cpatricia.blacknotice-第30节

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　　〃The　guy　at　State　Police　got　a　puter　message　back　from　them　within　an　hour。　They　just　requested　more　info；　that's　all：〃
　　'That　tells　us　a　lot；〃　I　said；　disappointed。　〃That　probably　means　they　didn't　get　a　hit　on　anything　significant。　The　old　fracture　of　the　jaw；　the　unusual　accessory　cusp　of　the　Carabelli；　not　to　mention　fingerprints。　None　of　it　matched　up　with　anybody　wanted　or　missing。〃
　　〃Yeah。　It's　a　pisser；〃　he　said；　his　mouth　full　as　he　held　out　the　bowl　to　me。
　　〃No；　thanks：'
　　〃It's　really　good。　What　you　do　is　soften　the　cream　cheese　in　the　microwave　first　and　put　in　jalapeiíos。　It's　a　lot　better　for　you　than　onion　dip。〃
　　〃I'm　sure。〃
　　〃You　know；　I　always　liked　him：'　He　pointed　a　greasy　finger　at　the　TV　〃I　don't　care　if　he　was　queer。　You　gotta　admit　he　had　style。　If　people　are　gonna　pay　all　that　money　for　records　and　concert　tickets；　by　God　they　ought　to　get　people　who　don't　look　and　act　like　some　schmoe　on　the　street。
　　〃Let　me　tell　you；〃　Marino　said　with　his　mouth　full；　〃shootings　are　a　bitch。　You　get　investigated　as　if　you　made　an　attempt　on　the　damn　president；　and　then　there's　all　the　counseling　and　everybody　worrying　about　your　mental　health　so　much　it　makes　you　crazy。〃
　　He　threw　back　bourbon　and　crunched　more　chips。
　　〃She's　gonna　get　some　time　on　the　bricks；〃　he　went　on；　using　cop　jargon　for　involuntary　time　off。　〃And　Miami　detectives　are　gonna　work　it　like　they　always　work　homicides。　Got　to。　And　everything　will　have　the　hell　reviewed　out　of　it〃
　　He　looked　over　at　me；　wiping　his　hands。on　his　jeans。
　　〃I　know　this　won't　make　you　feel　good；　but　maybe　you're　the。　last　person　she　wants　to　see　right　now；〃　he　said。
　　　
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　　There　was　a　rule　in　our　building　that　any　evidence；　even　something　as　innocuous　as　a　ten…print　card；　had　to　be　transported　on　the　service　elevator。　This　was　located　at　the　end　of　a　hallway　where　two　cleaning　ladies　were　this　minute　pushing　their　carts　as　I　headed　to　Neils　Vander's　lab。
　　〃Good　morning；　Merle。　And　Beatrice；　how　are　you？〃　I　smiled　at　them。
　　Their　eyes　landed　on　the　towel…covered　surgical　pan　and　the　paper　sheets　covering　the　gurney　I　was　pushing。　They　had　been　around　long　enough　to　know　that　whenever　I　carried　something　bagged　or　pushed　something　covered；　it　was　nothing　they　wanted　to　know　about。
　　〃Uh…oh；〃　Merle　said。
　　〃Uh…oh　is　right；〃　Beatrice　chimed　in。
　　I　pushed　the　elévator　button。
　　〃You　going　anyplace　special　for　Christmas；　Dr。　Scarpelts。
　　They　could　tell　by　the　look　on　my　face　that　Christmas　was　a　topic　I　didn't　particularly　care　to　talk　about。
　　〃You're　probably　too　busy　for　Christmas；〃　Merle　quickly　said。
　　Both　women　got　unfortable　for　the　same　reason　everybody　else　did　when　they　were　reminded　of　what　had　happened　to　Benton。
　　〃I　know　this　time　of　year　gets　real　busy；〃　Merle　awkwardly　changed　the　subject。　〃All　those　people　drinking　on　the　road。　More　suicides　and　people　getting　mad　at　each　other。〃
　　Christmas　would　be　here　in　about　two　weeks。　Fielding　was　on　call　that　day。　I　couldn't　count　how　many　Christmases　I　had　worn　a　pager。
　　〃People　burning　up　in　fires；　too。〃
　　〃When　bad　things　happen　this　time　of　year；〃　I　said　to　them　as　the　elevator　doors　opened；　〃we　feel　them　more。　That's　a　lot　of　it。〃
　　〃Maybe　that's　it。〃
　　〃I　don't　know　'bout　that；　remember　that　electrical　fire　。　。　。　？'
　　The　doors　shut　and　I　headed　úp　to　the　second　floor；　which　had　been　designed　to　acmodate　tours　for　citizens　and　politicians　and　anyone　else　interested　in　our　work。　All　labs　were　behind　big　expanses　of　plate　glass；　and　at　first　this　had　seemed　odd　and　unfortable　to　scientists　used　to　working　in　secret　behind　cinder　block　walls。　By　now；　nobody　cared。　Examiners　tested　trigger　pulls　and　worked　with　bloodstains；　fingerprints　and　fibers　without　paying　much　attention　to　who　was　on　the　other　side　of　the　glass；　which　at　this　moment　included　me　pushing　my　gurney　past。
　　Neils　Vander's　world　was　a　large　space　of　countertops；　with　all　sorts　of　unusual　technical　instruments　and　juryrigged　contraptions　scattered　all　over　the　place。　Against　one　wall　were　wooden　cabinets　with　glass　doors；　and　these　Vander　had　turned　into　glue　chambers；　using　clothesline　and　clothespins　to　hold　up　objects　exposed　to　the　Super　Glue　fumes　generated　by　a　hot　plate。
