The story begins on January 8, 1919, with the narrator, John Schuyler Moore, a police reporter for the New York Times, having dinner at Delmonico's restaurant in New York City with his friend, Laszlo Kreizler, a psychologist known as an "alienist" in that time period. They discuss the recent death of their mutual friend, Theodore Roosevelt, and reminisce about their involvement in a case that took place in 1896. During that time, Roosevelt served as the president of the city's board of police commissioners, and Moore and Kreizler, along with a few others, helped track down a serial killer and put an end to their gruesome crimes. However, the details of the case, including Kreizler's controversial psychological profiling method, were never made public. Moore decides that it is now the right time to reveal the story.
On March 3, 1896, Moore is awakened in the middle of the night by a loud knocking on his grandmother's house door. He finds Stevie Taggert, an 11-year-old boy who works as a driver and errand boy for Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, waiting outside. Stevie explains that Kreizler has sent him on an urgent matter and insists that Moore accompany him. Moore agrees, and they quickly drive through the Lower East Side, a poverty-stricken area of New York City. Stevie, who had a troubled past before finding a new home at the Kreizler Institute for Children, is afraid but determined. They eventually arrive at the construction site of the Williamsburg Bridge, where several police officers, including Sergeant Flynn, await them. Moore notices that Theodore Roosevelt, the police commissioner, is also present and appears disturbed. Roosevelt warns Moore and Flynn to prepare themselves for a horrific sight, and Moore realizes that something terrible awaits them.
Moore witnesses a gruesome scene as he sees the naked and mutilated body of a young boy who has been bound and dressed to resemble a female sex worker. The victim, identified as Giorgio Santorelli, around 13 years old, used to work at a brothel called Paresis Hall, which catered to men with a preference for young boys dressed as girls. Sergeant Flynn, in a callous manner, refers to the victim as "it," which angers Moore. Theodore Roosevelt reprimands Flynn for his insensitivity and gives Moore a cryptic note from Kreizler, indicating that serious mistakes have been made andsuggesting a meeting for the next day. Moore reflects on Roosevelt's fight against police corruption, which often prevents investigations into crimes involving victims from immigrant neighborhoods. Roosevelt asks Moore to accompany Kreizler to police headquarters discreetly the next day.
The following morning, Kreizler, at his grandmother's house, reads the morning edition of the Times and receives a phone call from Moore. Kreizler asks Moore to join him at Bellevue Hospital's "Insane Pavilion" to assess a man named Henry Wolff, who had fatally shot his neighbor's five-year-old daughter the previous night. At the hospital, Moore notices Cyrus Montrose, a large man who serves as Kreizler's valet, driver, bodyguard, and alter ego. Both Cyrus and Stevie came to Kreizler after encountering legal troubles, with Cyrus having committed murder due to childhood trauma. Inside the hospital, the cries of the inmates become hushed when they see Kreizler, hoping for his favorable assessment and court testimony. Kreizler discovers that Wolff has been administered chloral hydrate, a drug he considers addictive and destructive, despite its promotion as safe and effective by the medical community. After interviewing Wolff, Kreizler concludes that he is sane. As they leave the Pavilion, Kreizler predicts that people will want to believe Wolff is insane to avoid accepting that sane individuals can commit such heinous acts. On their way to police headquarters, Moore and Kreizler notice Link Steffens and Jake Riis approaching in a hurry.
Two renowned journalists, Lincoln Steffens and Jacob Riis, who are known for their muckraking work in New York City(although Steffens's fame is yet to come), suspect that Kreizler's presence at police headquarters holds significance. Kreizler becomes furious upon discovering that Detective Sergeant Connor has falsely informed the journalists that Henry Wolff, the child-killer, is also responsible for the murder of the Santorelli boy. Kreizler rushes into police headquarters to reprimand the careless detective for spreading misinformation. Meanwhile, Moore encounters Sara Howard, a childhood friend who works as Roosevelt's secretary and is the first woman to work at police headquarters. In the hallway, Moore and Sara have an unpleasant encounter with two gangsters, Paul Kelly and Biff Ellison, who have riled up Roosevelt with their presence. Paul Kelly, from the dangerous Five Points neighborhood, displays charm and self-control, while Biff Ellison, the flamboyant owner of Paresis Hall, is overtly menacing. Ellison threatens Sara, warning her about the dangers of walking alonein the city. Kelly suggests that the investigation into the murder is only happening because the victim is believed to be an illegitimate child of a wealthy New Yorker, as such cases are typically ignored. Kelly also warns Moore to keep his name out of the story. Kreizler joins Moore in Roosevelt's office, and Moore recalls his first encounter with Roosevelt 20 years prior at Harvard, where Kreizler engaged in a debate with the famous philosopher William James. This debate led to a physical altercation between Kreizler and Roosevelt, resulting in Roosevelt gaining respect for Kreizler despite his injured arm. This explains Roosevelt's decision to involve Kreizler in the current investigation.
