By 5 am, Task Force Daughters of Lauterbrunnen (DOL) appeared to be on track of its man. A camera on East 124th near Madison recorded a blue Ford van parking near the corner at 8:09 pm September 2. A man wearing cap, mask and shades, and a green uniform, left through the driver's door and went to the rear. From there he pulled out the two girls, who from their slow awkward gait appeared to be drugged. The mole was visible. The three entered the thicket at 8:11 through the fence gap. At 8:23 a rabbit fled onto the same path and entered the thicket, with a Saint Bernard hot on its tail. Haroun Ganda and Mabinty Kangbo quickly followed.

About 90 seconds later, Ganda reappeared, obviously looking for help, He waved, flagging down Cosgrove and Bernard, and ushered them in. After another minute Galindez parked and entered the thicket.

Ganda came back out to stand watch, but from time to time he disappeared inside and everyone watching could guess why. He missed the suspect's return to the van — the guy had exited from the main gate.

But the camera hadn't missed the van's license plate. It was registered to George Blackgranite, a plumber. There was no answer at his home and the workplace said he was sick. Vertiz, canvassing area hospitals by phone and email, soon found that Blackgranite was in the ICU at Mount Morris with what one might say was a roaring case of Covid, except that he was connected to a ventilator and in a coma.

He had driven himself to the hospital soon after dawn on August 31. An hour later, the security cam recorded a white guy wearing a mostly-identical outfit to the one seen at Marcus Garvey. Only the mask was different. The cam was ancient and needed cleaning, and didn't resolve the mole, but it seemed reasonable to assume that here was the same guy who would attack and drop off the Meidenger girls. He quickly entered and started the van — Blackgranite must have left the keys — and drove away.

"You want to watch what you steal, Niko Bellic," Fin had said. "These are unhealthy times."

A canvass of security outfits by DOL members began even before business hours on the 3rd. The work could probably have been all done by Internet and phone, but Chief McGrath wanted his people to be pound-the-pavement disciples. Consequently, at 8:32 am Frank and Kevin found themselves entering the shopping concourse of Balcer Gardens on West 113th Street near St. Nicholas Avenue.

Frank's first stop was the little boys' room where he would discharge some of his man-size coffee. He was maybe half done when Kevin yelled, "Hey!"

Frank sprang, his remaining "coffee" forgotten, and bolted from the room. He saw Kevin chasing a security man — whose mole was plainly visible. The two rounded a corner and Frank, hearing a meaty splaplap of crashing flesh, sprinted even faster.

Kevin — more fit than you'd think from his two chins and bulging waist — had tackled the guy. Frank ran up and shouted, "You lie still!" An older, more competent-looking guard hurried over and Frank badged him.

"That's Corey Cloutier," the other guard said. "He's green."

"No excuse," Frank said. He gave Cloutier his hardest Look. What little color was in Cloutier's face became even less, and the quivering man farted. "Why did you run from my partner? Why did you run!"