Rhyme wasn't sure but he believed there was something significant about the name Luponte.
"I need a file." Rhyme glanced at Sellitto, who was now sitting at a computer monitor, examining the screen. "A file!"
The big detective looked over at him. "Are you talking to me?"
"Yes, I'm talking to you."
Sellitto chuckled. "A file? Do I have it?"
"No. I need you to find it."
&nb
sp; "About what? A case?"
"I think so. I don't know when. All I know is the name Luponte figures." He spelled it. "Was a while ago."
"The perp?"
"Maybe. Or maybe a witness, maybe an arresting or a supervisor. Or even brass. I don't know."
Luponte . . .
Sellitto said, "You're looking like the cat that got the cream."
Rhyme frowned. "Is that an expression?"
"I don't know. I just like the sound of it. Okay, the Luponte file. I'll make some calls. Is it important?"
"With a psychotic killer out there, Lon, do you think I'm going to have you waste time finding me something that's not important?"
A fax arrived.
"Our ASTER thermal images?" Rhyme asked eagerly.
"No. It's for Amelia," Cooper said. "Where is she?"
"Upstairs."
Rhyme was about to call her but just then she walked into the lab. Her face was dry and no longer red, her eyes clear. She rarely wore makeup but he wondered if she'd made an exception to hide the fact she'd been crying.
"For you," Cooper told her, looking over the fax. "Secondary analysis of the ash from what's-his-name's place."
"Creeley."
The tech said, "The lab finally imaged the logo that was on the spreadsheet. It's from software that's used in corporate accounting. Nothing unusual. It's sold to thousands of CPAs around the country."
She shrugged, taking the sheet and reading. "And Queens had a forensic accountant look over the recovered entries. It's just standard payroll and compensation figures for executives in some company. Nothing unusual about it." She shook her head. "Doesn't seem important. I'm guessing whoever broke in just burned whatever they could find to make sure they destroyed everything connecting them to Creeley."
Rhyme looked at her troubled eyes. He said, "It's also common practice to burn materials that have nothing to do with the case just to lead investigators off."
Sachs nodded. "Yeah, sure. Good point, Rhyme. Thanks."
Her phone rang.
The policewoman listened, frowning. "Where?" she asked. "Okay." She jotted some notes. "I'll be right there." She said to Pulaski, "May have a lead to the Sarkowski file. I'll check it out."
Uneasily he asked, "You want me to go with you?"