Kreizler shifts the conversation to an unsolved case from three years earlier involving the murder of a brother and sister, the Zweig children, who were of Austrian-Jewish descent. Their bodies were discovered mutilated on top of a water tower in the tenement district, with their eyes missing. Kreizler suggests exhuming the children's remains to determine whether their eyes were cut out using a knife or another tool. Roosevelt surprises Kreizler by revealing that two additional boys, who
were victims of commercial sexual exploitation, have been found murdered in a similar manner in recent months. Kreizler believes that all five murders may have been committed by the same person. Moore learns that Roosevelt considers him a potential assistant to Kreizler in the investigation, although Moore doubts what he can contribute. Kreizler requests young and trustworthy police detectives from Roosevelt, unconnected to the corrupt old guard, to assist in the investigation. Roosevelt agrees to the request, knowing the investigation will be unconventional, audacious, and dangerous. After leaving Roosevelt's office, Moore and Kreizler find a smelly, balled-up rag wrapped in a torn page from one of Kreizler's books in their carriage, hinting at something ominous.
Moore arranges for a leave of absence from the Times and travels to the Kreizler Institute. He finds parents of children with behavioral problems waiting outside Kreizler's office. Kreizler believes that by removing children from dysfunctional home environments and enrolling them as residents in the institute, he can help them, provided they are otherwise healthy. In the institute's bustling atmosphere, Kreizler quietly informs Moore that the exhumed remains of the Zweig children are in his ground-floor operating theater. Moore and Kreizler go downstairs and meet the young detectives sent by Roosevelt,Lucius and Marcus Isaacson, two Jewish brothers who appear nervous and quarrelsome. Kreizler is pleased to discover that despite their quirks, the Isaacson brothers possess impressive forensic investigation skills. Moore returns to his grandmother's house, where he finds Sara, Roosevelt's secretary, waiting for him in an agitated state.
Sara informs Moore that Sergeant Connor and another man visited Georgio Santorelli's parents. Cyrus drives Sara and Moore to the Santorelli flat, located in a rundown neighborhood. Outside the tenement building, a group of German-speaking residents sits, drinking beer. Moore describes the horrors they encounter inside the building, including a dark hallway, a foul odor, and an abandoned baby. Upon reaching the
Santorelli flat, they learn from Mrs. Santorelli that a group of men, including police officers and priests, tried to bribe her husband into staying silent about their son's murder and assaulted him when he refused. Moore rushes outside to fetch first-aid materials, and one of the German residents expresses their hatred for the police. Inside the flat, Mrs. Santorelli explains how her son, Georgio, ended up working in the sex trade with other men, how her husband attempted to beat that inclination out of him, and how Georgio became more stubborn with each beating. Two thugs suddenly enter the flat, and Moore and Sara escape. As they are pursued by the thugs, Sara prepares to defend herself with her revolver, but the German residents intervene and beat up the thugs. Moore, Sara, and Cyrus manage to escape the scene.
Moore arrives at Kreizler's house and is welcomed by Mary Palmer, the housekeeper who has been rescued by Kreizler from a traumatic past and struggles with motor aphasia. Sara Howard joins them and informs Moore and Kreizler that she has been appointed as Roosevelt's official liaison to the investigation. Despite Mary's agitation, Sara appears confident and dressed for an outing to the opera. At the Metropolitan Opera, Moore spots Roosevelt and Mayor Strong, as well as J.P. Morgan. Roosevelt and Strong visit Kreizler's box, where Strong criticizes Kreizler's controversial presence at police headquarters. He expresses disapproval of Sara associating herself with the Kreizler circle. Roosevelt, uncomfortable with the situation, listens to Strong's criticism, which he views as a typical incident of intolerance.
Kreizler, Moore, and Sara meet with the Isaacson brothers, Lucius and Marcus, for a late dinner at Delmonico's. Lucius revealsthe findings from the forensic examination, indicating that the killer strangled the Zweig children and used a knife to remove their eyes. Marcus hypothesizes that the killer is at least six-foot-two based on the angles of the knife wounds. Marcus also introduces the concept of fingerprinting as a new identification method, although it is not widely accepted or admissible in court yet. To their surprise, the Isaacsons have managed to extract a
large fingerprint preserved in a bloodstain from the remains of the Zweig sister. Impressed by the Isaacsons' work, Kreizler decides to disclose the full details of the Santorelli murder and Roosevelt's covert operation. The Isaacsons are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Kreizler's team and utilize modern investigative methods. After dinner, Moore pays a solo visit to Paresis Hall.
While walking to Paresis Hall, Moore comes across a gang of tough individuals about to attack two men, with one of the toughs using an anti-gay slur. Moore intervenes and tells the toughs that the police are on their way, causing the toughs to flee towards the approaching cops. Moore reaches Paresis Hall, where men openly solicit sex from young males dressed as girls. Razor Riley, one of Biff Ellison's thugs, threatens Moore with a knife. However, Ellison buys Moore a drink after Moore assures him that Roosevelt does not suspect Ellison of murdering one of his employees. Ellison reveals that "Gloria" had become unruly before their death. Despite some reluctance, Ellison allows Moore to examine the room where "Gloria" worked. In the room, Moore finds a crying boy of about 15 years old with a painted face, who mistakes Moore for a client. The boy reveals that "Gloria" never left the room on the night of their murder. Moore collapses on the bed after realizing that Ellison drugged him with chloral. Ellison, Riley, and two other men appear, and Moore loses consciousness as they begin undressing and tying him up. Stevie Taggert bursts into the room, brandishing a weapon, just before Moore blackouts.
