think she will like this? reynaud shrugs. laval tosses him a newsweek.
we are lucky the fbi is sending her. she is the michael jordan of criminal profiling. the guy le fleuer of profiling. she will save our ass. the phone rings. laval answers.
inspector laval. have the airline check again. look around baggage claim. she was on the flight but they can't find her. reynaud's cell rings.
agent vanderholt, we requested your help. i'm inspector laval, this is inspector reynaud.
this was a meter from the skull. at soil level. the medical examiner opens the bag. removes a wig. no, not a wig; someone's ponytail and leathered scalp. tangled with the hair is a braid of green nylon cord tied to two pieces of broomstick. the photographer snaps some shots. the medical examiner gingerly untangles the cord.
it might be trash a camper left.
that is a theory.
say hello to a dead man. insert sketch: the victim has a deep stare, rugged features, long hair.
this is more than we had. thank you. laval has declared peace. grace smiles. reynaud still keeps his distance.
we named the victim; curtis kohler. the forensic dentist just verified the id.
no. k-o-h-l-e-r. the initials are for the montreal river company. kohler worked there as a guide three years ago. the owner remembers him because he stole the wetsuit.
yes, of course.
let's go down the street. very good food. we are inviting you. please. grace grabs her jacket and an armful of reports.
very solid time of death. two years ago.
dead men don't pay their bills. it's identity theft.
computer error?
we work organized crime sometimes, maybe a hit man wanted to lay low. he assumed the life of a civilian until things cooled off.
you are a heavy sleeper.
a man was killed tonight. attacked from behind. asphyxiated with a nylon cord with handles. and there's a witness. or a suspect. we're not sure yet. we should go.
that's him. he says he saw the killer. reynaud slaps the cop car, it quickly drives away. grace and laval arrive at a body dressed in sweats. a gym bag nearby. a pair of uniforms stand guard as a criminalist processes the body. thirty-ish, healthy, his generic looks marred by bulging, bruised eyes. face bruised.
meet mr. todd ford. grace squats by the body. clicks on her mag-lite and inspects the victim. bruises on his neck.
there. under his car. grace shines her light under a car. a garrote is there, made of broomsticks and knotted nylon cord.
i'm letting the poor man sleep a couple more minutes. twenty-four hour gym is there, next door. he has a membership card in his wallet. that's his car. car keys. grace looks around the garage. taking it all in. getting a feel for the scene. she carefully examines the victim's car with her flashlight. the door has been brushed with black print dust.
what did you shout?
you touched him?
you removed the garrote?
did you see where the attacker went?
what kind of gun did he have?
was it black? was it silver?
okay, see? i am getting information. he had a large black handgun.
you want to draw a picture?
how could you see his face in the dark? a beat. costa realizing he is under suspicion. he leans forward, looks inspector laval in the eye.
i was getting into his mind.
sure. it's all on-line. grace takes an evidence bag containing the garrote from the latest crime scene. she drops it in her computer bag. grabs a case file.
you left a file in there.
here's his provincial driver's license photo. he's checking out. laval shows grace the photo. it is definitely costa. a beat.
we'll run the tests.
they were kicked. during the struggle.
everything you are saying, you are saying one thing, do we trust costa?
we should get out of here. don't touch anything. they back out of there.
he went home twenty minutes ago. agent grace, where do you think monsieur edwards is?
we'll take that with us. put a number and seal on that case. reynaud snaps pictures of the guitar case. grace is absorbing everything this little apartment can tell her. bonding with the space. she smells a pillow. thinking.
no.
yes, yes. they have one big claw and curl up tight. laval takes a long, sharpened screwdriver from his jacket. begins prying off a door molding. grace sits at the kitchen table.
director, please. we are getting close. the hairs recovered from the apartment match the hairs recovered at the crime scene on ford's body. we found hours of video like that of the victim. he has been following him, filming him for weeks. he tapped his phone and has recordings of ford's calls. even a cd with copies of mr. ford's e-mail folders.
we know what he looks like, we have his fingerprints, we know what he had for breakfast. but his name eludes us still.
yes, sir. laval and reynaud quickly exit. grace stays.
i'm fair and i keep my promises. my informants trust me. i have eyes on the trains, on the buses. if they see him, they will tell me.
i trust their fear of this.
mr. ford worked as a cruise-ship musician. he would walk around and play his guitar on the decks at night.
he targeted mr. ford the night before he was supposed to get on a plane and meet a ship in aruba.
you're always thinking. save something for tomorrow. we have three boxes of evidence to go through.
my papa dropped dead of a heart attack in front of a drill press at work. not me. grace understands. laval clinks her beer, reynaud too.
no hits. he's never been fingerprinted.
nothing. i think he became edwards a year ago. he was a software engineer. did everything by the internet, he never met anyone face to face. grace trades reynaud for the front page.
edwards went on a river trip. kohler was a guide. grace reacts. laval tosses her some papers.
those are e-mails between kohler and edwards discussing the trip one year ago.
i couldn't sleep.
of course. the young detective returns with a report, hands it to grace.
this is it. grace watching laval. he looks pretty rough this morning.
merde!
am i interrupting something?
the x-rays don't match.
she's a very slick woman.
if she's under our protection and something happens to her house, her belongings, the department could be liable. there could be a lawsuit.
i'll stay outside. kill him if he's in there.
ah, you do feel fear.
is anything missing.
he's happy to see you. but the alarm was jumpered. do you think costa knows how to jumper an alarm?
is that the man you saw choking mr. ford? fear flashes across costa's face.
you will be safe, my friend.
i wish i had his patience. he should be a cop. his mother should be punished. like the owner of pit bulls that attack kids.
three.
dan soulsby. he went missing from the alberta military institute two days before the accident.
yes. they are also 'no questions answered.' mr. kohler suddenly paid off his credit card bills, thanks to money from edwards.
this painting costs more than my house. reynaud shakes his head.
jean, he ran into the damn crowd. reynaud bolts out of there.
we're heading east. form a line at seychelles. a dozen uniforms charge through the crowd.