The Broken Window (Lincoln Rhyme 8)

"I'm sorry, Lincoln," Ron Pulaski said.

A nod.

His eyes strayed to the mantel, where sat a picture of Sachs wearing a black crash helmet, in the cage of a NASCAR Ford. Beside it was a photo of them together, Rhyme in his chair, Sachs hugging him.

He couldn't look at it. His eyes strayed to the whiteboards.

* * *

UNSUB 522 PROFILE

* Male

* Probably nonsmoker

* Probably no wife/children

* Probably white or light-skinned ethnic * Medium build

* Strong--able to strangle victims

* Access to voice-disguise equipment * Computer literate; knows OurWorld. Other social-networking sites?

* Takes trophies from victims

* Eats snack food/hot sauce

* Wears size-11 Skechers work shoe

* Hoarder. Suffers from OCD

* Will have a "secret" life an

d a "facade" life * Public personality will be opposite of his real self * Residence: won't rent, will have two separate living areas, one normal and one secret * Windows will be covered or painted * Will become violent when collecting or trove are threatened

NONPLANTED EVIDENCE

* Old cardboard

* Hair from doll, BASF B35 nylon 6

* Tobacco from Tareyton cigarette

* Old tobacco, not Tareyton, but brand unknown * Evidence of Stachybotrys Chartarum mold * Snack food/cayenne pepper

* Dust, from World Trade Center attack, possibly indicating residence/job downtown Manhattan * Rope fiber containing:

* Cyclamate diet soda (old or foreign) * Naphthalene (mothballs, old or foreign) * Leopard lily plant leaves (interior plant) * Trace from two different legal pads, yellow colored * Treadmark from size-11 Skechers work shoe * Houseplant leaves: ficus and Aglaonema--Chinese evergreen * Coffee-mate

Where are you, Sachs? Where are you?

He stared at the charts, hypnotically, willing them to speak. But these scanty facts offered no more insights to Rhyme than had the innerCircle data to the SSD computer.

Sorry, no prediction can be made at this time. . . .

Chapter Forty-eight

A neighbor.