Moore wakes up in an unfamiliar location, which turns out to be the Kreizler team's new headquarters at 808 Broadway. The place is equipped with improvised furnishings, a chalkboard, and a large map of Manhattan. Cyrus explains to Moore that Stevie had followed him to Paresis Hall after spotting him on the streets, leading to his rescue.Kreizler congratulates Moore for uncovering the fact that the Santorelli boy was never seen leaving their room on the night of the murder. Kreizler warns Moore to be more cautious in the future. Lucius
informs Kreizler that the remains of the two boys murdered earlier in the year will arrive at the institute by lunchtime.
Lucius reveals that the two recently murdered boys were killed by the same person responsible for the deaths of Santorelli and the Zweig children. The team gathers at 808 Broadway, with each member assigned a desk. Kreizler starts constructing a preliminary profile on the chalkboard, noting what they know or suspect about the killer. Kreizler provides reading materials to the team, including works by prominent philosophers and psychologists, aiming to challenge misconceptions about human behavior and promote psychological determinism. The team engages in weeks of reading and discussions. Moore begins to understand the broader philosophical and psychological implications of Kreizler's work and its relevance to the investigation. In early April, the team has acquired significant knowledge. However, the killer strikes again, interrupting their progress.
Moore and Sara anxiously discuss the case as they make their way to Castle Garden, located in Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan Island, where the latest victim's body has been discovered. The contrast between their carriage ride through the wealthy downtown area and their recent visit to the tenement district is stark. Inside Battery Park, the towering stone walls of Castle Garden pose a mystery: how is the killer gaining access to these seemingly inaccessible locations?
On the rooftop of the fortress, they find Kreizler, Lucius, Roosevelt, and the mutilated body of a young boy who worked at the Golden Rule Pleasure Club, catering to the same clientele as Paresis Hall. Sara composes herself and assists Lucius with the postmortem examination. Marcus dusts for fingerprints and investigates how the killer could have reached the rooftop. Marcus ties a rope around his waist and starts descending one of the fortress walls. Kreizler suggests that the murdered boy must have known and trusted his killer. Despite Roosevelt's resistance, Kreizler proposes the possibility of the killer having a military background. Outside Battery Park, the team encounters
torch-wielding men and women who appear to form a threatening mob.
Kreizler, Moore, Sara, Cyrus, and Stevie discreetly leave Castle Garden. The Isaacsons and Roosevelt stay behindto deal with the gathering mob. Outside Battery Park, Moore spots Paul Kelly and suspects him of instigating the mob. Back at 808 Broadway, Mary Palmer prepares breakfast. Kreizler seems displeased with Mary's presence at the headquarters, and Sara seems to understand the reason behind it. Moore senses an unusual chemistry among Kreizler, Sara, and Mary. Kreizler sends Mary back to the institute with Stevie and Cyrus. Kreizler, Moore, and Sara review their findings, including Kreizler's observation that all the killings have occurred near bodies of water. Sara, still disturbed and weary, doubts Kreizler's belief that the water signifies the killer's religious-inspired feelings of sin and guilt. Before leaving in her carriage, Sara surprises Moore by revealing Mary's romantic feelings for Kreizler.
Moore wakes up at his grandmother's house, feeling irritated and lonely. Sara is accompanying Kreizler on an assessment of a woman from Long Island who recently attempted to kill her own children. Moore is convinced that Sara has romantic feelings for Kreizler, which makes him sympathize with Mary. He decides to visit Kreizler's house and invites Mary to spend the afternoon at the theater. Mary happily accepts, and they enjoy an entertaining afternoon, including a viewing of short moving pictures, a new medium. During their walk back through Madison Square Garden, Moore ponders whether Mary's childhood experiences resemble those of the killer. Kreizler seems pleased that Mary had a chance to spend time outside the house.
Based on evidence from Paresis Hall and Castle Garden, Marcus
theorizes that the killer possesses significant mountaineering skills, enabling him to descend from urban rooftops through open windows and climb back out with his victims. Moore and Marcus enter the Golden Rule Pleasure Club, a squalid establishment run by a repulsive madam named Scotch Ann, known for catering to effeminate young boys. Urban moral crusaders have targeted this particular house as an example of social degeneracy and police corruption. Scotch Ann complains about paying off the police and warns Moore and Marcus not to attempt any shakedown. Marcus assures her that they only seek information about the murdered boy. Scotch Ann describes Ali ibn-Ghazi, also known as "Fatima," a 14-year-old son of Syrian immigrants. Moore and Marcus learn from another boy that ibn-Ghazi, like Georgio Santorelli, was never seen leaving on the night of the murder. Marcus discovers further evidence of the killer's climbing skills onthe rooftop. Moore hears a small, frightened voice.
A young boy, no more than 10 years old, appears on the Golden Rule rooftop. The frightened child, named Joseph, remembers that "Fatima's saint," a man who promised everything would be okay, was kind to Fatima and planned to take her away from Scotch Ann. Joseph also reveals that Fatima hated being alone with customers, and some customers enjoyed it more when the boys resisted them. Moore is heartbroken by the boy's tragic fate and attempts to convince Joseph to leave the Golden Rule, considering the possibility of Kreizler accepting him at the institute. However, the boy seems skeptical. Moore explains that in 1896, childhood as a concept did not exist according to societal customs and laws. Moore and Marcus discuss the case on their way back from the Golden Rule. They realize that they are operating under one fundamental assumption: they have no idea who the killer is, what he does, or why he frequents pleasure clubs that exploit young boys dressed as girls, but they know, as Kreizler believes, that he is sane.
