The Con Man

One I hadn't read yet, from Ed McBain. At least, I don't think I've read it. Parts of it felt familiar, but other parts didn't, so I'm going to say no, I haven't read it before. It was an early one, number 4, I think. Brown is investigating a pair of con men who are using various methods to bilk people out of money. Brown goes undercover and catches them red handed. The real meat of the story is in Carella and Kling's case. Two floaters have turned up, both female, both with similar heart tattoos on their hands. Turns out this sick creep is placing ads in lonely hearts magazines, looking for love. When he gets a really sad, desperate one with some money, he pretends he wants to marry them, convinces them to get tattooed with their initials, then poisons them and drops their bodies in the water. Carella's wife, Teddy, who is a deaf mute, helps catch the bad guy in this one. She is in a tattoo parlor, getting a tattoo, when the guy comes in with his would be third victim. She tails them when they leave the shop, dropping off notes begging passerby to call her husband at the squad, since she can't speak. Enough of them call that Carella is able to find the guy's apartment and save Teddy and the victim in time.