demille.thegeneralsdaughter-第42部分

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　He　regarded　me　a　moment　and　replied；　〃If　the　car　belongs　to　a　soldier；　we　can　wait　until　the　car　shows　up　on　post。〃
　〃I　want　it　tonight。〃
　〃e　on；　Brenner；　I　can't　collect　evidence　outside　government　property　without　permission　from　the　locals；　and　you　already　blew　that。〃
　〃Right。　Don't　use　an　Army　vehicle。　Unit　forty…five；　the　victim's　residence；　is　probably　being　secured　by　the　Midland　police；　but　the　cop　on　duty　will　most　likely　be　inside。　Tell　your　guys　to　be　careful　and　be　quick。〃
　〃It　can　wait　until　the　car　gets　on　post。〃
　〃Okay。〃　I　put　my　hand　on　his　shoulder。　〃I　understand。　I　just　hope　those　tires　don't　disappear　from　that　car　by　morning。　Gosh；　I　hope　the　whole　car　doesn't　disappear　tonight。　But　that's　all　right。　Wait　until　morning。〃
　〃Okay；　Victory　Gardens。　You're　pushing　your　luck；　hotshot。〃　He　walked　off　toward　a　group　of　people　who　were　labeling　plaster　footprints　and　making　notations　on　a　sketch　map　of　the　crime　scene。　Cal　handed　them　Cynthia's　running　shoes　and　spoke　to　them；　presumably　about　their　midnight　mission；　because　he　kept　jerking　his　thumb　toward　me；　and　the　techs　were　glaring　at　me。
　I　got　a　cup　of　coffee　for　myself　and　brought　one　to　Cynthia；　who　was　leafing　through　lab　reports。　She　took　the　coffee　and　said；　〃Thanks。　Look　at　this。〃　She　showed　me　a　report　from　the　footprint　people。　〃They　found　a　print　of　a　smooth…soled　shoe；　size　seven；　possibly　a　woman's　civilian　shoe。　That's　not　usual　on　a　rifle　range；　is　it？〃
　〃No；　it's　not。〃
　〃What　does　that　suggest？〃
　I　scanned　the　report；　which　speculated　that　the　footprint　was　recent。　I　said；　〃Interesting。　But　it　could　have　been　made　a　few　days　ago；　for　all　we　know。　It　hasn't　rained　here　in　about　a　week。〃
　〃Right。　But　it's　something　to　think　about。〃
　We　flipped　through　reports　from　the　various　forensic　units　for　about　fifteen　minutes；　then　Cal　called　over　to　us　from　one　of　his　makeshift　lab　areas；　and　we　joined　him　at　a　table　where　a　female　technician　was　peering　through　a　microscope。　Cal　said；　〃You　may　have　hit　pay　dirt　with　that　hairbrush。　Where'd　it　e　from？〃
　I　patted　his　bald　head。　〃Not　from　you。〃
　The　technician　laughed　as　she　buried　her　face　in　the　microscope。
　Cal　was　not　amused　and　said　to　Cynthia；　〃Since　you're　the　one　with　the　brains　on　this　team；　why　don't　you　look　in　that　microscope？〃
　The　technician　moved　aside；　and　Cynthia　sat　at　the　table。　The　technician；　a　Specialist　Lubbick；　said；　〃The　hair　on　the　right　was　recovered　from　the　sink　basin　in　the　male　latrine　at　rifle　range　six。　The　hair　on　the　left　was　taken　from　the　hairbrush。〃
　Cynthia　looked　into　the　microscope　as　Specialist　Lubbick　continued；　〃I　actually　examined　twenty　hairs　taken　from　the　brush　to　satisfy　myself　that　the　brush　hairs　all　belonged　to　the　same　individual。　My　opinion　is　that　they　do；　and　that　statistically　and　logically；　there　should　be　no　other　individual's　hair　on　that　brush；　though　I'll　examine　every　one　of　them　for　my　report。〃
　I　wanted　to　say；　〃Get　to　the　point；〃　but　you　have　to　let　technical　types　do　it　their　way　or　they　get　sulky。
　Specialist　Lubbick　continued；　〃Hairs　have　what　we　call　class　characteristics。　That　means　they　can't　be　matched　absolutely　to　a　given　sample。　They　can　be　used　to　exclude　a　suspect；　but　not　to　identify　a　suspect　in　a　court　of　law；　unless　both　samples　submitted　have　roots　so　that　we　can　get　the　sex　of　an　individual　and　a　genetic　marker。〃
　Cal　said　to　her；　〃I　think　they　know　that。〃
　〃Yes；　sir。　Anyway；　the　sample　found　in　the　latrine　has　no　roots；　but　from　the　shaft；　I've　determined　that　the　individual　had　blood　type　O；　and　that　the　individual　whose　hair　was　on　the　brush　also　had　blood　type　O。　Also；　both　samples　are　Caucasian；　are　visually　similar　in　texture；　color；　lack　of　artificial　treatment；　and　general　condition　of　health。〃
　Cynthia　looked　up　from　the　microscope。　〃Yup。　They　look　similar。〃