At 808 Broadway, Lucius informs Moore that Ghazi's father, like Santorelli's father, received a sinister visit from two priests, one of whom
wore an Episcopal ring. Moore senses a larger conspiracy at play to hinder their investigation. Kreizler, Moore, and Sara continue assessing cases of violence against children, searching newspapers for incidents outside of New York City. Cyrus and Stevie provide unexpected insights into the killer's mental state during and after the crimes, as well as his possible sexual preferences. Kreizler appears to be pushing himself to the point of exhaustion. Sara again suggests that the case has personal significance to Kreizler, involving something old and deeply rooted.
On a beautiful spring evening, the team gathers for a drink at Brubacher's Wine Garden on Union Square. Moore arrives first. The streetcar conductors on Broadway have a habit of taking Union Square's "Dead Man's Curve" at a high rate of speed, prompting Moore and other gambling types to sit on Brubacher's terrace and place morbid wagers on the probable fates of unsuspecting pedestrians. Kreizler and Lucius are next to arrive, followed by Marcus and Sara, whose faces suggest that "something extraordinary ha[s] occurred"(194). Marcus runs inside to place a telephone call to Toronto, and Lucius appears startled as hegrasps the significance of his brother's call to that particular city.
Sara hands Kreizler an envelope. Inside is a letter addressed to Mrs. Santorelli, who brought it to police headquarters, where Sara managed to translate its basic message into Italian. The letter's author complains about "LIES" in the press and "dirty immigrants" whose "little children shit all around, which is dirty, dirtier than a Red Injun" and then claims that on February 18 the author saw the "boy parading himself, with ashes and paint on his face," so he "trussed him and did him quick," then "collected his eyes and took his ass and it fed me for a week, roasted with onions and carrots"(196). Moore expresses shock and outrage at the notion that a cannibal could be deemed sane, which is what they have assumed to this point based on Kreizler's work, but Kreizler and Lucius point out that the letter's author is only claiming to have eaten his victim's flesh.
Following a phone conversation with a handwriting expert, Marcus proceeds to analyze the letter. He concludes that the author studied a system of penmanship introduced to the United States in 1880, which makes him no older than 31, and that the author understands the
principles of grammar but is trying to appear ignorant, which makes him a practiced liar. Kreizler pulls Moore aside, reminds him of the balled-up rag in the carriage outside Roosevelt's office, and warns him to be careful because the killer has been watching them from the beginning.
The group gathers at 808 Broadway to analyze and discuss the contents of the letter. They reach several conclusions about the killer based on the letter's contents. They believe that the killer is acting alone and that he takes pleasure in tormenting the boy's mother. They also deduce that he enjoys the act of stalking his victims and is particularly bothered by deceitful behavior despite being a skilled liar himself. The group agrees that the killer's character is influenced by his childhood experiences.
The conversation shifts to family dynamics, and Kreizler suggests that the killer had a violent father. Sara and Lucius object to Kreizler ruling out the possibility of a vicious mother, emphasizing that there are different forms of violence. However, Kreizler ignores their suggestion and appears eager to move on. He redirects the conversation to the killer's apparent hatred of immigrants, hismorbid imagination likely influenced by terrifying childhood stories, and his fixation on buttocks and feces. Sara once again urges Kreizler to consider the role of a mother, particularly during infancy when fathers have limited involvement. Kreizler acknowledges her point but doesn't fully accept her argument about a woman's central role in shaping the killer's character. The group discusses the derogatory reference to Indigenous people, which suggests a possible frontier upbringing, and the mention of Ash Wednesday and ashes on a victim's face, hinting at a religious context. They delve into the significance of the Christian calendar, as the murders occurred on feast days, and the involvement of two priests. Kreizler notes that the killer's actions don't necessarily reveal his sexuality, as he might not differentiate between sex and violence.
Sara persists in emphasizing the formative role of a mother, leading to a heated exchange with Kreizler. Sara questions why Kreizler consulted her in creating an imaginary female profile if he dismisses the idea of a woman's involvement. Moore and the Isaacsons, aware of Sara's
accuracy and Kreizler's stubbornness, exchange knowing looks.
The team continues their investigation despite the tension between Kreizler and Sara. Moore interviews the Episcopal bishop, Henry Codman Potter, and the Catholic archbishop of New York, Michael Corrigan. Although they fail to dispel Moore's suspicions of a priest connection, Marcus and Moore discuss the theory further. Lucius and Sara challenge their arguments by considering the possibility of the killer having a military background.
Suddenly, Kreizler interrupts their discussion and insists that Moore accompany him to the train station. Kreizler has arranged an interview with a prisoner at Sing Sing named Jesse Pomeroy, a notorious child killer who began his horrifying acts at the age of 12. Kreizler recalls assessing Pomeroy's sanity earlier in his career and remembers his facial disfigurement, which Pomeroy was sensitive about. A conversation with Kreizler's mentor, Dr. Adolf Meyer, convinces him of Sara's argument about the importance of a mother's role. He decides to investigate the matter further, starting with Pomeroy.
