by Oliver Stark
Harper stood up and let the idea swim in his mind. It was a material link between the cases. And that meant that he now had evidence linking three Jewish murders. It was potentially explosive.
Chapter Forty-Nine
North Manhattan Homicide
March 10, 8.04 a.m.
Harper’s head was full of iron bullets as he ran up to the investigation room with Denise. She put her arm out, touched his. ‘What do you think it means?’ she asked.
‘Our killer is not new to this game. He’s tried before.’
‘What else?’
‘He’s not politically motivated. He’s killing people because they’re Jewish.’
‘Can we be sure? There’s just three murders.’
‘Each killed in similar ways with iron bullets. He doesn’t want to get caught, does he?’ Tom said. ‘If we’re right, then the man in prison for killing Esther Haeber is the wrong man.’
‘And that adds something vital to our profile. He’s stalking these people, killing them, then setting up other people and staging it to avoid us joining the dots.’
‘Intelligent, strategic, psychotic,’ said Tom.
‘Add brutal and determined. He wants to carry on. He really enjoys this. Like some… necessity, you know.’
‘A religious killer?’ asked Harper.
‘Yeah, that’s what I was thinking. It has that visionary zeal about it.’
‘God help us, then.’
‘Or just avoid helping him, if at all possible.’
Harper left Denise and marched into Captain Lafayette’s office. ‘I got a link for you.’
Lafayette stood up. ‘Really? Evidence?’
‘Yes, real evidence.’
‘Go on, tell me.’ Lafayette moved round the desk. ‘We’re getting busted on this by the hour. They want to know why Lukanov walked. I need some good news.’
Harper produced a printout of Hans Formet’s photographs. ‘We’ve discovered a link between the bullets found at the Capske scene and the Esther Haeber and Marisa Cohen scenes. It links each murder.’
‘What’s the link?’
‘The bullets are all made of iron,’ said Harper.
Lafayette looked at the pictures. ‘What’s the significance of that?’
‘Iron was used to manufacture bullets at some times in the past, but it’s rare. These bullets are very rare, therefore linked, Captain.’
‘Coincidence?’
‘No.’
‘Come on, what you got? Three bullets made of iron, separated by four months, one on a case with a conviction? You know, Harper, even your fans wouldn’t buy this.’
‘It’s a link.’
‘Could it be contamination?’
‘Please, Captain. This is a breakthrough. I nearly choked. There’s some animal on the loose, taking these people out because they’re Jewish. I think we’ve got a serial killer at work.’
‘It’s not a complete picture, Harper.’
‘Complete enough. I need to take these homicides together. We need a task force. I’ll want a liaison with Brooklyn Homicide. We have to reopen the Esther Haeber case.’
Captain Lafayette sat back down and directed one of the fans on his desk towards his face. ‘Are you sure it’s enough? I know you want this, but we’ve got to be sure, Harper.’
‘Captain, I need some authority here. I need to take this forward. You’ve got to trust me on this one.’
‘The iron’s not enough. I need more. Go and check out this guy who got jailed for the Haeber murder.’
‘I’m on my way soon as we’re through here. But you’ve got to understand that the iron matches. There’s an exact chemical fingerprint to iron. These three bullets were from the same batch.’
‘You got anything that matches that bullet to a particular gun?’
‘No, it’s mangled all out of shape. But the chemical properties are identical.’
‘Bullets are made in big batches, Harper. Big, big batches.’
‘But this is not what bullets are made of now. No one uses iron today. These are incredibly old bullets. Possibly antiques.’
Lafayette pushed his chair back and stared up. ‘Okay, Harper. I’ll take your word. We’ll get some help. Run with it. But we got to talk to people about how to handle this. You know what this is.’
‘Of course I do. Some psychopath is killing Jews.’
Chapter Fifty
North Manhattan Homicide
March 10, 11.05 a.m.
Eddie and Denise nodded silently as Harper talked through his visit to see Bruce Lyle, the man imprisoned for the murder of Esther Haeber.
