Page 28 of Return of the Spider

“As a matter of fact, it is,” I said. “But I don’t think you want to go telling the press about this just yet, Chief.”

Chief Pittman looked at me suspiciously. “Why don’t you spit out what you’ve got and let me decide what I tell the press.”

“I can show you all the similarities, the parallels, even the forty-four-caliber pistol,” I said.

“Cross,” Pittman said, drumming his fingers on his desk. “Forget the details. Give me the headline for now. I have places to be.”

“The shooter, Chief. He thinks he’s the Son of Sam.”

CHAPTER

18

Chief pittman looked atme like I’d lost my mind. Senior detectives Kurtz and Diehl did as well. Even Sampson was giving me a high eyebrow.

“The Son of Sam?” Pittman said. “You mean David Berkowitz? I’m pretty sure he’s still in Attica.”

“He’s at Sullivan Correctional, actually,” I said. “And I didn’t say our killerwasthe Son of Sam. I said hethinkshe’s the Son of Sam.”

“Gimme a break, Cross,” Diehl said.

“Okay, maybe he doesn’t think he’s Berkowitz full-time, but he is undoubtedly following the MO of the killer who terrorized New York in 1977.”

“Challenge,” Detective Kurtz said. “I have close friends who worked that case. I know a lot about it, and this does not look likeBerkowitz. His first victims were not a male and a female, they were two women in a car talking.”

“One killed,” I said. “One wounded. The survivor was able to describe her assailant, just like Abby did for us.”

Pittman shook his head. “That’s not enough to say he’s a copycat Berkowitz.”

“There’s more,” I said. “The gun used to kill Conrad Talbot was a straight forty-four, probably a Charter Arms Bulldog, and the bullet was definitely the same kind that Berkowitz used, a two-hundred-and-forty-six-grain boattail.”

“Probablya Charter Arms Bulldog?” Kurtz said.

“Forensics says there was gunpowder residue on the window consistent with someone shooting a relatively inaccurate short-barreled forty-four, such as a Charter Arms Bulldog, which is what Berkowitz used.”

Diehl said, “I’m still not buying it. Next you’ll be telling us there were satanic symbols found around the car.”

“I’m sure Detective Kurtz can tell you that Berkowitz was messing with the police with those symbols,” I said. “And what he said about hearing the Labrador retriever Sam commanding his son to kill and all the satanic stuff? Not true—he didn’t hear anything. He made it up.”

Kurtz nodded. “I’ll give you that, Cross. What else you got?”

“The angle of approach. Like Berkowitz, this guy planned his approach to take advantage of the blind spot in the car’s side-view mirror.”

Pittman said, “Conrad’s killer did that?”

I nodded. “Check the diagram of his footprints.”

“Who told you Berkowitz moved so he’d be in the mirror’s blind spot?” Kurtz said.

“Berkowitz,” I said.

Sampson said, “Alex interviewed him for his PhD dissertation.”

Kurtz said, “Yeah? Is it true he got religion in the stir?”

“That’s what he claims.”

The chief said, “You’ve got to give me more than that, Cross.”