Perfect Sinners

by Rick Murcer

  She began with the red tabs for blood and spatter. Yellow for physical evidence related to the victims, like clothes and the crosses. Blue for anything that was more organic that may or may not be related to the scene. Then green for possible footprints or other imprints in the sand or dirt that may have looked out of place.

  Ellen took her time as she tacked the tabs to the boards by relative location to the bodies and to each area where the evidence had been collected at that scene and surrounding perimeters.

  After that was completed, she stepped back to see if any obvious pattern existed as to where the evidence was located by type.

  It was like looking at an incomplete puzzle. She recalled a DNA class she took in college where they had to figure out the sequences of the missing nitrogen nucleobases. CGAT is the basic nucleobases in any double helix so they would get a pattern that was missing one or two of the CGAT symbols and have to figure out the proper sequence for that biopolymer molecule.

  That little flutter returned to her stomach as she recalled how she seldom missed figuring out the proper pattern. Patterns were everywhere. One simply had to look.

  But this exercise of putting up colored tabs wasn’t close to giving up any secrets, so far.

  She sighed. Preliminary work like this sometimes helped them get a jump, but not tonight. She looked at Aaron. “I don’t see much here yet so this is what we do next. You take the rest of the small samples from the river scene and I’ll wrap up testing the specimens collected today at the cemetery. That will finish both scenes and give us more of what we need to figure out this mess,” said Ellen.

  “Deal. We should get this done in a few hours,” said Aaron. “It would be quicker if we had some help. Plus, we need someone to go over that Detroit file that the FBI told us about.”

  “More help? I’ve got that covered,” said Ellen.

  “You do? I should have guessed.”

  “Yep. I’ve got the main lab’s spectrometer fired up and will get some help from Marcie’s group with the centrifuge to sift out our DNA samples from the limbs left in the car. I’m going to have dad go over that file from Detroit. Even though it was years ago, who knows what it could tell us?”

  “Big Harv is a good choice. And, the other team already went over the DNA samples,” said Aaron. He reached for a short stack of reports, then stopped, dropping his head, then glancing back to Ellen.

  “Yeah, but you’re going to check them again, right?” said Ellen.

  “I am now,” he said, laughing.

  She so did love that laugh.

  Overtime late work wasn’t always a good thing, but she appreciated that Aaron made that better. Then again, there weren’t many places she’d rather be.

  After bundling up the remaining evidence bags, Aaron backed through the door and headed for the main lab. “I’ll be back shortly.”

  “Okay. I’ll get started in a second.”

  Going over to the coat rack that held her spare lab coats, she pulled off the pale green one and folded it in half, buttons on the inside of the fold, then placed it in the corner near the stainless steel sink and faucets, then turned back to Beaux.

  “Come on, buddy. Someone should get some sleep here.”

  He left his seating position immediately, licked her hand as he walked by, turned two circles, and plopped down on the coat. The dog laid his head on his front paws, his eyes still watching her face.

  “It’s okay. We’re safe in here. You can go off duty for a while. This lab undertaking might be kind of boring for you anyway.”

  He sighed, then closed his eyes. Even the most studious of sentinels needed some rest.

  Ellen leaned over, rubbed his ears, then stepped to the neatly filed evidence bags that held blood samples from the cemetery. She stretched on a new pair of lab gloves.

  Ellen pulled out the first two samples that belonged to the victims, one each, then five more blood samples that had been collected around the perimeter of the scene that most likely belonged to the victims.

  Placing the first two near the centrifuge, she sifted through the others, then stopped. A frown formed on her brow.

  The third sample had a wide-lens photo attached to the bottom of the bag. The image showed a small crimson circle located on a gray, flat headstone located to the north of the bodies. The single drop had scalloping on the edges, along with a couple of tiny secondary spatters, which was common on a hard, smooth surface like stone. That in itself wasn’t unusual.

  Blood spatters like this one were called gravity only stains, indicating it was dropped straight down with no interference or outside force. It was usually associated with blood coming from an open cut or dripping from something else, like a knife or other blade.

  Her wheels moved faster.

  Stepping around the table, she went over to the display featuring the tags she’d meticulously placed on the board. She leaned in and checked the reference point on the sample, then where it would be located on the map.

  Her heart rate sped up. Based on the physical evidence and the blood flow patterns she’d found on both victims, the bodies would have come from the other direction, toward the cemetery’s road. This spatter was out of place. It was going in the wrong direction.

  The only way this pattern shows up like this is if someone were bleeding and had stopped in their tracks. She was struck with a vision of that very scene. The man looking at his handiwork then trudging through the back of the cemetery.

  Tearing open the bag, she lifted the sample, raising it to eye level. Ellen smiled.

  This blood could belong to the killer.

  CHAPTER-33

  Big Harv shook Dave Ackles’ hand. “Get some sleep and we’ll get after this tomorrow in the daylight.”

  Dave let a long breath escape. “Okay. I’ll admit. It’s been a long year today. I need the rest.”

  Big Harv smiled at his friend. “I’ve had a couple of days like that.”