　Specialist　Lubbick　concluded；　〃My　opinion　is　that　they're　from　the　same　individual；　though　the　sample　from　the　sink　basin　is　too　small　to　perform　other　tests　such　as　spectra　analysis　that　might　yield　more　similarities。　Any　further　tests　will　alter　or　destroy　this　single　strand　taken　from　the　latrine。〃　She　added；　〃Some　of　the　hairs　from　the　brush　do　have　roots；　and　in　about　an　hour　I　can　tell　you　the　sex　of　that　individual　and　get　a　DNA　marker　for　you。〃
　I　nodded。　〃Understand。〃
　Cynthia　stood　and　said　to　Lubbick；　〃Please　mark　and　bag　this　and　attach　a　report。〃
　〃Yes；　ma'am。〃
　〃Thanks。〃
　Seiver　asked　me；　〃Is　this　enough　for　an　arrest？〃
　〃No；　but　it's　enough　to　start　looking　at　a　guy　real　close。〃
　〃What　guy？〃
　I　took　him　off　to　the　side；　away　from　the　technicians；　and　said；　〃A　guy　named　Colonel　Charles　Moore　whose　tire　tracks　you　are　going　to　pare。　Moore's　office　is　also　at　the　Psy…Ops　School。　He　was　the　victim's　boss。　I'm　trying　to　get　his　office　sealed　until　we　can　get　authorization　to　bring　it　here。〃
　Cynthia　joined　us　and　said；　〃In　the　meantime；　Cal；　match　the　fingerprints　found　on　Colonel　Moore's　hairbrush　to　the　fingerprints　found　on　the　humvee；　and　also　to　any　fingerprints　found　on　the　trash　bag　and　the　articles　found　inside　the　bag。〃
　〃Right。〃　He　thought　a　moment；　then　said；　〃But　a　match　doesn't　conclusively　place　this　Colonel　Moore　at　the　scene　if　Moore　and　the　victim　knew　each　other。　He　has　a　believable　reason　why　his　fingerprints　could　be　on；　let's　say；　her　holster；　or　on　the　humvee。〃
　I　replied；　〃I　know；　but　he　would　have　a　harder　time　explaining　why　his　prints　are　on　the　trash　bag；　or　why　his　tire　marks　are　out　on　range　five。〃
　Cal　nodded。　〃Still；　you　need　to　place　him　there　at　the　time　of　the　murder。〃
　〃Right。　So　I　want　you　to　pare　the　fingerprints　on　the　hairbrush　to　the　partial　prints　you　found　on　the　tent　pegs。　If　we　have　his　tire　marks　and　enough　fingerprints　that　match；　then　the　rope　around　his　fucking　neck　gets　much　tighter。　Okay？〃
　Cal　nodded。　〃Okay。　You're　the　detective。　I'd　vote　guilty；　but　you　never　know　these　days。〃　He　turned　and　walked　toward　the　fingerprint　unit。
　Cynthia　said　to　me；　〃If　we　interrogate　Moore　and　present　him　with　the　evidence；　there's　a　good　chance　he　will　tell　us　he　did　it。〃
　〃Right；　or　he　will　tell　us　he　didn't。　Then　we　wind　up　in　front　of　a　court…martial　board；　all　holding　our　breaths　while　they　decide　if　a　colonel　in　the　United　States　Army　strangled　General　Campbell's　daughter；　or　if　Warrant　Officers　Brenner　and　Sunhill　got　the　wrong　guy；　missed　the　right　guy；　totally　dishonored　themselves　and　the　Army；　and　blew　it　big…time。〃
　Cynthia　thought　a　moment　and　asked　me；　〃If　all　the　forensic　evidence　points　to　Moore；　do　you　have　any　reasonable　doubts？〃
　〃Do　you？〃
　〃Reasonable　doubts；　yes。　I　just　can't　see　Ann　Campbell　doing　whatever　she　was　doing　out　there　with　that　guy；　and　I　can't　see　him　strangling　her。　He　looks　like　the　kind　of　sicko　who'd　put　poison　in　your　coffee；　but　he's　not　a　hands…on　killer。〃
　〃That's　what's　bothering　me。　But　you　never　know　。。。　she　may　have　asked　him　to　do　it。　Pleaded　with　him　to　kill　her。　I　had　one　like　that　once。　And　for　all　we　know；　Moore　could　have　been　flying　on　mind…altering　drugs。　Something　he　got　from　work。〃
　〃That's　possible。〃
　I　looked　over　Cynthia's　shoulder。　〃Meanwhile；　here　es　the　law。〃
　Colonel　Kent　was　making　the　long　walk　across　the　hangar；　and　we　met　him　halfway。　He　asked；　〃Anything　new　here？〃
　I　replied；　〃We're　close　to　something；　Bill。　I'm　waiting　for　fingerprints　and　tire　tracks。〃
　His　eyes　widened。　〃No　kidding？　Who？〃
　〃Colonel　Moore。〃
　He　seemed　to　think　about　that；　then　nodded。　〃It　fits。〃
　〃How　does　it　fit；　Bill？〃
　〃Well　。。。　they　had　a　close　relationship；　he　would　have　the　opportunity；　and　I　wouldn't　put　it　past　him。　He's　weird。　I　just　don't　know　what　his　motive　would　be。〃
　〃Me　neither。〃　I　asked　Kent；　〃Tell　me　about　Captain　and　General　Campbell。〃
　〃What　about　them？〃
　〃Were　they　close？〃
　He　looked　me　right　in　the　eye　and　said；　〃They　were　not。〃
　〃Go　on。〃
　〃Well　。。。　perhaps　we　can　discuss　that　another　time。〃
　〃Perhaps　we　can　discuss　it　in　Falls　Church。〃
　〃Hey；　don't　threaten　me。〃
　〃Look；　Colonel；　I'm　the　investigating　officer　in　a　homicide　case。　You　may　feel　that　you're　under　some　social　and　professional　restraints；　but　you're　not。　Your　duty　is　to　answer　my　questi