Eye Wit Read Free Page A

to Zoran’s work over the years. He’s quirky and unpredictable but for sure he’s brilliant,” Dan said when he learned that Zoran had suggested Yoko to Chief Sanders as a civilian consultant.
    “Zoran, that’s an unusual name, I don’t think I've ever known someone called Zoran,” Yoko said.
    “His family’s from Croatia, part of what used to be Yugoslavia,” Dan explained. “His people were well-educated, his parents spoke several languages, including English. They were architects in Dubrovnik but had to retake all the exams here and they passed with flying colors. You have to admire that kind of resiliency and determination. They both died a few years ago.”
    Now, as Yoko looked over the current scene, she wondered what Zoran was seeing, and how it might differ from her impressions.
    She watched him step ultra-cautiously around the debris, careful that nothing touch him. Periodically his index finger twitched, ticking off significant items he observed. Zoran never took notes, apparently the simple tick of a finger was sufficient to imprint an item on his encyclopedic mind. Occasionally, he would pause and stare off into space. Sorting the encyclopedia, Yoko assumed. What, she wondered, was in it?
    A few minutes ago, Brian had finished interviewing the roller-blader, then allowed her to glide off down the street, cell phone reinstated against her ear. Another uniformed officer arrived and cordoned off the area and stood guard, ready to warn people away from the site. Amazingly, no one had materialized, not even media types. That was odd. Brian stood near the police photographer, who snapped picture after picture of the balloonist, moving hurriedly out of the way as the ambulance crew prepared to move the balloonist to the stretcher.
    Zoran continued his careful route amongst the ruins of the balloon, zeroing in on bits of wreckage, then staring off into space again. Was he seeing something written against the sky, some message from the ether only he could decode? She had much to learn from the master.
    Brian sidled over to Yoko. “Zeissing wants to talk to you when he’s finished browsing. Did you see the balloon crash?”
    “I didn’t see it but I heard the noise, it was terrible, almost burst my eardrums. Did you find out how the roller-blader knew about the crash?”
    “Her name’s Cooper, Andrea Cooper. She said her uncle’s the security guard in the building across the street and was just leaving work when the balloon hit the college. He knew she’d be heading to her job at that pricey eatery around the corner and he called her cell phone to warn her of the accident. He had to get to his day job but told her to give us his name and number and tell us he was locking up when he heard all the noise and saw the basket of the balloon hit the ground. He thought it was empty, didn’t see anyone in it, which figures, the guy landed behind the debris, outta sight.”
    “Did the security guard from the college call in?”
    “Jeez, with two jobs like that uncle, I could retire early.” Brian considered that beguiling scenario for a moment then brought his attention back to Yoko. “Yep, the security guard on duty at the college called to report the noise. Said he couldn’t see anything because the whole front of the place was covered by the balloon. I think he was afraid to leave the building. Coupla cabbies called it in too. So…you got here right after the balloon crashed?”
    “Almost immediately,” Yoko said.
    “The Cooper girl said he told you his name—Archer, right? No ID on him, no wallet, nothing in his pockets, nothing at all. Nothing in the wreckage either, not even a map. He just said ‘Archer,’ huh? Not a first name?”
    “Archer could be a first name,” Yoko said.
    “Yeah, guess so. You got a point there.”
    Zoran had finished his slow walk around the debris and was standing still. Now and then he stared up at the material from the hot-air balloon, great swaths of fabric hanging