Kreizler and Moore visit Sing Sing Prison accompanied by a guard named Lasky, who is described as an enormous and ill-shaved man with a dark temperament. Pomeroy, shackled and awaiting their arrival, is seen reading. Moore observes the horrors of the penal system, including the prison guards' instruments of prisoner-control that are essentially instruments of torture. Pomeroyhas a harelip, pocked skin, and a repulsive left eye. He recognizes Kreizler and claims that Kreizler misdiagnosed him, asserting that he was mentally ill when he committed the heinous acts. Kreizler argues that he had never seen mental illness caused by envy, suggesting that Pomeroy's actions stemmed from jealous rage towards children who didn't suffer from his disfigurements. Pomeroy confesses that he killed those children to stop them from staring at him like a caged animal. He recalls that his mother always stared at him and hovered around him but never kissed his face. As
Kreizler and Moore prepare to leave, Pomeroy grabs a concealed shard of glass from his boot.
Pomeroy wedges a stool under the doorknob, assuring Kreizler and Moore that he won't harm them. He starts taunting Lasky, the guard waiting outside, who becomes increasingly furious and pounds on the door. Pomeroy continues to mock him while Lasky forcefully opens the door, disarms Pomeroy, and starts punching him relentlessly. Kreizler tries to intervene, but Pomeroy's laughter and Lasky's punches persist. Moore urges Kreizler to leave before more guards arrive.
During the train ride back, Kreizler reflects on the significance of Pomeroy's aversion to scrutiny and the fact that no one, including his mother, wanted to touch him. This explains why Pomeroy continued to laugh as Lasky beat him because violence was the only physical human contact he had experienced.
Later, at Delmonico's, Sara joins Kreizler and Moore for dinner. Kreizler apologizes for his behavior, and Sara graciously accepts. Sara now believes that the killer, like Pomeroy, also has a deformity, and Kreizler agrees, speculating that it relates to the eyes. Sara theorizes that the killer's mother never wanted children and resented the ones she had. The combination of unwanted pregnancy and unwanted scrutiny suggests limited options for the mother and a sign of poverty. Kreizler commends Sara's insights. Outside the restaurant, Sara shows Moore an 1862 police report revealing Kreizler's drunken father's arrest and a young boy's badly shattered arm. This solves the mystery of Kreizler's disfigured left arm and confirms his violent father. Sara and Moore decide to burn the police report.
With the assistance of Roosevelt, Cyrus, and Stevie, the investigators devise a plan to split into teams of two and surveil four disreputable establishments that are likely targets for the killer's next victim. Moore walks to theGolden Rule and meets young Joseph at a nearby billiard hall, providing him with a description of the killer's physical appearance
to keep him alert. Returning to 808 Broadway, Moore finds Kreizler and the Isaacsons discussing why the killer chose to strike on certain religious holidays but not others. The teams and their assigned locations are determined: Marcus and Sara will surveil the Golden Rule, Kreizler and Roosevelt will monitor Paresis Hall, Lucius and Cyrus will watch the Black and Tan, and Moore and Stevie will be stationed at the Slide on Bleecker Street.
The Feast of the Ascension passes without any sign of the killer, and the team resumes their investigative work. They make inquiries at asylums across the country and review the responses. Lucius notices a reply from St. Elizabeth's in Washington, D.C., which catches his attention since the institution houses mentally ill soldiers and sailors deemed unfit for service. This confirms their suspicion that the killer might have a military background. On Pentecost Sunday, 11 days after the Feast of the Ascension, the surveillance teams position themselves once again. Moore spots what he believes to be the back of Lucius's head on the rooftop of the Black and Tan from the Slide. After fifteen minutes, urgent shouts from Lucius confirm that Moore had indeed seen the killer.
Moore and Stevie rush to the rooftop of the Black and Tan where they find Cyrus injured and bleeding from a blow to the head. Lucius explains that he had left briefly to get coffee, and when he returned, Cyrus had been attacked, and Ernst Lohmann, a 14-year-old boy, was missing from his room. Roosevelt promises to mobilize the police forces and search the waterfronts but agrees to keep the details confidential. Kreizler and Sara accompany Cyrus to the hospital, while Moore, Stevie, and the Isaacsons return to 808 Broadway. At 4:30 a.m., Sara calls from police headquarters to inform them that the boy's body was discovered at the Statue of Liberty. Due to the chaotic situation, the team won't be able to investigate the crime scene and will have to wait until the body reaches the morgue.
Moore suspects that Paul Kelly's influence with the immigrant communities is responsible for the angry mob gathering outside the morgue. Lucius examines the body of Ernst Lohmann and discovers that this time, the killer removedthe boy's heart and only the left eye. Roosevelt shocks Kreizler and Moore by remarking that he has never seen such mutilations except in the case of Native Americans, referring to some corpses he encountered in the Dakota Badlands years ago. Kreizler asks Sara and Lucius to investigate the possibility of the killer having a military background by contacting the War Department.
Outside the morgue, Kreizler is recognized by a member of the angry mob who blames him for taking away his daughter. As the situation becomes more dangerous, Moore spots Eat-'Em-Up Jack McManus, a former prizefighter, clinging to the side of an approaching carriage belonging to Paul Kelly, his current employer. The mob's anger subsides upon seeing Kelly, who invites Kreizler and Moore to join him for a ride in his carriage.
