5 Bad Moon by Anthony Bruno Page B

with Mr. Immordino and you feel that he’s faking his condition, but he has been diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic by a court-ordered psychiatrist, and several doctors have supported that evaluation under oath. That’s why he’s been incarcerated at the state hospital for the past nineteen months. Those were all reputable doctors, and I accept their findings. From the reports I’ve read, Mr. Immordino could not possibly have murdered anyone. He isn’t capable.”
    Gibbons looked at his wife. She raised her eyebrows and shrugged. Even Lorraine knew that Cummings was wet behind the ears on this one. Incarceration never keeps mob guys from pulling off hits. Putting out a contract on someone is no problem for them. It’s like calling out for pizza.
    He wondered if Immordino had ordered a large with Gibbons and Tozzi on it.
    Gibbons reached back for the coffeepot on the counter and refilled his cup. “You know, speaking of reports, I took a look at Emerick’s file. Those women he killed were both blondes. At the time that he killed them, he’d just been asked to leave the seminary where he was studying to be a priest. According to the file, he had been acting pretty nutty at the seminary, doing stuff like breaking into people’s rooms to look for light switches in the wastepaper baskets because he thought someone was stealing his. They finally decided they had to do something with him when he tried to crucify himself to an apple tree, so they sent him home to his parents. No one could really figure out what was bothering him until he murdered those two women. Seems he was at a mall one night a few months earlier when he happened to see one of the priests from the seminary in his civies going into the movies with his girlfriend. Apparently Emerick really looked up to this particular priest, thought he was a real saintly guy. The girlfriend just happened to be a blonde. Emerick followed them in and watched the priest put his arm around the girl. After the movie, he followed them and saw them kissing in the priest’s car. That’s what set Emerick off. The woman was a sinner, he told his shrink afterward, and she had to be absolved with the sign of the cross. Problem was, he didn’t get a real good look at the girlfriend, so he kept mistaking other blondes for her.”
    “Yes, I know all that. I read the file. Do you have a point?”
    “Yeah, I do have a point. If Emerick’s mission in life is to save the soul of some wayward blonde, why would he shoot a couple of wiseguys? Doesn’t exactly fit his profile, does it?”
    “The man’s life is circumscribed by irrational behavior. His ‘mission,’ as you put it, may have evolved since the initial murders. He may be going after bigger sinners now. Mistretta certainly qualifies under that category.”
    “I don’t buy it, Doc.” Gibbons sipped his coffee.
    Cummings narrowed her eyes and stared at him, turning on the arctic blast, total attitude. “Then you’re being deliberately ignorant.”
    He put down his cup and pointed at her. “You know what your trouble is, Cummings? You bought the psychology franchise a long time ago, and now you expect people to buy your version of things no matter what. Give me a little credit for my specialty, why don’cha? I’ve been chasing down wiseguys for almost thirty years now. I’ve seen ’em come and go. When a boss is shot, it’s no accident. It’s a hit. Believe me.”
    “Why is your past experience worth more than mine? Because you’re a tough guy and you carry a gun? I’ve participated in forty-one serial killer investigations with the FBI. I’ve seen how they mutilate flesh. I’ve reconstructed their patterns and preferences. Serial killers are fussy people. They want things just so. This killer fired eight bullets into two victims, repeating a specific pattern twice. He then moved those two bodies. That takes time and forethought, and it takes a good stomach. Mob hits are done fast, in and out. Am I correct? This