‘So you’ve got nothing to show for your efforts?’
Harper shrugged. ‘He’s not the guy, in my opinion, but we need evidence to get the case re-opened and that means catching the real killer. He says he was framed — that someone planted the rings. I think our killer chose an easy target. They found illegal firearms and cocaine in his place, so he’s got three violations to serve.’
‘But he’s no killer?’
‘No.’
‘What else you got?’ said Eddie.
‘We’ve got something on the note from the kidnapper. It’s got mildew on it, so it was written somewhere damp. But the main thing is the typeface and ink. It’s strange.’
‘How?’
‘They’ve got a pretty full database of typewriters and fonts down there. They tell me this is something unusual.’
‘Just like the bullets.’
‘Right,’ said Harper. ‘They say this is from an antique typewriter. German make, around 1934. They are pretty sure it’s a Torpedo Portable Typewriter. It was designed for military use and only wrote in black. Not red ink.’
‘What the hell does that mean?’ said Eddie.
Denise nodded to herself. ‘This guy is delusional. Aaron noticed the Nazi symbols in the way he kills. Now an antique German typewriter. He’s not a neo-Nazi, Harper. He thinks he is a Nazi, one of the originals.’
‘It’s a very rare model,’ said Harper. ‘Not many people deal in these. We might be able to track something.’
‘Give me the printout,’ said Eddie. ‘I’ll see what I can do.’ He got up and walked towards Gerry Ratten.
Harper’s cell phone rang and broke the somber mood. It was Hans Formet.
‘You need to come round,’ said Hans. ‘You need to come round now.’
‘What for?’
‘I know what your bullets are. I know where they come from. And this is strange.’
‘That’s great, Hans, we’ll be there as soon as we can.’
Within the hour, Harper and Denise were back in Hans Formet’s homemade lab, with a cup of coffee each, listening to the long rambling story of the man’s genius.
Hans clearly had not moved much since they’d last been there. He was bleary-eyed, with his hair sticking out in every direction. He sat on a stool with his computer screen to his side.
‘An iron bullet is rare — a 9mm Parabellum made of sintered iron is extremely rare. Take a look at this.’ Hans brought up a photograph of a bullet with a cartridge. The cartridge was black.
‘Looks like there’s a tux on a bullet,’ said Harper. ‘Like a bullet going to the Oscars.’
Hans laughed. ‘That’s a very good joke, Detective. A good ballistics joke.’
‘Come on, Hans, spill.’
‘So I sent the information across to some people I know, then I put it up on the web and got a hit. They said it might be an antique bullet. Something from the Second World War.’
Harper and Denise felt the thoughts rushing through their heads. ‘Tell us more,’ said Harper.
‘The Parabellum itself was introduced for the German Service revolver, the Luger Pistole. It’s one of the most popular cartridges in the world now. But back then, it was new.’
‘So this is a German bullet?’
‘Oh, yes. Manufactured in Poland, probably.’
‘Go on.’
‘Okay, well, sorry
for the history lesson, but the Parabellum originally had a lead core. A better bullet, of course. An iron bullet is too hard. The purpose of a bullet is to cause damage in the flesh. An iron bullet can zip right through the body with no expansion. It is the expansion that brings someone down. However, in about 1942, war-time lead supplies were running low so they started making the Parabellum with an iron core. Miteisenkern. They had stocks of these bullets left over after the war. Quite often, if you try to buy a bullet from that time, it will be an iron-cored bullet.’
‘Always the pragmatists, the Germans.’
‘Yes, indeed. Now, the bullet with the iron core was given a black jacket to differentiate it.’
‘So what more do we know? Why is someone using antique bullets?’
‘Come on, Harper,’ said Denise. ‘They’re not just antique bullets, they’re army supplies. These are Nazi bullets, Harper — original Nazi bullets. He’s playing the whole part, he is the whole part.’
Harper felt the hair on his neck rise.
Chapter Fifty-One
Apartment, Crown Heights
March 10, 2.10 p.m.
