demille.thegeneralsdaughter-第23部分

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amage。〃
　〃No；　but　as　we　discussed；　consider　that　perhaps　the　partner　did　not　kill　her　in　a　moment　of　anger。　Consider　that　the　partner　intended　to　kill　her；　and　she　thought　it　was　a　game。〃
　〃That's　another　possibility。〃
　Cynthia　said；　〃I　keep　thinking　about　that　room　in　the　basement。　There　may　have　been　men　who　wanted　her　dead　out　of　jealousy　or　revenge；　or　she　may　have　been　blackmailing　someone。〃
　〃Right。　She　was　a　homicide　victim　waiting　to　happen。　But　we　need　more　information。　You'll　write　all　of　that　in　your　case　book。　Okay？〃
　Again　she　nodded　but　said　nothing。　Clearly；　Cynthia；　who　dealt　with　garden…variety　rapes　that　did　not　lead　to　murder；　was　somewhat　overwhelmed　by　these　new　facets　of　human　depravity　and　sexual　diversity。　Yet；　I　was　sure　she　had　seen　women　brutalized　by　men；　but　she　must　have　partmentalized　those　crimes　or　categorized　them　in　some　fashion　that　she　could　deal　with。　She　didn't　seem　to　hate　all　men…in　fact；　she　liked　men…but　I　could　see　how　she　could；　or　would；　one　day　begin　to　hate。　I　asked　Cynthia；　〃The　Neely　case。　Who　was　the　guy？〃
　〃Oh　。。。　some　young　trainee　at　the　Infantry　School。　He　fell　in　love　with　this　nurse　and　followed　her　out　to　her　car　one　night　as　she　left　the　hospital。　He　made　a　full　confession　and　will　make　a　full　apology；　then　plead　guilty　and　take　five　to　ten。〃
　I　nodded。　It　was　not　Army　policy；　but　it　was　being　more　mon　to　have　the　convicted　or　confessed　criminal　apologize　to　the　victim　or　the　family；　and　also　to　his　or　her　own　manding　officer。　This　sounded　more　Japanese　than　English　mon　law　to　me；　but　I　suppose　it's　okay。　Ironically；　General　Campbell　had　instituted　this　policy　here　at　Fort　Hadley。　I　said；　〃Good　God；　I　wouldn't　want　to　be　the　guy　who　had　to　apologize　to　the　general　for　raping　and　murdering　his　daughter。〃
　〃It　would　be　hand　to　find　just　the　right　words；〃　Cynthia　agreed。　She　added；　〃Are　we　back　to　rape　and　murder？〃
　〃Perhaps。　But　it　could　have　been　murder　and　rape。　Do　you　want　to　discuss　necrophilia？〃
　〃No。　Enough。〃
　〃Amen。〃　Up　ahead；　I　could　see　the　outline　of　a　huge　green　open…sided　tent；　like　a　pavilion　that　you　see　at　lawn　parties。　The　forensic　people　pitch　these　over　an　outdoor　crime　scene　to　protect　the　evidence　from　the　elements。
　Cynthia　said；　〃I　appreciate　the　confidence　in　me　that　you've　expressed　to　Karl。〃
　I　didn't　recall　that　conversation　with　Karl；　so　I　let　that　pass　and　said；　〃Karl　wants　us　to　reconstruct　the　crime。　plete　with　tent　pegs；　ropes；　and　so　forth。　You're　Ann　Campbell。〃
　She　thought　about　this　a　moment；　then　said；　〃All　right　。。。　I've　done　that　before　。。。〃
　〃Good。　I'm　looking　forward　to　it。〃
　We　had　arrived　at　the　scene；　and　Cynthia　pulled　over　behind　a　forensic　unit　van。　She　said；　〃Are　we　going　to　see　the　body　again？〃
　〃No。〃　By　now　the　body　was　bloating；　and　there　would　be　a　faint　odor　about　it；　and；　as　irrational　and　unprofessional　as　this　sounds；　I　wanted　to　remember　Ann　Campbell　as　she　was。
　
　CHAPTER　ELEVEN
　
　There　were　about　a　dozen　vans　and　cars　on　the　narrow　road；　belonging　to　the　CID　forensic　lab　and　the　local　MPs。
　Cynthia　and　I　walked　on　a　trail　of　green　tarpaulin　toward　the　open　pavilion。
　It　was　a　typically　hot　Georgia　afternoon；　with　an　occasional　soft　breeze　that　carried　the　resinous　scent　of　pines　through　the　humid　air。
　Death　does　not　cause　a　halt　in　military　activities；　and　the　rifle　ranges　to　our　left　and　right　were　being　used　despite　the　problem　at　rifle　range　six。　I　could　hear　the　far…off　fusillades　of　M…16s；　sharp；　staccato　bursts　of　fire；　and；　as　always；　that　sound　stirred　unpleasant　memories。　But　those　memories　did　put　things　into　perspective。　I　mean；　this　case　was　unpleasant；　but　jungle　bat　was　way　down　there　on　the　list　of　unpleasant　activities。　Things　could　be　worse。　I　was　alive；　and　a　young　woman；　fifty　meters　away；　wasn't。
　In　and　around　the　pavilion　were　at　least　thirty　men　and　women；　all　engaged　in　the　business　of　forensic　work。
　Forensic　science　is　based　largely　on　the　theory　of　transfer　and　exchange。　It　is　an　article　of　faith　with　forensic　people　that　the　perpetrator　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