Inside the carriage, Kelly expresses gratitude to Moore for keeping his name out of the newspapers and admits to inciting the mob. He asserts that it is time for the immigrants to intimidate the city's elites. Kelly also reveals his familiarity with Kreizler's work. He drops off Kreizler and Moore at the Museum of Natural History, where they meet the anthropologist Franz Boas. Boas directs them to Dr. Clark Wissler, the museum's expert on Indigenous culture. When informed about the murder case, Wissler expresses concern about associating the horrors with Indigenous culture, as the public already holds dangerous misconceptions. Kreizler assures him of the investigation's secrecy, and Wissler explains that the specific mutilations relate to a Sioux myth about the afterlife. However, he clarifies that the Sioux would never engage in such extreme butchery, cannibalism, or targeting of children. This convinces Kreizler that while the killer may possess knowledge of Sioux methods of mutilation, he lacks an understanding of their cultural significance and equates Indigenous culture with savagery. It also suggests that the killer likely spent time on the frontier, possibly as a soldier in the U.S. Army.
Kreizler decides that he and Moore need to travel to Washington, DC, to investigate matters at the War Department, St. Elizabeth's, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, where Moore has a contact. The Isaacsons will focus on the frontier angle and embark on a trip to Deadwood, South Dakota, and a Sioux Reservation. Sara will remain in New York City and maintain her presence on Mulberry Street. Before leaving, Kreizler and Moorestop by the hospital to check on Cyrus.
Outside the hospital, Patrick Connor, the former police sergeant, suddenly confronts Kreizler and Moore at gunpoint and forces them into an ambulance. The frightening abduction leads them to 219 Madison Avenue, the residence of John Pierpont Morgan, New York's influential financial magnate. As they pass through Morgan's renowned "Black Library," Kreizler and Moore notice a small group of men staring back at them. Among them are Bishop Potter and Archbishop Corrigan, accompanied by priests, Anthony Comstock, the well-known censor of the U.S. Post Office, and Thomas Byrnes, the former police inspector whom Roosevelt replaced. Morgan is seated at his desk, looks up, and greets Kreizler and Moore.
Morgan expresses his shock and apologizes to Kreizler and Moore for the abduction carried out by Byrnes and Connor. Comstock, driven by his zeal and self-righteousness, sees Kreizler's work as a threat to the family and civilization itself. Byrnes, on the other hand, aims to protect the old order at police headquarters. Moore begins to relax as he realizes that these men defer to Morgan, who holds the room's command and appears open to hearing Kreizler's perspective. Despite Comstock's objections, Kreizler explains his ideas. Morgan dismisses Comstock and the bishops to have a private conversation with Kreizler and Moore. Moore reveals to Kreizler that the bishops fear an uprising among the immigrants. Byrnes reenters and threatens Moore, but Moore asserts that Byrnes no longer holds any authority. Morgan dismisses Byrnes again.
Alone with Kreizler and Moore, Morgan emphasizes that his primary
concern is public order due to the country being "at a crossroads" regarding immigration and organized labor. He explains that some powerful men believe Kreizler's ideas could be manipulated to serve the interests of socialism and anarchy. However, Morgan assures Kreizler and Moore that he is not their enemy. He warns them to expect ongoing trouble from Byrnes and Comstock. As they depart, Kreizler tells Moore that Morgan only acts in his own interests and is gambling on them to solve the case and pacify the immigrants.
Kreizler and Moore travel to Washington, DC, leaving Sara and Mary behind in New York City. During their journey, they discuss an upcoming benefit concert at the Metropolitan Opera scheduled for June 21. Moore meets his friend Hobart Weaver at the Bureau of Indian Affairs, while Kreizler uses Roosevelt's influence toaccess patient records at St. Elizabeth's despite a hostile superintendent. Moore spends the next two days reviewing files on Sioux-related frontier violence but doesn't find any direct connection to the present murder case. Hobart shows Moore a report on a double murder in New Paltz, New York, in 1880 involving Reverend Victor Dury and his wife. The report suggests that Indians had sought revenge against Dury and taken his son to the West. That night, while having dinner, Kreizler's eyes widen as he reads the report. He shows Moore a separate file from St. Elizabeth's concerning a discharged soldier named John Beecham with a facial tic and a birthplace in New Paltz.
The St. Elizabeth's record reveals that the discharged soldier, Corporal John Beecham, was dispatched to Chicago in 1886 and deemed mentally unfit for service after being found stabbing a dead striker. The report on the Dury murders states that Adam Dury, one of the victims' sons, lived in Newton, Massachusetts, at the time of the killings. Kreizler wires the Isaacsons in South Dakota and asks them to speak with Beecham's former commanding officer, Lieutenant Frederick Miller, at Fort Yates in North Dakota. Excitedly, Sara informs them that she has discovered a New York Times article on the Dury murders, which describes Reverend
Victor Dury's actions during the Minnesota Sioux War of 1862. Dury had shown photographs of massacred white Minnesotans to the people of New Paltz, leading to his social ostracization. Sara also finds information about rock climbing activities near the Shawangunk Mountains, near where the Dury couple's bodies were found. Kreizler notes that Japheth Dury, the younger son, and John Beecham are the same age.
During the train ride back to New York City, Kreizler points out that Reverend Dury's photographs would have had a disturbing impact on a young boy with a morbid imagination. Roosevelt informs Kreizler that there are references to "Beecham" in New Paltz town records. Kreizler dispatches Sara to upstate New York to gather more information. Kreizler and Moore travel by train to Boston and then take a carriage to Newton. The next morning, they head north to the Dury farm, where Moore spots a man with thinning hair.
