“It was, like, ten years ago.”
“Nine,” Eve corrected. “Nine years, two weeks, and…three days since we found the first body.”
“Copycat,” Peabody suggested.
“No, this is him. The message, the time—we didn’t let that leak to the media. We closed that data up tight. But we never closed the case. We never closed him. Four women in fifteen days. All brunettes, the youngest twenty-eight, the oldest thirty-three. All tortured, between a period of twenty-three and fifty-two hours.”
Eve looked at the carving again. “He’s gotten better at his work.”
Morris nodded as he made his study. “It appears the more superficial wounds were inflicted first, as before. I’ll confirm when I get her home.”
“Ligature marks, ankles, wrists—just above the slashes.” Eve lifted one of the hands. “She didn’t just lie there and take it, not from the looks of this. He used drugs on the others.”
“Yes, I’ll check.”
Eve remembered it all, every detail of it, and all the frustration and fury that rode with it. “He’ll have washed her, washed her clean—hair and body—with high-end products. Wrapped her up, probably in plastic, for transport. We never got so much as a speck of lint off any of the others. Bag the ring, Peabody. You take her, Morris.”
She straightened. “Officer Newkirk, I’m going to need a full and detailed written report, asap.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Who’s your LT?”
“Grohman, sir. I’m out of the one-seven.”
“Your father still there?”
“He is, yes, sir.”
“Okay, Newkirk, get me that report. Peabody, check Missing Persons, see if the vic was repor
ted. I need to contact the commander.”
By the time she exited the park, the wind had died down. Small mercy. The crowd of gawkers had thinned out, but the media hounds were more dogged. The only way to control the situation, she knew, was to meet it head on.
“I won’t answer questions.” She had to shout to be heard over the questions already being hurled at her. “I will make a brief statement. And if you keep shouting at me, you won’t get that either. Earlier this evening”—she continued through the shouts and the noise level dropped—“officers of the NYPSD discovered the body of a woman in East River Park.”
“Has she been identified?”
“How was she killed?”
Eve simply stared holes into the reporters who attempted to break rank. “Did you guys just drop into the city out of a puffy cloud, or are you just running your mouths to hear your own voice? As anyone with half a brain knows, the woman’s identity will not be given out until after notification of next of kin. Cause of death will be determined by the medical examiner. And anyone stupid enough to ask me if we have any leads is going to be blocked from receiving any ensuing data on this matter. Clear? Now stop wasting my time.”
She stalked off, and was halfway to her own vehicle when she spotted Roarke leaning against the hood. She’d completely forgotten about him.
“Why aren’t you home?”
“What? And miss the entertainment? Hello, Peabody.”
“Hey.” She managed to smile even though her cheeks felt like a couple of slabs of ice. “You’ve been here the whole time?”
“Nearly. I did wander off.” He opened the car door, took out a couple of insulated takeout cups. “To get you presents.”
“It’s coffee,” Peabody said, reverently. “It’s hot coffee.”
“Should thaw you out a bit. Bad?” he said to Eve.
“Very. Peabody, track down contact info on the vic’s next of kin.”