按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
culator。 They have a consulting forensic odontologist。 We don't。 Anything else？〃
〃Would it be fair to say that the delay was caused by the FBI lab and not here？〃
Princi turned on him。 〃What it would be fair to say； Mr。 Simpkins； is that a federal investigator； Special Agent Crawford； found the cheese in the refrigerator two days ago … after your people had been through the place。 He expedited the lab work at my request。 It would be fair to say I'm relieved that it wasn't one of you that bit the goddamned thing。〃
missioner Lewis broke in； his heavy voice booming in the squad room。 〃Nobody's questioning your judgment； Dr。 Princi。 Simpkins； the last thing we need is to start a pissing contest with the FBI。 Let's get on with it。〃
〃We're all after the same thing；〃 Springfield said。 〃Jack； do you fellows want to add anything？〃
Crawford took the floor。 The faces he saw were not entirely friendly。 He had to do something about that。
〃I just want to clear the air； Chief。 Years ago there was a lot of rivalry about who got the collar。 Each side； federal and local； held out on the other。 It made a gap that crooks slipped through。 That's not Bureau policy now； and it's not my policy。 I don't give a damn who gets the collar。 Neither does Investigator Graham。 That's him sitting back there； if some of you are wondering。 If the man who did this is run over by a garbage truck； it would suit me just fine as long as it puts him off the street。 I think you feel the same way。
Crawford looked over the detectives and hoped they were mollified。 He hoped they wouldn't hoard leads。 missioner Lewis was talking to him。
〃Investigator Graham has worked on this kind of thing before。〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃Can you add anything； Mr。 Graham； suggest anything？〃
Crawford raised his eyebrows at Graham。
〃Would you e up to the front？〃 Springfield said。
Graham wished he had been given the chance to talk to Springfield in private。 He didn't want to go to the front。 He went； though。
Rumpled and sun…blasted； Graham didn't look like a federal investigator。 Springfield thought he looked more like a house painter who had put on a suit to appear in court。
The detectives shifted from one buttock to the other。
When Graham turned to face the room； the ice…blue eyes were startling in his brown face。
〃Just a couple of things；〃 he said。 〃We can't assume he's a former mental patient or somebody with a record of sex offenses。 There's a high probability that he doesn't have any kind of record。 If he does； it's more likely to be breaking and entering than a minor sex offense。
〃He may have a history of biting in lesser assaults … bar fights or child abuse。 The biggest help we'll have on that will e from emergency…room personnel and the child…welfare people。
〃Any bad bite they can remember is worth checking； regardless of who was bitten or how they said it happened。 That's all I have。〃
The tall detective on the front row raised his hand and spoke at the same time。
〃But he only bit women so far； right？〃
〃That's all we know about。 He bites a lot； though。 Six bad ones in Mrs。 Leeds； eight in Mrs。 Jacobi。 That's way above average。
〃What's average？〃
〃In a sex murder； three。 He likes to bite。〃
〃Women。〃
〃Most of the time in sex assaults the bite mark has a livid spot in the center； a suck mark。 These don't。 Dr。 Princi mentioned it in his autopsy report； and I saw it at the morgue。 No suck marks。 For him biting may be a fighting pattern as much as sexual behavior。〃
〃Pretty thin；〃 the detective said。
〃It's worth checking；〃 Graham said。 〃Any bite is worth checking。 People lie about how it happened。 Parents of a bitten child will claim an animal did it and let the child take rabies shots to cover for a snapper in the family … you've all seen that。 It's worth asking at the hospitals … who's been referred for rabies shots。
〃That's all I have。〃 Graham's thigh muscles fluttered with fatigue when he sat down。
〃It's worth asking； and we'll ask；〃 Chief of Detectives Springfield said。 〃Now。 The Safe and Loft Squad works the neighborhood along with Larceny。 Work the dog angle。 You'll see the update and the picture in the file。 Find out if any stranger was seen with the dog。 Vice and Narcotics； take the K…Y cowboys and the leather bars after you finish the day tour。 Marcus and Whitman … heads up at the funeral。 Do you have relatives； friends of the family； lined up to spot for you？ Good。 What about the photographer？ All right。 Turn in the funeral guest book to R & I。 They've got the one from Birmingham already。 The rest of the assignments are on the sheet。 Let's go。
〃One other thing；〃 missioner Lewis said。 The detectives sank back in their seats。 〃I have heard officers in this mand referring to the killer as the 'Tooth Fairy。' I don't care what you call him among yourselves； I realize you have to call him something。 But I had better not hear any police officer refer to him as the Tooth Fairy in public。 It sounds flippant。 Neither will you use that name on any internal memoranda。
〃That's all。〃
Crawford and Graham followed Springfield back to his office。 The chief of detectives gave them coffee while Crawford checked in with the switchboard and jotted down his messages。
〃I didn't get a chance to talk to you when you got here yesterday；〃
Springfield said to Graham。 〃This place has been a fucking mad house。 It's Will； right？ Did the boys give you everything you need？〃
〃Yeah； they were fine。〃
〃We don't have shit and we know it；〃 Springfield said。 〃Oh； we developed a walking picture from the footprints in the flowerbed。 He was walking around bushes and stuff； so you can't tell much more than his shoe size； maybe his height。 The left print's a little deeper； so he may have been carrying something。 It's busywork。 We did get a burglar； though； a couple of years ago； off a walking picture。 Showed Parkinson's disease。 Princi picked it up。 No luck this time。〃
〃You have a good crew；〃 Graham said。
〃They are。 But this kind of thing is out of our usual line； thank God。 Let me get it straight； do you fellows work together all the time … you and Jack and Dr。 Bloom … or do you just get together for one of these？〃
〃Just for these；〃 Graham said。
〃Some reunion。 The missioner was saying you were the one who nailed Lecter three years ago。〃
〃We were all there with the Maryland police；〃 Graham said。 〃The Maryland state troopers arrested him。〃
Springfield was bluff； not stupid。 He could see that Graham was unfortable。 He swiveled in his chair and picked up some notes。
〃You asked about the dog。 Here's the sheet on it。 Last night a vet here called Leeds's brother。 He had the dog。 Leeds and his oldest boy brought it in to the vet the afternoon before they were killed。 It had a puncture wound in the abdomen。 The vet operated and it's all right。 He thought it was shot at first； but he didn't find a bullet。 He thinks it was stabbed with something like an ice pick or an awl。 We're asking the neighbors if they saw anybody fooling with the dog； and we're working the phones today checking local vets for other animal mutilations。〃
〃Was the dog wearing a collar with the Leeds name on it？〃
〃No。〃
〃Did the Jacobis in Birmi