Flu

Chapter 76

"Alexis wasn't the only one working hard in the lab this weekend," Kate remarks, studying the report on the screen of her desk computer. "So far, they don't have any more matches, but they sent us some phenotypes. That will help us narrow down the victim pool when we go through missing persons from Frees' kill zone."

"Let's hope that other than his Pennsylvania drop, Heitner stayed within the deer print too. You want a coffee before we tackle the files?" Rick asks.

Kate picks up the container on her desk. "I haven't finished this one yet. Let's just get going. I'll print the report out, and we can take it with us to Tech. It will be easier to pick out his likely victims on the big screen, and we can bring up contact data at the same time."


"I have a storm prep meeting, but I can set this up for you before I go," Tori offers as Rick and Kate enter her domain.

"What kind of storm prep?" Rick asks.

"If New York gets hit, we're going to be using some new algorithms to distribute personnel and map out viable routes for our vehicles. Scheduling will be a moving target, and we're hoping to make things easier for Montgomery and the other precinct captains. That's the plan, anyway."

"What if the electricity goes out?" Rick questions. "How are you going to power your computers?"

"We have battery backups to keep the machines from crashing, but those won't last long. We're hoping to tie into generators, but the circuits were set up before computing was as big an issue. We already have people looking at fixing them, but if the storm's path holds to predictions, getting it done is going to be tight."

Kate whistles through closed lips. "Good luck."

Tori's fingers race over her keyboard. "Thanks. We're going to need it."


Rick regards an image on the screen. "Ginny Gompers is a reasonable match for phenotype #4. Her hair color is right, and it doesn't have the fried look of a bleach job. Her eyebrows match too."

"Her height's also within the envelope," Kate agrees, doublechecking the CSU report, "but it's a pretty big envelope. We'll need to get D.N.A. from a family member to verify her identity. Her mother filed the M.P. report. If the number on it is still good, I can call her right now."

Rick gazes over Kate's shoulder at the document she's holding. "Ginny's mother is Mila Lolitavitch. That name is familiar. Yes! She's an actress who worked with Mother about seven years back. I remember because Mila was given lavish kudos in the Ledger review, and Mother's performance was barely acknowledged. I heard about that travesty for weeks until Mother got a glowing notice in Variety, and Mila was ignored. Mother claimed that she could only be fully appreciated by those who truly understood the craft. I also recall her mentioning something about the theater community helping in the search for a missing girl. She didn't say it was Mila's daughter, but it might have been. Mila will probably still be based in New York. A stage actress wouldn't be likely to move away from the city; however, she might be in a road company somewhere."

"I hope not," Kate replies, "but we'll find out soon enough."


"I know the reason sucks, but I love getting to go to Medieval Times," Rick confides.

"Isn't playing the Lady of the Wood in Lyndhurst, New Jersey, a bit of a comedown from a Broadway show, even a road company?" Kate wonders.

"Kate, I spent enough time backstage to know that most actors, including Mother, for most of her career, thank their lucky stars for any paying job. And except for the Meryl Streeps of the profession, as the women get older, there are a lot fewer of those to be had. This is a good deal for Mila. Lyndhurst is only a half-hour from New York. She gets a steady income. She can also check out the crowds every night for a familiar face. If I were in her shoes, I would."

"I guess I would too," Kate agrees, as she pulls into the parking lot of the dinner and tournament theater. "This place is huge!"

"They do need room for the horses," Rick points out.


Mila dabs a tissue at eyes not yet made up for the evening's performance. "Every night, I think that somewhere among all those people digging into their food and cheering for the knights, I'll spot Gina. That will never happen now."

"We can't be certain of that yet. We'll need your D.N.A. to verify that what the lab found came from Gina. I've been trained to take samples. All I have to do is swab inside your cheek. I can do that right now if you give me your permission," Kate offers.

"Of course, I'll give you my permission. How long will it take until I can find out for sure if," Mila's voice cracks, "if my daughter is dead?"

"I'll rush the sample to the lab," Kate assures the trembling actress. "The case is a high priority. With any luck, we'll know tomorrow."

"Thank you. And Mr. Castle," Mila adds, "tell Martha that I caught her play in the previews. Her exploration of her character was a tour de force."

"I'll do that," Rick promises.

"You should go into the lab by yourself," Castle considers as Kate drives back to Manhattan. "If I show up, Alexis will think I'm checking on her. Now that I think about it. If you drop me by the subway, I'll probably beat you home, and I can get dinner started for when you and our budding criminologist appear. Medieval Times always inspires me. I think I'll prepare something we can rip apart with our hands and tear into with our teeth."

"As long as I don't come home to find a knight on horseback in the loft, I'm good with that," Kate accedes.

Rick solemnly raises his right hand. "No knights, tonight."


Lana studies the projected storm track on her go-to site for cross country skiing information. It's still iffy as to whether it will hit New York City. Neither the Global nor European models can pin it down, but wherever it goes, it's going to be big.

When Eli came back from Minnesota, he proudly showed her his new skis, good ones. She noticed with satisfaction and some relief that the skiing novice hadn't been taken. But then, cheating Eli would be no easy task. He's busier than any A.D.A. in New York and more successful. If he wants to move up to D.A., she can't see anything stopping him. But she's not sure he'd be interested in that political a job. Like her, he wants to do the work that matters, with results he can see. Maybe that's why they get along so well.

Her screen refreshes. Hmm, the Pineapple Express is opening up. So far, the pattern is reminiscent of the North American Blizzard of 2006. Like that storm, the weather coming before it includes thundersnow, an unusual phenomenon in itself. Lana knows the department is keeping an eye on the situation. That won't stop her from doing the same. She already stocked up on food, water, and batteries. She's not sure Eli had time to take care of that for himself. Before the snow blankets the city, she'll have to remember to ask.


Tori's meeting breaks up a lot later than she thought it would. Essential elements are missing from the algorithms, including dealing with stalled cars blocking snowplows and procedures if the subway lines go down. She and her colleagues came up with a pretty good idea concerning the subways, but the street traffic questions were far from solved. She resolves to sock away every evil snack food she's been denying herself. If she ends up getting snowed in, she's going to enjoy it.