Benigno DeJesus had no trouble finding the place. He had been to the Coney
Crest so many times over the years that he’d joked to his forensics team about
renting one of the rooms to keep as storage for his gear. While Heat’s go-to ECU
detective snapped open his rolling case out on the breezeway and prepared to examine
Room 210, he filled Nikki in on the results of his run of her apartment.
The report didn’t take long. The intruder had gotten in through a closet window.
The busted latch had been invisible to her eye when she’d made her check of the
place, but DeJesus’s inspection of the window from the outside revealed jimmy
scratches and brass shavings on the sill from chiseling and prying. He found no sign
of the missing hard drive from her lipstick cam or any evidence of DNA—translated
as excrement (not uncommon) or results of sexual gratification—same with
inconsistent hairs, fibers, or shoe scuffs. The orange string matched the same lot
found on Joe Flynn’s boat. The lab had it, but as with the other strings they’d
tested, the prospect of finding anything useful on it seemed bleak. “We did lift
some prints, but it will surprise me if they aren’t yours, Mr. Rook’s, and your
building super’s.” He put on his scrub cap and added, “I know it won’t make you
rest any easier, but it’s like a ghost came to visit you.”
Instead of feeling spooked, Heat processed his comment dispassionately, as an
investigator. She made a mental note to run cat burglars through the RTCC database
downtown, then led him into Salena Kaye’s motel room.
The forensics detective stood quietly in the center of the room and simply looked
around. After a few Zen-like moments of stillness, he asked, “Your raid team, how
much did they disturb?”
“Minimal. Once they opened doors and cabinets to clear the room, I sent them out.”
“Good.” Finished with his overview, he continued, “Fingerprints will be tricky
due to volume of room traffic in a place like this. But if she had visitors, you’ll
want to know who, so I’ll do my best. We have some partials of Salena Kaye’s from
your Starbucks cup, and I assume we’ll get more out of the shoulder bag you found.
”
“Actually, I got it away from her,” said Rook. And, for a little extra hot sauce,
he added, “During our fight.” Benigno regarded him a moment, said nothing, and got
to work.
He began in the kitchenette because he’d spotted several plastic bags from a
hardware store on the countertop—rather inconsistent with food preparation. “See
here?” he said, holding one of the bags open with his gloved hands. “Ball
bearings, bulk purchased nails, screws and nuts… I’m betting these are her
shrapnel leftovers from the Tyler Wynn bomb. It’ll match, mark my words.” He
opened and closed cabinets. When he got to the one beneath the sink, he knelt and
shined a work light inside. Then he turned to Heat, speaking casually. “I’m going
to stand down until you have the motel evacuated and call the bomb squad. Just a
precaution, but take a peek.” She bent to look over his shoulder as he pointed to a
plastic dish tub filled with cellophane bags, and an array of electronic parts.
“None of it seems hooked up, but I see gunpowder, C4… even a backup remote control
device. See that tan garage door clicker next to those firing switches and wires?
That’s the same sort of radio controller that was used to detonate the package in
Wynn’s apartment.”
Heat said, “I was told that got set off by a timer.”
“Not by me,” said the forensics man. “I know a timer from a radio controller.”
Heat turned to Rook, who had not only read her mind, but already had his scoff on.
“Another thorough job by the Queen of Detail, Sharon Hinesburg.”
On the drive back to Manhattan, Heat put in a call to Detective Hinesburg—or, as
Rook had christened her, Defective Hinesburg. “Oh, I was just about to call you.”
Somehow Sharon always managed to sound as if she’d gotten caught playing Angry
Birds and was covering. It occurred to Nikki that that may have been more than
merely an impression. “You know that number you gave me to check out? Burner cell.
”
“You’re sure.” Heat let her testiness come through.