Page 147 of The Midnight Lock (Lincoln Rhyme 14)

A surveillance team from NYPD Tech Services planted videos outside the town house and then Rhyme sent Thom off with his partner. Sellitto and Sachs had placed a tac team in the parlor.

The Locksmith had fallen for the bait.

Now, Sachs and Mel Cooper were packing up the evidence. The TV was on to a cable network’s news channel and “Breaking Story” appeared. The anchor-woman reported,“A suspect tentatively identified as the Locksmith has been arrested in Manhattan. Thirty-year-old Yannis Gregorios, a content moderator with ViewNow, has been charged with the series of break-ins that terrorized the city.

“He was also charged with the murder of his father, Alekos Gregorios, stabbed to death last week.

“A source within the police department reported that the famous criminologist Lincoln Rhyme was part of the team that pursued the alleged killer. A former captain with the New York City Police, Rhyme is best known for capturing the Bone Collector, a serial kidnapper and killer who roamed the streets of New York years ago.”

“Oh, shit,” Sellitto muttered.

Rhyme grimaced. “I know, I know. Makes me mad too. Theyalwaysget it wrong. A criminologist studies the sociology of crime and I can’t think of anything more boring. I’m acriminalist.”

“That’s not what I frigging mean.”

Rhyme realized that Sellitto, Cooper and Sachs had stopped their tasks and were staring his way.

And then it hit him.

Now everyone—including those in Police Plaza—would know he’d broken the prohibition on consulting.

“I don’t see a problem,” he said, feeling cheerful. “Ididhappen to catch the psycho, didn’t I? Ten dollars says they’ll forgive and forget. No, make it a hundred. Who’s on?”

CRUCIFORM KEY

[MAY 29, 9 A.M.]

79

Arrest him.”

New York City Mayor Tony Harrison was standing at his office window, looking out at a wedge of the city,hiscity—a jurisdiction in which orders he gave and rules he set were to be carried out.

As clearly had not happened.

“Rhyme. I want him in jail. And I want his people fired. Sachs, Pulaski … All of them. Out. And no pensions. Can we do that?” Harrison noted that his sleeves were not rolled up in unison; some elbow showed on the starboard. He adjusted.

“I’d be careful with the pensions.” This was from the large outdoorsman detective, Richard Beaufort, of his security team. He bore a striking resemblance to some actor whose name the mayor could not recall. Maybe a TV show cop. Or an FBI agent.

Beaufort said, “We have to handle it carefully. I mean, theydidcollar the Locksmith. And that Whittaker woman.”

Abe Potter was present too. In contrast to the mayor’s cultivatedcasual look, the aide was pristine in a three-piece suit, the sort you rarely saw.

The athletic mayor smoothed his lush pelt of graying hair, in a politician’s ’do. “Have either of you seen Roland’s statement?”

Edward Roland, his slick, billionaire opponent in the quest for the governor’s mansion in Albany, had taken all of twenty minutes to issue a press release.

“No.” From Beaufort.

Potter said, “I did. It’s not good.”

“What did he say?” Beaufort asked.

“He said that I can’t control my own people. He called for me to step down. And he said the reason it took so long to stop the Locksmith was the breaches in the department. He cited those posts by Verum.”

Potter observed, “Who was the psychotic niece of Averell Whittaker, and she’s in jail for murder.”

“The followers—and that’s a lot of them—don’t believe it. They’re saying she was set up.”