Denise Levene headed off to see Aaron Goldenberg. He was a curator at the Museum of Tolerance. If anyone was going to know how to source Second World War artefacts, it would be him. He had also been working on a couple of other pieces of information. The number on the kidnapper’s note and the words Loyalty and Valiance on the black cards.
Harper found Eddie and headed out to Lukanov’s apartment. He called Swanson and Greco.
‘I’m on my way. Any movement?’
‘No one in or out. He’s probably still sleeping.’
Harper and Eddie drove over. Eddie explained what he’d done so far. He had passed the information about the typewriter to Ratten, who had gone out over eBay and two or three Internet groups asking for a 1934 Torpedo Portable Typewriter. He’d already had two hits. Someone who had one and someone who might have one soon.
‘He’ll have a list of dealers by the time we get back.’
‘Good. But I doubt we’ll be able to trace it. If this guy’s really delusional, he could’ve bought it years ago.’
They turned into the street and saw Swanson and Greco’s car. They pulled up and got out. Greco and Swanson drove up to them.
‘Good luck,’ said Swanson.
‘Which is his room?’ said Harper.
Greco pointed. ‘Third-floor corner.’
Harper stared up. ‘Windows open all night?’
‘Yep. Lights went off at 5.27 a.m.’
‘Strange,’ said Harper.
‘Why?’
‘People close their drapes to sleep.’
‘His bedroom is at the side,’ said Greco.
‘I know,’ said Harper, ‘and the drapes aren’t drawn.’
‘Maybe he sleeps heavy,’ said Swanson.
‘You see anyone come and go?’
‘Not a thing. Just other residents.’
‘How many?’
‘Several. We got pictures, if you want.’
‘You kept an eye on the back entrance?’ Harper asked.
‘Sure. There’s two cops there.’
‘They say they saw anyone come in or out?’
‘Nothing.’
‘Girlfriend?’
‘No.’
‘Anyone else?’ said Harper.
‘A cop.’
‘What cop?’
‘The guys at the back saw him. They didn’t see him go in, but a cop came out with a perp in cuffs this morning.’
‘One cop?’ said Harper.
‘Yeah, one cop. Suppose the second cop was in the car.’
‘You said he was leading a perp?’
‘Yeah.’
‘They get a good look at that perp?’
‘No. He had a hoodie on.’
‘Fuck,’ said Harper.
‘What? It was a cop.’
‘Maybe it was a cop, maybe it was Leo and one of his crew.’
‘No, they were sure it was a cop.’
‘You don’t know that. Let me ask you.’
‘What?’
‘How many cops do you see making arrests from the projects on their own?’ The two detectives shook their heads. ‘Is that never? Or do you want more time?’
‘Hardly ever,’ said Greco.
Harper sighed. ‘Come on, he’s gone. Somehow, he’s fucking gone.’
Harper and Eddie ran up to the house, Swanson and Greco behind them. They entered the building, raced up the stairs to the third floor.
Harper stared at the door. ‘Who’s done this? Who kicked this in?’
‘You did,’ said Swanson.
‘I barged the door. The Crime Scene team bolted the door. It’s been kicked open. Careful, there might be prints.’
Harper pushed open the door. He called out, ‘Police.’
Not a sound came back. They stopped still. Were hit by the smell of urine.
They opened the door fully. ‘Looks like he’s gone,’ said Eddie.
‘How fucked up do we want to be? We lost our one lead,’ shouted Harper. He moved through to the bedroom, pushed open this door in turn. ‘Shit,’ said Harper. ‘I don’t think he’s gone.’
‘What? He’s sleeping?’
Eddie joined Harper. There was Lukanov, lying naked on the bed. Gunshot wound to the head. Feathers everywhere, a pillow marked black with residue. His torso was ripped across with the number 88 in large bloody tracks. A small black and white cat was licking at the wounds. It paused and stared at them.
Harper turned and pushed past the two detectives. ‘They killed him,’ he said. ‘He didn’t come or go, you fucking imbeciles, but someone fucking did.’