  “What’s the plan tomorrow?” asked Dave.

  “I think we got good info from the Feds so we start there. There are a few people hiding in the shithole side of this town that can help us quicker than cops and some of them owe me. We’ll do a little shaking of our own.”

  He opened the car door and got out, then leaned back into the window. “Will Ellen give you an update? You know, give her old man a heads up?”

  “If I ask. But she has to make sure she’s not messing with the investigation. I don’t want her to risk getting into hot water either.”

  Dave gave him an odd look. “Hey, the more looking for this bastard the merrier.”

  Shifting in his seat to get a better look at Dave, Big Harv focused on his friend’s face. The man had been through hell, but he sensed something else. It wasn’t the first time he’d seen it.

  “Dave. We’ll do this by the book. When we catch this guy, there won’t be taking matters into our own damned hands, got it?”

  He licked his lips. “Oh, I wouldn’t hurt him, much. I just want some information. You know?”

  “You mean if he was hired by the drug gang that had pictures of your family?”

  His voice grew tight. “Give the man a prize. Hell yes, Big Harv. There has to be a connection.”

  “I’m not sure you’re right about that. This case is screwed up and hard to decipher. We have to follow the evidence and do the good flat-foot work we know how to do. You heard the profile by the Feds. This guy is a psycho. There’s no indication he’s a kill-for-hire kind of killer. And that’s what the drug gang would do.”

  “Yeah? Who says so? We’ve seen some weird shit over the years. You know I’m right about that.”

  “We have. But, in the end it always made some sense. This wouldn’t. Come on, Dave. If this had been a hit against your daughter, what would that have looked like?”

  Dave looked down at his hands resting on the door frame and exhaled. “You mean like the neck tie job we found on that other gang leader?”

  “Exactly.” Big Har
v’ s voice grew quiet. “Your, our, Ramona is still gone, but not in the way that these scumbags usually take care of this sort of thing. Forcible drug overdoses aren’t their style and we know that. Besides, we’re not entirely sure it was forcible. You said she’d been acting strange and suspected she’d been using.”

  “I did say that, but overdose?”

  Big Harv knew what he meant. And maybe Dave was right. Maybe not. He reached over and put his hand on Dave’s arm. “I know. I would never have thought it, either.”

  Dave gave Big Harv one last look then gave him a tiny wave. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” He shuffled off to his front door, head down.

  It was difficult for Big Harv not to recall the very same walk that he’d taken after his wife was killed. Some things never heal, just fade from memory for a short time. Never mind how, he and Jack Daniels would discuss those issues deep into the night.

  He started the car, trying to rid his mind of more demon entertainment and concentrate on what tomorrow would bring for both of them. And his night wasn’t over. He still had to review the files from that case in Detroit. Ellen had asked and he’d said yes. That’s what teams did.

  Just as he put the car in gear, his phone rang. He pulled it from his shirt pocket and stared at the number. It was Bella Sanchez.

  “Big Harv, here.”

  “Hey, Old Man. I hope you’re sitting down.”

  Her voice was hers, but subdued.

  His unease flowered. “I am. What does that mean?”

  “I just texted you an address. I think you need to come and see this.”

  “See what?”

  The following hesitation wasn’t really Bella’s style. He swore he could feel his blood pressure rise as he waited.

  “I think you better see for yourself. Joel Harper has had better nights.”

  CHAPTER-34

  The centrifuge spun with the fervor it always had. Yet, to Ellen, it seemed like the quiet whine the machine generated wasn’t nearly loud enough nor the revolutions fast enough.

  For the tenth time, she checked the power and speed dials.

  “It’s no different than the fourteen seconds since the last time you looked,” said Aaron.

  She glanced at him while he leaned against the door, arms folded.

  “Eyes can play tricks on you. Besides, this thing had a problem a few years ago,” she answered, knowing her defense was weak. She simply wanted this blood sample to finish processing so she could do the much-anticipated DNA test.

  “Really? That must have been before my time.”

  He moved away from the door and stood to her left, looking at the built-in timer. “We still have twelve minutes to go, so why don’t you let me call you when this is done?”

  “Why would I do that?”

  “Well, you are the FT Queen in these parts so you can check on the status of the other tests. Beaux could probably use a little walk too.”

  “Thanks for the offer, but I want this one myself. I have to make sure it’s processed correctly on every level. You know how that works. The tech that starts a test finishes it to make sure we don’t screw up the testing in mid-stream.” Ellen’s eyes went back to the timer and then to the power dial.

  Rules were in place for a reason. More than one case had been botched because the CSU lab didn’t follow procedures, procedures she’d helped to author, and the suspects had gotten an out-of-jail-free card.

  “I know. I won’t touch the sample. I’ll just buzz you when its ready.”

  She frowned in his direction. “What’s this about?”

  “It’s about you making yourself crazy watching a centrifuge go around and around and your dog needing to take a walk. It’s been three hours since Brice left. He might have to pee.”

  “And?”

