and when Dadi fought back, the Composer ran toward them to stop them. But it was too late."
Ercole said, "Odd. A curious element to his profile."
Rhyme, however, wasn't interested in profiles. "Two lions going after a gazelle. Neither wants to give up his prey, which is going to end up as a main course one way or the other. Nothing remarkable about that. Let's see what the evidence tells us."
Rossi placed a call and, after a conversation in Italian, disconnected. "No video yet has been posted online."