Page 68 of Cold, Cold Bones

“I’ll tell you what I spotted in there. Fuck all. No photo of a proud hunter smiling over a gutted deer. No rambling manifesto authored by Smith. No good-bye note signed by Bodingo. Zip.”

“Boldonado. What about the rest of the compound?”

He repeated what Henry had said. Added, “No personal effects. No clothes. No toiletries. Oh, except for a box of surgical gloves.”

“That’s odd.”

“Maybe the guy worried about chipping his manicure.”

“Doesn’t sound like anyone lives there,” I said.

“If they are, they ain’t big on hygiene. Or eating.”

“Henry said you were going through the pictures you took. Find anything enlightening there?”

“Not yet.”

“How do you read it?”

“Could be what we said, the little freak set the place up as a doomsday hidey-hole. Or could be he uses it as a getaway for his serial killer/true crime hobby. Maybe he shares a crib with an old lady don’t like his pastime. Maybe she don’t let him run around naked at home. Or smoke his Cubans. How should I know?”

“You’ll stay on Smith?” I asked.

“He ain’t Smith.”

“Whatever.”

“I’m on it.”

“Will you ask for a warrant?”

“Based on what? Old news and stories about Son of Sam and his pals?”

In the background I heard squad room noises, pictured Slidell at the long table in the center of the cold case unit.

“What about Boldonado,” I asked. “You’ll check for corroboration he spent time with Smith?”

“I gotta tell you, Doc. This hanging guy being a suicide, he don’t top my list.”

Knowing the reception it would receive, I voiced the thought that was bothering me.

“I can’t shake the feeling Kwalwasser, Sanchez, and Boldonado, if that’s who the hanging man turns out to be, are somehow linked.”

I found myself listening to a dial tone.

I spent the rest of the afternoon finishing the report on Edgar Seymour Stokely. Still couldn’t bring myself to look at the damn bucket.

At four-thirty, my phone rang.

“Bingo. Eighteen-point match.”

I waited for Henry to continue.

“Your suicide vic is Francis Leonardo Boldonado.”

“Why were his prints in the system?” I asked.

“Boldonado did a stint in the army.” She paused, probably doing mental math on the dates. “Must have been right out of high school. He was reported missing August 29, 2019, by Angelina Boldonado.”