  He sighed. “And, I think you might have your hopes set too high on this. It’s blood, true. It’s out of place, true again. It could belong to our killer, also true. But it could be dozens of other situations. A gardener could have cut his hand. A cop could have caught his arm on a limb or thorn. Damn, it could be from a bird or damned raccoon with rabies, you know?”

  Ellen dipped her head toward the floor, fighting off the urge to kick the shit out of her partner. Or at least make him bleed a little.

  She moved her toe in a rapid circle against the tiled floor. Funny how little actions she’d been taught had helped to reign in the Miss Pissy. The wench still wanted to come out to play, but by taking her mind off from what was said and work on what was meant, she could manage the anger better. Still, talking to her like she was a first-year student in some Podunk little college didn’t sit well with her. It never had. Shifting feet, she kept making circles, watching each one intently.

  “Aaron. How long have you been doing this?” she asked, not totally succeeding at keeping the emotion from her voice.

  He stepped back from her.

  “Come on Ellen, I didn’t mean anything. I only wanted to—”

  “—point out what I’ve learned before you finished school?”

  “No. That’s not it. I would never do that.”

  Now they were inches apart. “Listen to me. It’s not what you said, it’s how you said it. I don’t do condescending. Never have. Do you think I don’t know all those possibilities? I do. And I’ve been fooled before. But all the circumstances should be looked at in this situation, including the angle and proximity to and from the crime scene, the spatter and its traits, the amount of blood, and the aging of the hemoglobin, to name a few things.”

  “Damn Ellie. I didn’t think of a couple of those circumstances that you mentioned. I’m sorry. I just didn’t want you to get your hopes up. That’s all.”

  She searched his face and nodded. “I believe you. Just don’t question my motivation for doing what I do. The science is always first place in this lab. I know what I’m doing.”

  “And?”

  She felt her anger continue to slip away. It had risen without much provocation, telling her she was hardly out of its horrible grasp. “And I’m sorry for jumping down your throat. It’s been a long day.”

  “Yeah, well that’s no problem with me, but that wasn’t the ‘and’ I was referring to, you know?”

  “What? You mean what else am I thinking?”

  “That’s it. You can tell me now or wait until I come back from cleaning my underwear.”

  She smiled, despite the situation. “I thought I smelled something.”

  “That’d be me,” he answered, returning her smile.

  Running through her logic for believing that this blood could ID the killer, she realized that there was something else. Something subtle, but real nonetheless.

  “You know, there was something else. It’s like all the facts and knowledge we’ve accumulated in this case, and maybe some of the others, came to one big point. I just know that this is important. That this has to do with the killer.”

  “Okay. That’s as good as anything else, sometimes, if you’re a person who values intuition. We’ve all used it, right?”

  “I think so.”

  Just then, the centrifuge’s top-end whining began to decrease to the slow decrescendo that would lead to its complete stop.

  Ellen approached the centrifuge and waited. Aaron stood over her shoulder. As it whirled to a stop, she had to release a pent up breath she, somehow, hadn’t realized she was holding.

  Please be right on this one, Harper.

  After the machine stopped completely, she opened the chamber with gloved hands and extracted the sample still encased in the small, cylinder-shaped test tube. She lifted it high toward the light, and stared at the tiny pellet that had formed after the ethanol treatment and the centrifuge had separated the sample.

  Now, because of the new DNA analyst chip developed a few years prior, all they had to do was process the sample on the chip and wait for a profile. Then they could run it through CODIS and pray for a match. Pray still sounded right.

  While she was su
re this was from the killer, there was no guarantee this killer was in the data base.

  “One thing at a time, Ellie,” she told herself.

  “Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?” asked Aaron, awe in his voice.

  “Close to perfect, isn’t it?”

  Aaron stood up straight. Putting his hand on her arm. “Let me do this Ellie. I can handle it. I don’t give a rat’s ass about all of the procedural stuff right now. I want to build this profile and get it into the system.”

  She tilted her head at him, trying with all of her might to ignore that puppy-dog face he was selling.

  “I don’t know, Aaron. We have to—”

  “I know. I know. It’s going to take a couple more hours to transfer this to the chip and you’ve got some other stuff to do. I’m just waiting for one more result to come back on the drugs found in the victims, before I’m finished. Besides, like I said, Beaux needs to go for a walk.”

  He dropped to one knee. “Come on. You said we should get through all this ASAP. Let’s get ‘er done,” he said in his best Larry the Cable Guy impression.

  She rolled her eyes. “You can go from asshole to Prince Charming in about seven seconds. Do you know that?”

  Aaron batted his eyes. “Yep. I’m still developing and no, I’m not bi-polar, I don’t believe.”

  Thinking about their up and down, emotional exchange a few minutes prior, she realized she would be as oblivious to his ability as a CSI as he’d been to her method of madness in processing the blood sample if she said no.

  Life was a constant give and take. She could still hear that wisdom echo deep inside as her mother’s voice rose in her mind. And, Aaron was damn good. That’s why they were partners, partly at any rate.

  “Okay, fine. Make sure you turn on both video and security cameras so—”