87th Precinct - The Frumious Bandersnatch Part 6

They were watching the part of the tape where Tamar Valparaiso was standing in uffish thought under the Tumtum tree, all unaware that she was about to be attacked. There he came now, big and muscular, the Banders.n.a.t.c.h, or the Jabberwock, or whoever her father had just warned her about a couple of seconds ago, suddenly leaping from behind a screen on the left side of the dance floor, looking menacing as h.e.l.l in a scary clay-colored mask, the kind of guy neither of the detectives would choose to run into in a dark alley.

The ensuing rape, the attempted rape, was all too realistic.

Neither Carella nor Hawes had ever witnessed a rape in progress, but they had heard the testimony of far too many vics, and they knew d.a.m.n well what the crime was all about. The dancer playing the rapista"there was no way this video could be considered anything but a ch.o.r.eographed visualization of a rapea"seemed to understand completely that rape had nothing to do with s.e.x (however s.e.xy Tamar looked as her clothes kept shredding away) but instead had only to do with power. This creature, this thing, this animal seemed resolute in his rage to overwhelm this young girl half his size and weight, determined to prove by sheer force of strength that he was the superior being here, he was in control, he was the master, he would dominate, he would conquer, he would enter and invade and eventually humiliate and disgrace and demean and dishonor and utterly destroy. That was the whole thing about rape. It wasnat about getting laid. It was about showing just who owned who, babe.

They almost felt like intervening.

Jumping up and yelling, aPolice! Stop!a Probably wake up the sleeping uniform.

But the tape was that real and that frightening.

Then, of course, it all came out all right. Unlike rapes in real life, this one had a happy ending. The girl reached up for some imaginary kind of weapon and slashed out at her a.s.sailanta aOne, two! One, two! And through and through aThe vorpal blade went snicker-snack!

aHe left it dead, and with its head aHe went galumphing back.a Helpless female becomes powerful male in order to defeat another powerful male. Where was the message there?

The rap ended.

The beast in its enraged crimson mask lay dead on the floor at Tamaras feet.

Now there was only the B-flat note again, that single repeated ba.s.s note, and Tamar fluidly moving the tune into the bluesy figure of its opening melody.

aAnd hast thou slain the Jabberwock?

aCome to my arms, my beamish boy!

aO frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!

aHe chortled in his joy.a Tamaras eyes shone, her voice rang out. She was home, baby, she was home.

aSheas terrific,a Hawes said.

aA star,a Carella agreed.

a aTwas brillig, and the slithy toves aDid gyre and gimble in the wabe: aAll mimsy were theaa aDonat n.o.body f.u.c.kingmove! a aHere they come,a Hawes said, and leaned forward.

And here they came.

The detectives watched the screen intently.

This was a professional tape, recorded by skilled technicians. This wasnat something some pa.s.sing motorist had shot from his car window because head happened to notice it occurring as he drove by. Nor was this something recorded on a bank or a supermarket camera, all fuzzy and grainy and virtually worthless for identification purposes. This was clear and sharp and focused and detailed and in full living color. This was the chronicle of a crime in progress and it would stand up in any court in the land.

You could not see the menas faces because of the masks, Saddam Hussein and Yasir Arafat, two gents intent on a little mischief. They were wearing black long-sleeved sweatshirts and black leather gloves. Black denim trousers. Black socks. Black running shoes.

aReeboks,a Hawes said.

He had just made out the label.

Carella nodded.

Weapons were AK-47s, no question about it.

The shorter of the two was left-handed. Saddam Hussein. At least, he was carrying the rifle in his left hand. Pointing it up at the ceiling, like the real Hussein about to fire at the sky. Right hand on the mahogany banister.

aOuch!a Hawes said when Hussein slammed the black dancer with the stock of the rifle.

They kept watching.

aSon of a b.i.t.c.h,a Hawes said, when Hussein slapped Tamar.

The other one, the taller one, Yasir Arafat, clapped a wet rag over her face.

aYou move, she dies!a Hussein yelled.

aHe sound black to you?a Carella asked.

aI donat know. Kind of m.u.f.fled under that mask.a aWitnesses all seemed to think they were black. Iam not getting that, are you?a aLetas take another look,a Hawes said, and got up to rewind the tape.

aWhatas going on?a the sleeping patrolman asked, raising his head.

aNothing, man, cool it,a Hawes said.

aI was up all f.u.c.kin night,a the patrolman said, and rolled over on the cot again.

They played the tape two more times.

They both felt they were missing something.

But they didnat know what.

4.

THE FIRST THINGKellie saw when she took the padlock off the closet door, and then opened the door itself, was a pair of big brown eyes glaring out at her. She slammed the door shut at once.

aOh, s.h.i.t!a she said, and fumbled the padlock into the hasp, and snapped it shut again. aAve,a she yelled, ashe saw me! Oh, Jesus, Ave, she saw me!a and went running into the kitchen.

