demille.thegeneralsdaughter-第19部分

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rpetrator　will　take　away　traces　of　the　scene　and　of　the　victim；　and　will　leave　traces　of　himself　at　the　scene　or　on　the　victim。　This　is　especially　true　with　sexual　assault；　which　by　its　nature　puts　the　perpetrator　and　victim　in　close　juxtaposition。
　There　are；　however；　cases　where　the　perpetrator　is　extremely　bright　and　savvy；　and　has　no　intention　of　giving　the　forensic　lab　so　much　as　a　pubic　hair　or　a　drop　of　semen　or　saliva；　or　even　a　whiff　of　after…shave　lotion。　Based　on　what　I'd　seen　earlier；　this　seemed　like　it　could　be　one　of　those　cases。　And　if　it　turned　out　that　it　was；　then　I　had　to　rely　solely　on　old…fashioned　interrogation；　intuition；　and　legwork。　But　even　if　I　found　the　perpetrator；　a　conviction　without　a　shred　of　forensic　evidence　was　unlikely。
　I　stopped　before　I　got　to　the　pavilion；　and　a　short；　bald　man　separated　himself　from　the　crowd　around　the　body　and　came　toward　us。　I　recognized　Chief　Warrant　Officer　Cal　Seiver；　who　was　probably　the　OIC…the　officer　in　charge…of　the　entire　team。　Seiver　is　basically　a　good　guy；　a　professional　with　an　uncanny　sense　of　what　piece　of　thread　or　what　speck　of　dust　is　important。　But；　like　many　technical　types；　he　lives　and　breathes　minutiae　and　can't　see　the　forest　for　the　trees。　This　is　good；　though；　because　the　forest　is　my　job；　and　the　trees　are　his。　I　don't　like　forensic　types　who　play　detective。
　Cal　was　looking　a　bit　pale　as　he　always　does　when　he　sees　a　body。　We　shook　hands　and　I　introduced　him　to　Cynthia；　but　they　knew　each　other。　He　said；　〃The　entire　fucking　world　walked　around　this　body；　Paul。〃
　We　go　through　this　every　time。　I　replied；　〃Nobody　knows　how　to　levitate　yet。〃
　〃Yeah；　well；　you　people　stomped　on　everything。〃
　〃Any　nonmilitary　footwear？〃
　〃Yeah。　Running　shoes。〃　He　looked　at　Cynthia's　shoes。　〃Did　you…〃
　〃Yes；〃　she　replied。　〃I'll　give　you　my　footprints。　Any　other　footprints　aside　from　boots？〃
　〃Yeah。　I　picked　up　a　partial　bare　footprint；　probably　the　deceased's；　but　everything　else　is　boots；　boots；　boots。　Some　soles　make　different　marks；　you　know；　uneven　wear；　cuts　in　the　leather；　different　brands　of　heels…〃
　〃I　think　you　told　me　that　once；〃　I　reminded　him。
　〃Yeah。　We've　got　to　take　disqualifying　sole　prints　from　everybody；　but　I　have　to　tell　you；　the　area　probably　had　dozens　of　prints　already；　and　this　range　is　covered　with　scrub　brush　and　grass。〃
　〃I　see　that。〃
　〃I　hate　outdoor　crime　scenes。〃　He　pulled　out　a　handkerchief；　took　off　his　BDU　cap；　and　mopped　his　sweaty　pate。
　I　informed　him；　〃New　memo　from　the　Pentagon；　Cal。　You　are　not　short　and　bald…you　are　a　vertically　challenged　man　of　scalp。〃
　He　looked　at　Cynthia。　〃You　got　to　work　with　this　guy？〃
　〃He's　trying　to　bug　me；　not　you。　I　just　gave　him　a　lecture　on　sensitivity。〃
　〃Yeah？　Don't　waste　your　time。〃
　〃Precisely；〃　agreed　Cynthia。　〃Did　you　get　the　stuff　I　sent　you　on　the　Neely　case？〃
　〃Yeah。　We　did　a　DNA　match　on　the　semen　we　had　from　her　vagina；　and　the　stuff　you　sent　over　yesterday　from　the　confessed　rapist。　Same　stuff；　so　you　got　a　true　confession。　Congratulations。〃
　I　added；　my　congratulations　and　inquired　of　Cal；　〃Any　traces　of　semen　on　this　victim？〃