Moore identifies himself as a New York Times reporter assigned to a story on unsolved killings and police conduct across the state.Initially hesitant, Adam Dury agrees to talk about his parents' murders after Moore offers him $100. Though suspicious of Kreizler's presence, Adam leads them to the barn and answers their questions. As the conversation progresses, Adam becomes increasingly emotional while sharing details of his life with his parents and younger brother. Kreizler and Moore learn that Adam became estranged from his parents, particularly due to his mother's lack of affection toward his father and her resentment towards Japheth, whom she considered a wretched reminder of a rape incident. Adam reveals the terrible things his mother used to say to Japheth. Adam remembers witnessing Japheth repeatedly stabbing and mutilating a live possum when he was around 9 or 10 years old. Japheth would cry only when Adam yelled at him to stop, but similar incidents involving small animals occurred multiple times in the future. When Japheth was 11, Adam discovered him crying and bleeding after being sexually assaulted by a farmhand named George Beecham. In response to
Kreizler's final questions, Adam explains that his father always made a special time for church holidays, and Japheth's facial tic would disappear while he was hunting and trapping in the mountains. Satisfied with the information they have gathered, Kreizler and Moore say their goodbyes. However, on the carriage ride back to Boston, a gunshot rings out, hitting one of the horses and striking Kreizler's right arm.
Gunshots are fired at Kreizler and Moore's carriage. Unable to identify the assailant, they escape through the woods towards the town of Brookline. A passing ice-van driver gives them a ride to the Boston train station. Concerned that Comstock and Burnes's men might be waiting for them, Moore and Kreizler hide behind pine trees and wait for the next train. During their wait, they discuss relationships and Moore realizes that Kreizler is in love with Mary, which Kreizler describes as a complicated situation. On the train, Moore recognizes the two thugs from the Santorellis' tenement and uses a walking stick to knock them off the moving train. He explains to Kreizler that the thugs worked for Connor.
Moore returns home to his grandmother's house and learns from Harriet, his grandmother's maid, that Sara had called frantically from Kreizler's house the previous evening. Moore rushes to Kreizler's house and finds Sara there. Dr. Osborne, a friend of Kreizler's, had been tendingto an injured Stevie. Sara informs Moore that Kreizler is at the morgue. She explains that Connor and his men had forced their way into the house, beaten Stevie, and injured Mary while trying to find out where Kreizler and Moore had gone. Mary had stabbed Connor in self-defense, but he had pushed her down the stairs, resulting in her death. Moore leaves for the morgue, where he finds Kreizler in a distraught state. Kreizler declares that he is no longer interested in the investigation and tries to take a swing at Moore with his damaged arm.
Moore returns to 808 Broadway feeling hopeless and exhausted. He receives a telegram from the Isaacsons, indicating that Lieutenant Miller had provided information about Corporal John Beecham, including his interest in mountaineering, possession of a knife, and a facial tic. Moore instructs the Isaacsons to return home. Sara arrives at headquarters and convinces Moore that they can continue the investigation without Kreizler. Moore shares details from his interview with Adam Dury, and Sara writes them on the chalkboard. Moore admits that he often thinks of Kreizler, who is grieving and lacking confidence. Moore and Sara visit Roosevelt at home and explain their plan to continue the investigation. Roosevelt sympathizes with Kreizler and allows them to proceed as long as they inform him in advance. They believe the next attack will happen on June 21, a Christian feast day. Back at 808 Broadway, the Isaacsons return, and Marcus declares that Beecham must be their suspect.
The investigators contemplate how Beecham navigates the city's rooftops with such confidence. They review a list of occupations that involve rooftop movement and suspect that Beecham may have infiltrated church and charity groups. However, their attempts to gather information from charity workers prove fruitless. Sara realizes they are on the wrong track, as the charity workers seem ignorant of the tenement residents' lives. Moore has an epiphany and rushes with Sara to the US Census Bureau building at 135 Eighth Street, suspecting that the workers there may have personal details about the tenement residents.
Moore questions Charles Murray, the superintendent of the Census Bureau's New York City office, about John Beecham. Murray initially appears defensive but eventually admits that Beecham was hired as an enumerator and later promoted to office clerk before being fired in December 1895.Moore suspects that Murray is wary of newspaper reporters due to a scandal involving political bosses inflating population counts. Moore and Sara decide to send the Isaacsons to the Census Bureau to learn more about Beecham's termination. They then visit 23
Bank Street, where they meet an elderly woman named Mrs. Piedmont. Mrs. Piedmont describes Beecham as polite but not fond of animals. She allows them to see Beecham's former room, where Moore discovers a rotting carcass under the mattress.
Moore and Sara express frustration over their inability to trace Beecham since December. The Isaacsons, however, remain hopeful and suggest following his confident and aggressive side. They rule out charity work and religious organizations and decide to focus on bill collection as a possible occupation for Beecham. Sara receives a phone call from Joseph, who shares information about a man promising to take his friend to live in a castle. Moore and Sara arrange to meet Joseph later. At 967 Broadway, a collection agency reveals that they hired Beecham and that he frequents a dive on Mulberry Bend.
Moore, Sara, and the Isaacsons go to the Five Points neighborhood, known for its tenements. Moore and Marcus enter a dive on Baxter Street, where Moore inquires about a man with a facial tic. The bartender provides an address, 155 Baxter Street, and warns them about the man's big knife. At the tenement, they encounter a man claiming to be watching the building for the landlord. Moore pays him a bribe to gain access to Beecham's flat on the top floor. Inside, they find disturbing evidence, including a map, a photograph, jars filled with preserved eyes, and a box containing an old human heart. Lucius and Marcus stay at the scene while Sara and Moore go to inform Roosevelt at police headquarters. Moore discovers a sack with Joseph's body at 808 Broadway.