The two men were sitting at a small round table near the window, eating the pizza Cal had brought back from the local Pizza Hut.

aWhat do you mean?a Avery asked.

aI opened the door, she was looking out at me.a aSo whatad you do?a aSlammed the door shut.a aSo it was just a glimpse, right?a aBut she saw me,a Kellie said, more softly now, like a child trying to explain to her parents that the monster under the bed actually did exist. aSheall be able to identify me. Later. When we let her go.a aShe wonat remember what you looked like. It was just a glimpse, am I right?a aYes, butaa aWeall put on the masks. Donat worry, itall be okay. It was just a glimpse.a aWhatad she do?a Cal asked. aGet the blindfold off?a aI opened the closet, she was looking at me with her eyes wide open,a Kellie said, nodding.

aWeall wear the masks from now on,a Avery said. aYou want some pizza?a aIs it any good?a aItas delicious,a Cal said. aDid she look scared?a aShe looked angry.a aSheas supposed to look scared. Iall go scare her when I finish my pizza here. Iall put on my mask and scare the s.h.i.t out of her.a aYou keep away from her,a Avery said.

aWhyad you open the closet, anyway?a Cal asked.

aSee if she wanted anything to eat. Weare not supposed to starve her to death, are we?a aWeare supposed to get two hundred and fifty thousand bucks, is what weare supposed to do,a Avery said. aAnd then weare supposed to return her safe and sound, end of story.a aThatas what Iam saying, safe and sound,a Kellie said. aThat means feeding her, am I right?a aWeall feed her, donat worry,a Avery said.

aOh, weall take very good care of her, donat worry,a Cal said, and bit into his pizza. Avery gave him a look. aWhat?a Cal asked.

aJust stay away from her.a aWas Kellie went near her, not me.a aIall talk to her later,a Avery said. aWhen I finish here. Make her understand n.o.bodyas going to hurt her.a aShe sure looked mad.a aNeeds a little scare, is what she needs,a Cal said.

Avery looked at him again.

aJust kidding,a Cal said, and held up his hands defensively.

aHave some pizza,a Avery told Kellie.

He seemed very calm, she thought.

Maybe too calm.

The girl had seen her face.

CHANNEL FOURaSoffices were in a skysc.r.a.per on Moody Street, just off Jefferson Avenue. Hawes approached the imposing gla.s.s and stainless steel structure through a small pocket park with a waterfall flowing over its rear granite wall. Sitting at round metal tables in bright Sunday afternoon sunshine, half a dozen elderly people drank their cappuccinos or munched on their sandwiches. Hawes wondered what it was like to be old like that, fifty, sixty years or so.

Security was tight here.

A square-shield uniformed guard was standing alongside another man checking names at a lectern-sized desk. Hawes had called ahead, and so Honey Blair was expecting him. But the guy behind the podium asked him to sign in, and then he opened the manila envelope to check the video inside (even though the envelope was imprinted with the wordsPOLICE DEPARTMENT a"EVIDENCE) and then he called upstairs before allowing Hawes to proceed to the elevators.

Honey was waiting in the seventh-floor hallway for him.

She was wearing tan tailored slacks and a green cotton knit sweater. Apparently, she favored the short skirts and revealing tops only on camera. She took the evidence envelope from him, and unclasped it to check on the video inside, just the way the guard had. Satisfied, she nodded curtly, said, aThanks, I appreciate it,a and was turning to go when Hawes said, aHey.a She stopped.

aWeare sorry,a he said. aWe were doing our job.a aBy stopping me from doing mine,a she said. aYou cost meaa She looked at her watch. aItas three oaclock. This tape shouldave aired at eleven last night. Now it wonat go out till the Five OaClock News. Thatas seventeen hours you cost me. My scoop went right down the drain.a aItall stillaa aBe old news by the time anybody sees it.a aItall still get a lot of attention. Itas a very good tape.a aOh, you watched it, huh?a aEvidence,a he said, and shrugged somewhat boyishly.

aYou probably shouldnat have done that.a aI probably shouldnat have told you I did that.a Honey nodded. Looked at him.

aWant to watch it again?a she asked.

AVERY HANESknocked on the closet door.

aIam going to open the door,a he said. aDonat do anything foolish. No oneas going to hurt you. Okay? I know you canat talk, but if you understand me, just kick the door, okay? Weare going to let you out of the closet, okay? So kick the door if you understand.a There was a sharp kick on the door.

Then another one.

Then several in succession.

Sharp angry kicks.

aIam not sure youare ready for this,a Avery said.

Another series of kicks.

aIam not sure at all,a he said.

And waited.

There were no further kicks.

He took the key Kellie had given him, inserted it into the hanging lock, twisted it, and then removed the lock from its hasp. He picked up the AK-47 from where head momentarily placed it on the floor, and cautiously opened the door.

She was sitting on the floor with her back to the rear wall of the closet, knees bent, long legs tucked under her, skirt tattered, panties showing. Her brown eyes were wide at first. She blinked them against the sudden light that flooded in.

aNothing stupid now,a he said.

She opened her eyes again.

He was still wearing a dumb Halloween mask. One of those rubber things you pulled over your entire head. He was Yasir Arafat. She looked straight into the mask. Tried to read the eyes in the holes of the mask.

aTake a good look,a he said. aTheyare brown. Like yours.a She craned her neck, lifted her chin, shook her head violently from side to side, telling him she wanted the gag removed.

aYouall scream,a he said.

She shook her head no.

aIf you scream, Iall have to hurt you,a he said.

She kept shaking her head no.

aAre you hungry?a She nodded. Then shook her head strenuously again and again and again, asking him to please remove the G.o.dd.a.m.n gag.

aPromise me you wonat scream.a She nodded. Rolled her brown eyes heavenward in solemn promise. He smiled.

Reaching behind her head, he felt for the knot in the twisted rag, found it.

aTurn,a he said.

She turned her head.

He put down the rifle for a moment, started plucking at the knot with the fingers and thumbs of both hands. She spit out the gag the moment she felt it coming loose. Kept coughing. He was afraid she might scream. He was ready to hit her if she screamed. He didnat want to hit her, but he would if she screamed.

aYou okay?a he asked.

She nodded.

aHungry?a She nodded again.

aIall untie your feet,a he said.

She nodded.

aYou wonat try to run, will you?a he asked.