‘Who? We were supposed to tail the guy, not fucking nurse him. We weren’t looking for someone going in, were we?’
‘I guess not. Another fucking dead end.’
The body was pale, the blood dried black. Covered with Nazi tattoos from neck to ankle. The red calling card ripped across it.
‘A foot soldier,’ said Harper. ‘Dispensable. Someone they knew had betrayed them.’ He turned to Eddie. ‘We’re getting close.’
‘How do you figure?’
‘Serial killers who attack random victims according to type are difficult to trace because there’s no connection between the motive and the victim. There’s only the unlucky fact that the victim was the type.’
‘I know that.’
‘But this is no random victim — this man was killed because he knew, because he was a threat.’
‘So what?’
‘We’re in his lair, Eddie, we’re right in the heart, in the control center, with links and evidence.’
‘That’s good, right?’
‘Sure, that’s good.’
‘You don’t have the face of a man who thinks it’s good.’
‘No. He’s playing a different game now. Either he’s going to pack up, go quiet, move town and hope we never catch up with him, or…’
‘Or?’
‘Or he’s going to feel our breath on his neck and start enjoying it, like it’s some game, and then things are going to escalate fast. So fast, I’m scared.’
‘Why?’
‘Because, Eddie, these people think they’re right, and if he feels he’s pushed into a corner, if he feels that there’s no way out, he’s going to start thinking about doing some permanent damage, maybe on a different scale.’
‘A kill spree.’
‘Yeah. That’s what I’m worried about. Three kills in three days. He’s not just a pattern killer, he’s a deluded soldier who thinks the war’s fucking started. And he’s in New York.’
Chapter Fifty-Two
Lock-Up, Bedford-Stuyvesant
March 10, 5.05 p.m.
The door was yanked open and he stood in a rectangle of moonlight. The darkness of the garage made him pause for a moment. The smell of mold on clay bricks, the human smell somewhere in the background. His hand moved out and flicked an old
plastic switch. Lights flickered dimly in the gloom below.
The killer stepped into the garage. He moved sideways past piles of bricks and scaffolding poles. At the side of the room stood an old desk facing a mirror. An old-fashioned reel-to-reel tape recorder sat on the desk with a small square-headed microphone attached.
The killer put his notebook beside the tape recorder and stared into the mirror. His hair was slicked flat to his skull, and he was wearing a uniform, a full uniform, with the blue eagle on the arm. The uniform made him feel stronger.
He stood in front of the mirror and tried not to look at his face. His uniform couldn’t disguise his features. He was no Aryan, but in the low light he could believe it more than usual. There had never been, to his knowledge, a connection between the expression on his face and the feelings and thoughts beneath.
His whole life he had played a calm game, smiling and getting by, but everything was conditional, nothing was absolute. Perhaps it was just like that with some people. Even as a child he experimented with faces, hiding the feelings below with a mask. With the uniform and the formality of the army, it was different. You were what you appeared to be.
He appeared to be an SS officer because he was an SS officer. He could kill when he liked. When Jews were in the ghetto, when they were out of the ghetto, during the day, during the night. If they broke the rules by being out after curfew or by wearing fur coats or gold rings. All of this was illegal. He could dismiss a Jew with a ragged bullet-hole in an instant. Feeling was action. The manifold between the two worlds had never been complete until now.
He loved this new life he had created. His reanimated life. The life of the past, of past certainties, of past glories, of power, hunger and the Third Reich.
He sat, awake and alive from watching himself in the mirror. He had a small and simple Anglepoise lamp on his desk. This too was an authentic 1940s build. He opened his notebook and looked ahead.
One night, many, many nights ago, he had run away from a persecution of sorts. A beating by some other boys who were supposed to be his friends, who thought beating a Jew was all the more fun for its sudden and unexpected nature. But he wasn’t a Jew, they were mistaken. He had taken on the suffering of a race of which he was no part. He had felt the blows, he had heard the insults. ‘I am not a Jew!’ he shouted.
