Bernstein was thirty-two years old, but he looked a good five years younger. Sara knew the police department for that matter the world at large considered Twitch Bernstein a bit of an enigma. Despite being homicide's number one lieutenant, he had no love of danger. He hated carrying a gun and had never used one in the line of duty. He was barely adequate with his fists, did not consider himself particularly brave, and tried to avoid violence whenever possible.
What he did like, however, was solving puzzles the bigger, the better.
And he was good at it. Damn good. No one knew for sure just how he did it, but Bernstein had the rare ability to plod and putter and shift and unnerve and fidget his way to the answer.
"My turn to ask a question," Sara said.
"What happened to Bradley and why did you want to know if he was gay?"
"That's two questions."
"Max..." "Just trying to keep things light," Bernstein said.
"We found his body this morning behind a gay bar in the Village."
"Jesus."
"The autopsy is not in yet, but we're sure he died from multiple stab wounds. We think... Sara, are you all right?"
Sara's eyes were wide, her face shockingly pale.
"Have there been other murders?" she uttered.
"What makes you say that?"
"Don't play with me, Max."
"We may have a serial killer on our hands," he said.
"I wasn't involved in the investigation of the first two cases, but two other men were killed in the same grisly way. We suspect that the same person committed all three murders."
"And why did you ask if Bradley was gay?"
"Because the other two victims were. The killer may be targeting the gay community. Now it's my turn. How did you know that there were other victims?"
"I assume you've met Dr. Harvey Riker," she began.
"Sure."
"You know that he is operating an AIDS clinic in here?"
He shrugged.
"So?"
"The first two victims what were their names?"
"Bill Whitherson and Scott Trian."
"Right. They were part of a select group of AIDS patients who were being treated in this clinic. It should be in your files."
Bernstein's leg began to shake.
"To be honest I haven't had a chance to go through them thoroughly yet.
I just got the case an hour ago." "Anyway, Harvey told me about it last night. That's how I knew."
"An obvious question was Bradley being treated here too?"
Sara lifted the coffee cup to her lips and took a sip.
"I don't know," she said.
"You'll have to ask Harvey."
"What do you mean you don't know?"
"Just what I said."
"Did Bradley have AIDS?"
"It can't leave this room," Sara said.
"It won't."
"The answer is yes."
"Was he being treated for it?"
"Yes, but I don't know where. It was a big secret, and I didn't want him to tell me."
"Why not?" he asked.
"You know who his father is, of course."
"Of course."
"The senator beat the crap out of Bradley when he found out that I knew about his AIDS. Bradley's father was terrified that the truth would be exposed."
"Because it would ruin him."
"Exactly. So we tried not to talk about it."
"I see." Max stopped, looked up toward the sky, scratched his neck where it met the top of his chest.
"Wouldn't Dr. Riker have said something to you if he was treating Bradley?"
"No way. The clinic is cloaked in secrecy. I do not know the names of any patients being treated at the clinic."
"Interesting." Max looked away for a moment, his hand moving up now to rub his face.
"So why did Dr. Riker speak to you about the two murders last night?"
She hesitated.
"I think you better ask Harvey that."
"Sara, you're not going to pull that 'can't reveal my source' crap on me, are you?"
"I'm afraid I'll have to for right now. But speak to Harvey. He can enlighten you better than I can anyway."
Max shrugged.
"Okay. Let's find him."
After passing two security checkpoints, Max and Sara found Harvey in his office in the Sidney Pavilion. He looked up from his paper-cluttered desk, his eyes red and weary.
"what's up?" he asked.
"Harvey, you remember Lieutenant Bernstein."
"Of course. Hello, Lieutenant."
"How's it going, Doc?"
"Fine, thanks," Harvey replied.
"Sara, I just finished talking to Michael. As we suspected, the abdominal ultrasound showed swelling in Michael's liver." "What does that mean?" Sara asked.
"It could mean a dozen things, but Dr. Sagarel, Eric, and I still agree that it is probably hepatitis. We should have the results of the blood test in another day or two. Chances are he'll need a couple of weeks here and at least a month of bed rest."
"And basketball?"
"Not this season, Sara. There's an outside chance he'll be able to play in the play-offs."
"He knows?" "I told him. His reaction was a little strange."
"Meaning?" "It didn't really bother him all that much. He told me the good news about your pregnancy. Hell, it was all he'd talk about." "Pregnancy?" Max.
"You didn't tell me."
"Hardly seemed the time." "Congratulations," Max said.
"Thank you. Harvey, Lieutenant Bernstein needs to talk to you."
Harvey stood and moved in front of his desk.
"Is this about what we discussed last night?"
"Might be," Max interjected, trying to sound professional but coming across like a bad actor in an old private-eye movie. He had never been good at the tough-guy bit.
"Is Bradley Jenkins a patient of yours?"
Harvey's face twisted into a look of confusion and annoyance.
"What the hell does that have to do with anything?"
Bernstein cleared his throat.
"Mind answering the question?"
"As a matter of fact, I do." His line of vision swung over to Sara.
"What's going on here?"
Sara looked over to Max, who nodded for her to go ahead.
"Bradley Jenkins was found murdered this morning," she said.
"What?"
"Multiple stab wounds," Bernstein said.
"We suspect that his death is related to the murders of two patients at your clinic, a Bill Whitherson and a Scott Trian."
"Jesus Christ."
"Now would you mind answering my question? Was Bradley Jenkins a patient at the clinic?"
Harvey moved tentatively back toward his chair like a man who had taken too many blows. He sat down and lowered his head into his hands.
"Sara," he asked after a few moments had passed, "can he be trusted?"
"Yes."
His eyes tried to lock onto Bernstein's, but the lieutenant's were busy dancing about the small office.
"Swear you won't let the media get it."
"Swear."
"Yes, Bradley Jenkins was a patient of mine a very confidential patient."
"How long had Bradley been receiving treatment here?"
"Not long. Four months maybe."
"And the other two Whitherson and Trian?"
"They were both here from almost the beginning."
"How long ago was that?"
"More than two years."
Max nodded. He finally took out his pad and used the pencil to write on it.
"Now why don't you tell me about last night's conversation with Miss. Lowell?"
Harvey looked over to Sara.
"You can trust him," she said.
Hesitantly, Harvey began by telling Max his suspicions that the murders were related to the clinic. Then he explained that they were close, painfully close, to finding a treatment for AIDS.