The Vanished Man

recovered.
        • Was from flash cotton or flash paper.
            • Too many sources to trace.
    • Perp’s shoes: size 10 Ecco.
    • Silk fibers, dyed gray, processed to a matte finish.
        • From quick-change janitor’s outfit.
    • Unsub is possibly wearing brown wig.
    • Red pignut hickory and Parmelia conspersa lichen, both found primarily in Central Park.
    • Dirt impregnated with unusual mineral oil. Sent to FBI for analysis.
    • Black silk, 72 × 48”. Used as camouflage. Not traceable.
        • Illusionists use this frequently.
    • Wears caps to cover up prints.
        • Magician’s finger cups.
    • Traces of latex, castor oil, makeup.
        • Theatrical makeup.
    • Traces of alginate.
        • Used in molding latex “appliances.”
    • Murder weapon: white silk-knit rope with black silk core.
        • Rope is a magic trick. Color changing. Not traceable.
    • Unusual knot.
        • Sent to FBI and Maritime Museum—no information.
        • Knots are from Houdini routines, virtually impossible to untie.
    • Used disappearing ink on sign-in register.
    Profile as Illusionist
    • Perp will use misdirection against victims and in eluding police.
        • Physical misdirection (for distraction).
        • Psychological (to eliminate suspicion).
    • Escape at music school was similar to Vanished Man illusion routine. Too common to trace.
    • Perp is primarily an illusionist.
    • Talented at sleight of hand.
    • Also knows protean (quick change) magic. Will use breakaway clothes, nylon and silk, bald cap, finger cups and other latex appliances. Could be any age, gender or race.

Chapter Nine
    They sensed many smells as they walked: blooming lilacs, smoke from the pretzel vendors’ carts and families barbecuing chicken and ribs, suntan lotion.
    Sachs and Kara were making their way to the huge white tent of the Cirque Fantastique through the damp grass of Central Park.
    Noticing two lovers kissing on a bench, Kara asked, “So, he’s more than your boss?”
    “Lincoln? That’s right.”
    “I could tell. . . . How’d you meet?”
    “A case. Serial kidnapper. A few years ago.”
    “Is it hard, him being that way?”
    “No, it’s not,” Sachs replied simply, which was the complete truth.
    “Can they do anything for him, the doctors?”
    “There’s some surgery he’s been thinking about. It’s risky, though, and it probably wouldn’t do any good. He decided not to last year and hasn’t mentioned it since. So the whole thing’s been on hold for a while. He may change his mind at some point. But we’ll see.”
    “You don’t sound like you’re in favor of it.”
    “I’m not. A lot of risk and not much gain. To me, it’s a question of balancing risks. Let’s say you want tobust a perp real bad, lots of paper on him, okay? Warrants, I mean. You know he’s in a particular apartment. Well, do you go ahead and kick the door in even when you don’t know if he’s asleep or if he and his buddies have two MP5s pointed at the door? Or do you wait for backup and take the chance that he’ll get away? Sometimes the risk is worth it, sometimes it’s not. But if he wants to go ahead with the surgery I’m with him. That’s the way we work.”
    Then Sachs explained that he’d been undergoing treatments that involved electronic stimulation of his muscles and a series of exercises that Thom and some physical therapists had been administering—the same exercises that the actor Christopher Reeve had been doing, with remarkable results. “Reeve’s an amazing man,” Sachs said. “Incredible determination. Lincoln’s the same. He doesn’t talk about it much but sometimes he just disappears and has Thom and the PTs work on his exercises. I don’t hear from him for a few days.”
    “Another sort of vanished man, hm?” the young woman asked.
    “Exactly,” Sachs replied, smiling. They were silent for a moment and she wondered if Kara expected more about their relationship. Stories of perseverance over the obvious obstacles, some hint about the knobby details of life as a quad. People’s reactions when they were out in public. Or even some hint about the nature of the intimacies. But if she was curious she didn’t pursue it.
    In fact, Sachs detected mostly envy. Kara continued, “I haven’t had much luck lately in the man department.”
    “Not seeing anybody?”
    “I’m not sure,” Kara