Worst Fears Realized

52

STONE AND DINO HURRIED INTO THE precinct and up the stairs to where the detective squad worked. Andy Anderson was using a computer terminal at a desk in the center of the room.

“Okay, Andy, tell me,” Dino said.

“The guy went to take some dry cleaning to a place on Third Avenue in the Seventies, and the manager recognized him from the picture in the Times and called it in. There was a black and white half a block away, and the two patrolmen jumped him as he left the place. He was carrying a 9mm automatic and a large switchblade, so we can hold him on weapons charges no matter what.”

“Where is he?”

“Cooling his heels in the lockup.”

“Set up interrogation one for video and audio,” Dino said.

“Already done.”

“Anybody read him his rights?”

“The two patrolmen.”

“Okay, you go in, read him his rights again, and tell him the interview is being recorded.”

“Uh, Lieutenant,” Anderson said hesitantly.

“What?”

“There may be a problem; he hasn’t spoken a word since he was picked up.”

“Is he a mute?”

“I don’t know.”

“Go do what I told you,” Dino said.

“Dino,” Stone said, “we need a lineup first.”

“I’ll get Mary Ann in here, and we’ll do that,” Dino replied.

“No, we need a lineup now, before we see the guy. We need that for court; we’re both witnesses to one of the murders.”

“Oh, right,” Dino said. “Thanks, Stone. Andy, get a lineup together; use other prisoners or other people Stone and I won’t recognize. This has to be good for court; I don’t want any mistakes.”

Anderson went to do as he was told.

“This had to be how it would end,” Stone said. “Somebody would just call in, and it’s over.”

“It won’t be over until we have Mitteldorfer in a cell and a solid case against him,” Dino replied.

Dino went into the lineup first, then left by another door. When Stone came into the little room, he made the man immediately, then went out to find Dino waiting for him.

“Any doubts?” Dino asked.

“None; it’s him.”

“Come on, let’s take a closer look at him before we go in.”

Stone followed Dino into the viewing room next door to interrogation room one. The two were separated by a one-way sheet of plate glass, with a mirror on the interrogation side. Anderson sat in the room alone with the man, who made smoking motions. Anderson shook his head slowly.

“Mary Ann was right,” Dino said with some satisfaction. “She clipped his ear.”

“He looks remarkably like the younger Mitteldorfer,” Stone said. “Got to be a relative.”

“Okay, I’m going in,” Dino said. “You’ll have to observe from here; I don’t want to do anything that a lawyer could pounce on.”

“I want to question him, too, Dino. What grounds would a lawyer have to object?”

Dino thought about it. “Okay, but don’t say anything unless you think I’ve forgotten something. Leave it to Andy and me.”

“All right.” Stone followed Dino into the room, then pulled a chair behind the man and to his left, out of his direct line of sight. Dino took a chair beside Anderson, across the table from the suspect.

“Okay,” Dino said to Anderson, “have you read this gentleman his rights?”

“Yes.”

“Does he know this interview is being recorded?”

“I’ve told him; I don’t know if he understood me.”

Dino turned to the man. “Can you hear me?”

The man nodded.

“Do you understand English?”

He nodded.

“What’s your name?”

The man sat impassively, not moving.

“You run his prints, yet?” Dino asked Anderson.

“Yes; no results yet.”

“You know,” Dino said to the suspect, “we’ll know who you are as soon as your fingerprints come back.”

The man motioned for something to write with.

Anderson shoved a legal pad and a ballpoint across the table.

“You’d rather write your answers?” Dino asked.

The man nodded.

“Okay, what’s your name and address?”

The man sat motionless.

“I’ll go check on the prints,” Anderson said, then left the room.

Dino sat, looking at his suspect. “Why did you kill those people?” he asked suddenly.

The man began to write. He turned the pad so that Dino could read it.

“It seemed a good idea at the time?”

The man nodded vigorously.

Anderson came back and sat down. When Dino looked at him, he shook his head.

“Nothing?” Dino asked.

Anderson shook his head again.

Dino turned back to his suspect. “Write down the names of the people you killed.”

The man began writing, then turned the pad around.

Dino read aloud. “Three women, doorman, cop, lawyer.”

“How did you kill the three women?” Dino asked.

The man made a motion as if to hit himself on the head, then drew a finger across his throat.

Stone held up four fingers, behind the man, so that he wouldn’t see.

“There were four women,” Dino said. “How’d you kill the other one?”

The man made the hitting-on-the-head motion again.

Dino shook his head.

Stone suddenly had an idea. “Herr ober!” he said sharply.

The man’s head snapped around in Stone’s direction.

“We know about your German accent,” Stone said. “There’s no reason not to speak.”

The man thought about that for a moment. “Ach,” he said softly.