Edgar Hoople was sweating under the TV lights in the first-floor shift-assembly room at Police Central that also did duty as a venue for news conferences. At the table next to him were Grimshaw, the crime scene specialist; Lieutenant Schmidt, the Public Affairs coordinator; and Captain Denby. Denby was holding up a photograph and an evidence bag, and the flash of photographers' strobes and the glare of the lights mounted on the shoulder-held video cameras were giving the police chief a blinding headache. He'd wanted to corner Denby before they faced the media, but the captain couldn't be found and he didn't respond to radio calls. Finally, Schmidt had been smart enough to use the department's system that could contact the GPS in police cars and find out where they were. "He's at 198 Kercher Avenue, chief," the PR officer said, "or at least the car is. Want me to send a unit to bring him in?" Hoople recognized the address.
