NYPD Red 2 Part 37

Clapper is a crisply turned out man in his late forties, a former homicide cop, and a very fine CSI. I went over to him and said, "I don't think you've ever seen anything like this."

After I briefed him on what I was calling a crime scene, we walked over to the wreck and Clapper poked his head into the vehicle.

He took a long look, then he backed out and said, "It's an explosion, all right. But the way I understand belly bombs, they're mechanical devices, surgically implanted. Powder. Cap. Detonator. I don't see wires. I don't smell explosive powder.

"And this is strange," Clapper continued. "The blast was restricted to the front seat. Bombs of this type are meant to blow up not just the vehicle, but everything around it. You're right, though. This is a new one on me."

I said, "We've run the plates, but I want the bodies ID'd before Eyewitness News notifies next of kin."

I pointed to a red nylon backpack in the rear foot well. After a tech shot photos of the bag and the fairly untouched rear seat, I unzipped the bag. Inside was a toy dog, a bunch of CDs, a cell-phone charger, and a blue spangled wallet.

Inside the wallet was a driver's license.

"Our female victim is Lara Trimble, twenty-one, lives in Oakland," I said.

There was a mess of paper litter in the rear foot well, and I found myself staring at something that might be important.

"Can you shoot that?" I asked.

Once forensics had photos, I gloved up and lifted out a hamburger bag that hadn't been damaged in the blast.

"h.e.l.lo," I said out loud. "Is this where they had their last meal?"

Clapper said, "Thank you," then deftly took the bag from my fingers and sealed it in a gla.s.sine envelope. "This is what we like to call evidence."

Claire joined us and said, "Charles, what are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that this scene is going to be on the national news in a wink. The FBI, Homeland Security, ATF, as many feds as can fit on the deck, will be here in a half hour and the bridge will be closed until next Christmas. For twenty-four hours, anyway."

The Golden Gate Bridge was a high-quality target, an American icon. Bombs on this bridge would scare everyone in San Francisco. It was scaring the c.r.a.p out of me.

I called Brady's cell and said that we were looking at possible terrorist activity.

He said, "s.h.i.+t. Of course we are."

Then we all stood around in the swirling fog and waited for the feds to arrive.

About the Author.

JAMES PATTERSON has created more enduring fictional characters than any other novelist writing today. He is the author of the Alex Cross novels, the most popular detective series of the past twenty-five years, including Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider. Mr. Patterson also writes the bestselling Women's Murder Club novels, set in San Francisco, and the top-selling New York detective series of all time, featuring Detective Michael Bennett. James Patterson has had more New York Times bestsellers than any other writer, ever, according to Guinness World Records. Since his first novel won the Edgar Award in 1977, James Patterson's books have sold more than 280 million copies.

James Patterson has also written numerous #1 bestsellers for young readers, including the Maximum Ride, Witch & Wizard, and Middle School series. In total, these books have spent more than 220 weeks on national bestseller lists. In 2010, James Patterson was named Author of the Year at the Children's Choice Book Awards.

His lifelong pa.s.sion for books and reading led James Patterson to create the innovative website ReadKiddoRead.com, giving adults an invaluable tool to find the books that get kids reading for life. He writes full-time and lives in Florida with his family.

MARSHALL KARP has written for stage, screen, and TV, and is the author of The Rabbit Factory and three other mysteries featuring LAPD Detectives Mike Lomax and Terry Biggs. NYPD Red 2 is his third collaboration with James Patterson.

jamespatterson.com.

Books by James Patterson.

NYPD Red Novels.

NYPD Red 2 (with Marshall Karp) NYPD Red (with Marshall Karp).

Featuring Alex Cross Cross My Heart.

Alex Cross, Run Merry Christmas, Alex Cross Kill Alex Cross Cross Fire.

I, Alex Cross Alex Cross's Trial (with Richard DiLallo) Cross Country Double Cross.

Cross (also published as Alex Cross) Mary, Mary London Bridges The Big Bad Wolf Four Blind Mice Violets Are Blue.

Roses Are Red Pop Goes the Weasel Cat & Mouse Jack & Jill.

Kiss the Girls Along Came a Spider The Women's Murder Club.