　〃I　ran　an　ultraviolet　light　over　her；　and　there're　no　traces　of　semen。　We　took　vaginal；　oral；　and　anal　swabs；　and　we'll　know　about　that　in　a　half　hour　or　so。〃　He　added；　〃The　latentprints　people　have　already　done　the　body；　the　humvee；　her　handbag；　the　tent　pegs；　and　ropes。　The　photographers　are　nearly　done；　and　I　have　the　serology　people　in　the　vans　now　with　the　blood；　saliva；　and　orifice　samples。　The　chemistry　people　are　vacuuming　trace　evidence　from　the　body；　but　I　have　to　tell　you；　I　don't　even　see　a　stray　hair　on　the　body；　and　what　lint　there　is　probably　came　from　her　own　underwear　and　clothes。　I　also　brought　along　a　team　from　the　tool　marks　lab；　and　they're　examining　the　tent　pegs　and　rope；　but　it's　standard…issue　stuff　and　the　pegs　are　old　and　used；　and　so　is　the　rope。　So；　to　answer　all　your　questions；　we　don't　have　a　physical　clue　for　you　yet。〃
　Cal　tends　to　be　negative。　Then　later；　he　tells　you　that　after　hours　of　hard　and　brilliant　lab　work；　he's　got　something。　The　secret　to　being　a　legend　is　to　make　the　job　look　harder　than　it　is。　I　do　that　once　in　a　while　myself。　Cynthia　doesn't　get　it　yet。　I　asked　Cal；　〃Have　you　removed　the　tent　pegs？〃
　〃Just　the　one　near　the　left　ankle　to　get　at　an　anal　sample；　and　to　determine　if　there's　any　dirt　on　the　peg　that's　different　from　the　dirt　it's　stuck　in　now。　But　it　seems　like　all　red　Georgia　clay。〃
　〃I　want　you　to　determine　if　either　of　the　tent　pegs　near　the　wrists　could　have　been　pulled　out　by　the　victim　if　she　were　free　to　do　so。　Also；　see　if　either　of　the　knots　on　the　wrists　is　a　slipknot。　Also；　I　would　like　you　to　tell　me　if　you　think　she　had　or　could　have　had　either　end　of　the　ligature　in　her　hands。〃
　〃Now？〃
　〃Please。〃
　Cal　turned　and　walked　away。
　Cynthia　said　to　me；　〃If　none　of　those　things　are　true　or　possible；　then　we　can　rule　out　an　autoerotic　fatality。　Correct？〃
　〃Correct。〃
　〃Then　we　look　for　a　perpetrator。〃
　〃A　perpetrator　or　an　acplice。　It　still　looks　like　it　started　out　as　fun。〃　I　added；　〃That　is　not　for　public　dissemination。〃
　〃Obviously。〃　She　said；　〃I　don't　mind　seeing　the　body　again。　I　know　what　we're　looking　for。〃　She　followed　the　tarpaulin　trail　to　the　pavilion　and　disappeared　into　the　crowd　as　she　knelt　beside　the　body。　I　turned　and　walked　back　to　the　road　and　stood　beside　the　humvee。　I　looked　up　the　road　toward　the　guard　post　where　PFC　Robbins　had　stood；　but　I　could　not　see　the　ammo　shed　from　a　kilometer　away。　I　turned　and　looked　down　the　road　toward　the　direction　we　had　e　from　and　saw　that　the　road　made　a　right…hand　bend；　so　that　if　a　vehicle　stopped　about　a　hundred　meters　away；　at　rifle　range　five；　its　headlights　might　not　be　seen　from　where　Bobbins　had　been　standing。　There　was　something　about　the　times　of　the　headlights　that　bugged　me；　and　I　had　to　consider　the　possibility　that　the　first　headlights　that　Robbins　saw　were　not　necessarily　those　of　Ann　Campbell's　humvee…because　if　they　were；　what　was　Ann　Campbell　doing　between　the　time　she　left　Post　Headquarters　at　0100　hours　and　the　time　Robbins　saw　the　first　headlights　at　0217　hours？
　Cynthia　and　Cal　approached；　and　Cal　informed　me；　〃The　tent　pegs　are　solid　in　the　clay。　A　guy　with　surgical　gloves　almost　got　a　hernia　pulling　them　out。　The　knots　have　been　classified　as　granny　knots；　and　you　can　barely　untie　them　even　using　a　mechanical　aid。　As　for　the　ligature；　the　ends　do　reach　her　hands；　but　if　you're　asking　for　my　opinion；　I　don't　think　she　could　have　pulled　them　herself。　You　looking　for　an　autoerotic　accident？〃
　〃Just　a　thought。　Between　us。〃
　〃Yeah。　But　it　looks　like　she　had　pany　last　night；　though　we　haven't　found　any　traces　of　her　pany　yet。〃
　〃Where　was　the　bare　footprint？〃
