It's the 87th Precinct and the favorite of the force, Steve Carella, is physically caught up and tortured in the case he's trying to solve. This story of a murdered model and drug addiction is more gimmicky than any of the others in this series, but the McBain technique of alternating the spicy layers of the slices of seamy city life keeps it bordering on the edge of credibility and is sure to satisfy his confirmed readership.