12th of Never (with Maxine Paetro) 11th Hour (with Maxine Paetro) 10th Anniversary (with Maxine Paetro) The 9th Judgment (with Maxine Paetro) The 8th Confession (with Maxine Paetro) 7th Heaven (with Maxine Paetro) The 6th Target (with Maxine Paetro).

The 5th Horseman (with Maxine Paetro) 4th of July (with Maxine Paetro) 3rd Degree (with Andrew Gross).

2nd Chance (with Andrew Gross) 1st to Die Featuring Michael Bennett Gone (with Michael Ledwidge).

I, Michael Bennett (with Michael Ledwidge) Tick Tock (with Michael Ledwidge) Worst Case (with Michael Ledwidge) Run for Your Life (with Michael Ledwidge) The Private Novels Private L.A. (with Mark Sullivan).

Private Berlin (with Mark Sullivan) Private London (with Mark Pearson) Private Games (with Mark Sullivan).

Private: #1 Suspect (with Maxine Paetro) Private (with Maxine Paetro) Summer Novels Second Honeymoon (with Howard Roughan) Now You See Her (with Michael Ledwidge) Swimsuit (with Maxine Paetro).

Sail (with Howard Roughan) Beach Road (with Peter de Jonge) Lifeguard (with Andrew Gross) Honeymoon (with Howard Roughan) The Beach House (with Peter de Jonge) Stand-alone Novels.

First Love (with Emily Raymond) Mistress (with David Ellis).

Zoo (with Michael Ledwidge) Guilty Wives (with David Ellis) The Christmas Wedding (with Richard DiLallo).

Kill Me If You Can (with Marshall Karp) Toys (with Neil McMahon) Don't Blink (with Howard Roughan).

The Postcard Killers (with Liza Marklund) The Murder of King Tut (with Martin Dugard) Against Medical Advice (with Hal Friedman) Sundays at Tiffany's (with Gabrielle Charbonnet) You've Been Warned (with Howard Roughan) The Quickie (with Michael Ledwidge) Judge & Jury (with Andrew Gross).

Sam's Letters to Jennifer The Lake House The Jester (with Andrew Gross).

Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas Cradle and All When the Wind Blows Miracle on the 17th Green (with Peter de Jonge) Hide & Seek The Midnight Club.

Black Friday (originally published as Black Market) See How They Run Season of the Machete The Thomas Berryman Number.

For Readers of All Ages Maximum Ride Nevermore: The Final Maximum Ride Adventure ANGEL: A Maximum Ride Novel FANG: A Maximum Ride Novel MAX: A Maximum Ride Novel.

The Final Warning: A Maximum Ride Novel Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports: A Maximum Ride Novel School's Out-Forever: A Maximum Ride Novel.

The Angel Experiment: A Maximum Ride Novel Daniel X.

Daniel X: Armageddon (with Chris Grabenstein) Daniel X: Game Over (with Ned Rust) Daniel X: Demons and Druids (with Adam Sadler).

Daniel X: Watch the Skies (with Ned Rust) The Dangerous Days of Daniel X (with Michael Ledwidge) Witch and Wizard Witch & Wizard: The Kiss (with Jill Dembowski).

Witch & Wizard: The Fire (with Jill Dembowski) Witch & Wizard: The Gift (with Ned Rust) Witch & Wizard (with Gabrielle Charbonnet) Middle School.

Middle School: How I Survived Bullies, Broccoli, and Snake Hill (with Chris Tebbetts, ill.u.s.trated by Laura Park) Middle School: My Brother Is a Big, Fat Liar (with Lisa Papademetriou, ill.u.s.trated by Neil Swaab) Middle School: Get Me Out of Here (with Chris Tebbetts, ill.u.s.trated by Laura Park) Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life (with Chris Tebbetts, ill.u.s.trated by Laura Park).

Other Books for Readers of All Ages I Even Funnier: A Middle School Story (with Chris Grabenstein, ill.u.s.trated by Laura Park) Confessions: The Private School Murders (with Maxine Paetro) Treasure Hunters (with Chris Grabenstein and Mark Shulman, ill.u.s.trated by Juliana Neufeld) I Funny: A Middle School Story (with Chris Grabenstein, ill.u.s.trated by Laura Park).

Confessions of a Murder Suspect (with Maxine Paetro) santaKid (ill.u.s.trated by Michael Garland).

end.