Moore feels guilt-ridden after Joseph's death and encounters Kreizler waiting for him in a carriage. Kreizler offers a carriage ride and breakfast at Delmonico's. During their conversation, Kreizler reminds Moore that
Beecham's facial tic disappears when he is hunting. They discuss the case and Kreizler's temporary withdrawal from the investigation. Kreizler asks Moore to accompany him to the opera on June 21, promising to rejoin the investigation afterward. Moore agrees to the plan but keeps it a secretfrom the rest of the team. Upon returning to 808 Broadway, Roosevelt joins the team and expresses enthusiasm for their modern methods. They focus on the High Bridge Aqueduct and Tower as a likely site for Beecham's next kill, which they believe will occur on June 21, the Feast of St. John the Baptist. Sara remains suspicious of Kreizler's intentions and asks Moore to inform her if he discovers anything.
Moore makes his way through the opera-house crowd to Kreizler's reserved box. Kreizler is pleased to learn that their plan has remained secret and that they have chosen the High Bridge as their target. During the performance, Kreizler stands and urges Moore to follow him, while Stevie and Cyrus take their places in the box as decoys. They quickly leave the building, and Kreizler explains to Moore that they are heading to Croton Reservoir, where Beecham will likely take his next victim. Outside the fortress, Kreizler gives Moore a revolver and emphasizes the need to capture Beecham alive. As they climb the stairs, Moore notices a carriage resembling Paul Kelly's.
Moore and Kreizler reach the top of the fortress-reservoir walls, entering Beecham's rooftop domain. They hear sobbing and spot a naked, bound boy with his face against the stone walkway. Moore sees a balding head on the roof of the control house, but it quickly disappears. They approach the boy cautiously, but a dark figure suddenly punches Moore, rendering him unconscious. When Moore wakes up, he and Kreizler are tied to an iron fence. Beecham undresses and reveals his muscular body. Kreizler addresses him as "Japheth," but Beecham becomes angry. He taunts Kreizler and Moore, revealing that he has been watching them. Beecham then begins choking the boy. Connor and his thugs arrive on the rooftop, and Connor orders them to free Kreizler and Moore. Beecham cowers in fear as his face twitches. Kreizler tells
Moore to leave, but he refuses. Beecham crawls toward Kreizler, and Connor mocks him. Kreizler gives the signal, and Eat-'Em-Up Jack McManus incapacitates Connor and the thugs. Kreizler frees the boy, while Moore handcuffs Beecham. Roosevelt is on his way, and Kreizler postpones the explanation.
Kreizler interrogates Beecham, insisting on complete honesty. Beecham obediently answers the questions, as if craving the moment. Moore becomes angry and threatens Beecham with the revolver. Suddenly, Connor,who has freed himself, shoots Beecham in the chest. As Connor aims his gun at Kreizler and Moore, Sara appears and shoots Connor. Sara reveals that she deduced the real location after learning that Kreizler and Moore had left the opera. Kreizler tries to question Beecham one last time, but his response is unintelligible. Beecham dies, and Kreizler asks the Isaacsons to move the body before Roosevelt arrives. Kreizler thanks Sara and acknowledges her rightful upset over the secrecy. They disappear with Beecham's body, and Roosevelt arrives with his men. Sara and Moore concoct a story to protect Stevie, but Roosevelt senses something amiss and orders the arrest of Sara and Moore for conspiracy, taking them to police headquarters.
Roosevelt's initial anger turns into effusive praise as Moore and Sara tell him the truth about Beecham's death. As they leave the building, Roosevelt expresses his gratitude and mentions that he might seek their help in the future. Moore and Sara walk the city streets, trying to process everything that has happened and the fact that their investigation has come to an end. Sara takes a carriage home, while Moore decides he still needs answers.
Moore heads to New Brighton Dance Hall, where he coincidentally spots Paul Kelly paying off a police sergeant. They engage in a conversation, and Moore hints at Kelly's involvement in a deal with Kreizler regarding Jack McManus. Although Kelly doesn't admit to the deal, he poses a question to Moore about who is truly the most dangerous person to the boys uptown. Moore understands the
implication.
Moore takes a carriage to the Kreizler Institute, where he learns that the autopsy on Beecham's brain revealed nothing unusual. Kreizler drives Moore home to Washington Square, and along the way, Kreizler explains the tears in his eyes earlier were not for Beecham's death but for the horror of his life. He wanted to keep Beecham alive to learn from his tormented soul and believed Beecham's activities were destined to reach a crisis point as he sought to expose the society that had shaped him.
The next morning, Moore reads a New York Times article about the murderer's body being found at the morgue. Roosevelt confirms the story, stating that the killer was stopped before committing another murder but without revealing the man's identity.
Jumping forward to 1919, after Roosevelt's funeral, Moore reflects on theevents and the changes that have taken place over the past 23 years. He has remained in close contact with Sara and the Isaacsons, who have had successful careers in law enforcement. Cyrus got married, Stevie grew up and opened a tobacco shop, and the Croton Reservoir was demolished, making way for the New York Public Library.