　〃About　halfway　between　the　road　and　the　body。　About　there。〃　He　pointed　to　where　one　of　his　people　was　taking　a　casting　of　a　print。
　I　nodded。　〃How　was　the　rope　cut？〃
　Cal　replied；　〃pression　cut。　Like　an　ax　or　cleaver；　maybe　on　a　wooden　surface。　Probably　not　done　here…the　tool　mark　guys　checked　the　bleacher　seats　for　cuts。　Most　likely；　the　lengths　were　precut　and　brought　here。〃　He　added；　〃Like　a　rape　kit；〃　but　resisted　the　temptation　to　say　words　like　〃premeditated〃　or　〃organized　rapist。〃　I　like　people　who　stick　to　their　area　of　expertise。　In　fact；　what　looked　like　part　of　a　rape　kit　was　more　likely　bondage　paraphernalia　from　the　victim's　own　storehouse　of　equipment。　But　it　was　best　if　everyone　kept　thinking　rape。
　Cal　said　to　me；　〃You　wanted　to　know　about　the　black　smudge　on　her　right　foot。〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Ninety…nine　percent　sure　it's　blacktop。　Know　for　sure　in　about　an　hour。　I'll　match　the　smudge　to　the　road　here；　but　it　won't　be　conclusive。〃
　〃Okay。〃　He　asked　me；　〃How'd　you　pull　this　case？〃
　〃I　begged　for　it。〃
　He　laughed；　then　said；　〃I　wouldn't　want　to　be　in　your　boots。〃
　〃Me　neither；　if　you　found　my　bootprints　in　the　humvee。〃　He　smiled；　and　it　seemed　he　was　enjoying　my　pany；　so　I　reminded　him；　〃If　you　botch　anything；　you　should　think　about　where　you　can　live　on　half　pay。　A　lot　of　guys　go　to　Mexico。〃
　〃Hey；　if　I　botch　anything；　I　can　cover　my　ass。　If　you　botch　anything；　your　ass　is　grass；　and　Colonel　Hellmann　is　the　lawn　mower。〃
　Which　was　an　unpleasant　truth。　I　informed　him；　〃The　victim's　office；　household　goods；　and　personal　effects　are　in　a　hangar　at　Jordan　Field；　so　when　you're　through　here；　go　there。〃
　〃I　know。　We'll　be　done　here　by　dark；　then　we'll　do　an　all…nighter　at　the　hangar。〃
　〃Was　Colonel　Kent　here？〃
　〃Just　for　a　few　minutes。〃
　〃What　did　he　want？〃
　〃Same　as　you；　without　the　wisecracks。〃　He　added；　〃Wants　you　to　see　the　general。　Did　you　get　that　message？〃
　〃No。　All　right；　Cal；　I'm　at　the　provost　marshal's　office。　All　reports　and　inquiries　go　to　me　or　Cynthia　directly；　sealed　and　marked　'Confidential。'　Or　you　can　call　or　drop　by。　My　clerk　is　Specialist　Baker。　Don't　discuss　this　case　with　anyone；　not　even　the　post　provost　marshal。　If　he　asks　you　anything；　refer　him　to　me　or　Cynthia。　And　instruct　your　people　to　do　the　same。　Okay？〃
　Cal　nodded；　then　asked；　〃Not　even　Colonel　Kent？〃
　〃Not　even　the　general。〃
　He　shrugged。　〃Okay。〃
　〃Let's　go　look　at　the　latrines；　then　your　people　can　process　the　premises。〃
　〃Okay。〃
　As　we　walked；　Cynthia　asked　Cal；　〃When　can　you　release　the　body　to　the　coroner　for　autopsy？〃
　Cal　scratched　his　bald　head。　〃Well　。。。　I　guess　in　about　three　hours。〃
　She　said；　〃Why　don't　you　call　the　post　hospital　and　get　the　coroner　out　here　so　he　can　examine　the　body　in　place？　Then　tell　him　we　would　appreciate　an　autopsy　ASAP；　even　if　he　has　to　work　late；　and　we'd　like　a　preliminary　coroner's　report　sometime　tonight。　Tell　him　the　general　would　appreciate　it；　too；　and　that　the　general　and　Mrs。　Campbell　would　like　to　get　on　with　the　funeral　arrangements。〃
　Cal　nodded。　〃Okay。〃
　Cynthia　seemed　to　be　getting　the　hang　of　it。　Obviously；　I　was　teaching　by　example。
　The　three　of　us　made　our　way　past　the　bleachers；　over　an　open　stretch　of　thick　grass　that　left　no　footprints；　and　into　the　tree　line　where　two　latrine　sheds　stood。　Kent　had　cordoned　off　the　area；　and　we　stepped　over　the　yellow　crime　scene　tape。　The　older　shed　was　marked　〃Male　Personn