　　In　the　past；　scientists　and　police　had　had　very　little　success　in　lifting　prints　fróm　nonporous　objects　such　as　plastic　bags；　electrical　tape　and　leather。　Then；　quite　by　accident；　it　was　discovered　that　the　fumes　from　Super　Glue　adhere　to　ridge　detail；　much　as　traditional　dusting　powder　does；　and　out　pops　a　white　latent　print。　In　a　corner　was　another　glue　chamber　called　a　Cyvac　II　that　could　acmodate　larger　objects　such　as　a　shotgun　or　rifle　or　car　bumper；　or　theoretically　even　an　entire　body。
　　Humidity　chambers　raised　prints　off　porous　items；　such　as　paper　or　wood；　that　had　been　treated　with　ninhydrin；　although　Vander　sometimes　resorted　to　the　quick　method　of　using　a　household　steam　iron；　arid　once　or　twice　had　scorched　the　evidence；　or　so　I'd　heard。　Scattered　about　were　Nederman　lights　equipped　with　vacuums　to　suck　up　fumes　and　residues　from　drug　Baggies。
　　Other　rooms　in　Vander's　domain　housed　the　Automatic　Fingerprints　Identification　System　known　as　AFIS；　and　darkrooms　for　digital　audio　and　video　enhancement。　He　oversaw　the　photo　lab；　where　more　than　a　hundred　and　fifty　rolls　of　processed　film　carne　off　the　speedmaster　every　day。　It　took　me　a　while　to　locate　Vander；　but　I　finally　caught　him　in　the　impression　lab；　where　pizza　boxes　ingenious　cops　used　to　transport　plaster　casts　of　tire　tracks　and　footwear　prints　were　neatly　stacked　in　corners；　and　a　door　someone　had　tried　to　kick　in　was　leaning　against　a　wall。
　　Vander*　was　seated　before　a　puter；　paring　footwear　impressions　on　a　split　screen。　I　left　the　gurney　outside　the　door。
　　〃You're　nice　to　do　this；〃　I　said。
　　His　pale　blue　eyes　always　seemed　to　be　elsewhere；　and　as　usual；　his　lab　coat　was　stained　purple　from　ninhydrin　and　a　felt…tip　pen　had　bled　through　one　of　his　pockets。
　　〃This　is　a　real　good　one；〃　he　said；　tapping　the　video　screen　as　he　got　out　of　his　chair。　〃Guy　buys　new　shoes　and　you　know　how　slippery　they　are　if　the　bottoms　are　leather？　So　he　gets　a　knife　and　slashes　them；　you　know；　roughs　them　up　because　he's　getting　married　and　doesn't　want　to　slip　ing　down　the　aisle。〃
　　I　followed　him　out　of　the　lab；　not　really　in　the　mood　for　anecdotes。
　　〃Well；　he　gets　burglarized。　Shoes；　bunch　of　other　clothes　and　stuff；　gone。　Two　days　later　a　woman　in　his　neighborhood　is　raped。　Police　find　these　weird　shoeprints　at　the　scene。　In　fact；　there'd　been　quite　a　lot　of　burglaries　in　that　area。〃
　　We　entered　the　alternate　light　source　lab。
　　〃Turns　out　it　was　this　kid。　Thirteen。〃　Vander　was　shaking　his　head　as　he　flipped　on　the　lights。　〃I　just　don't　know　about　kids　anymore。　When　I　was　thirteen；　the　worst　thing　I　ever　did　was　shoot　a　bird　with　a　BB　gun。〃
　　He　mounted　the　Luma…Lite　on　a　tripod。
　　〃That's　pretty　bad　in　my　book；〃　I　told　him。
　　While　I　laid　out　the　clothes　on　white　paper　under　the　chemical　hood；　he　plugged　in　the　Luma…Lite　and　its　fans　began　to　whir。　A　minute　later　he　started　the　source　lamp；　rotating　the　intensity　knob　to　full　power。　He　set　a　pair　of　protective　glasses　near　me　and　placed　a　blue　450　nanometer　optical　filter　over　the　output　lens。　We　put　on　our　glasses　and　turned　out　the　lights。　The　Luma…Lite　cast　a　blue　glow　across　the　floor。　Vander's　shadow　moved　as　he　did；　and　nearby　jars　of　dye　lit　up　Brilliant　Yellow　and　Blitz　Green　and　Redwop。　Their　dust　was　a　constellation　of　neon　stars　scattered　throughout　the　room。
　　〃You　know；　we've　got　these　idiots　at　police　departments　these　days　who　are　getting　their　own　Luma…Lites　and　processing　their　own　scenes；〃　Vander's　voice　sounded　in　the　dark。　〃So　they　dust　with　Redwop　and　put　the　print　on　a　black　background；　so　I　have　to　photograph　it　with　the　Luma…Lite　on　and　reverse　the　damn　print　to　white。〃
　　He　started　with　the　plastic　wastepaper　basket　found　inside　the　container　and　was　instantly　rewarded　with　the　faint　ridges　of　fingerprint　smudges；　which　he　dusted　with　Redwop；　its　electric　red　dust　drifting　through　the　dark。
　　〃Good　way　to　start；〃　I　said。　〃Keep　it　up；　Neils。〃
　　Vander　moved　the　tripod　closer　to　the　dead　man's　black　jeans　and　the　inside…out　right　pocket　began　to　glow　a　dull　rouge。　I　poked　the　material　with　my　gloved　finger　and　found　smears　of　iridescent　orange。
　　〃Don't　believe　I've　ever　gotten　a　red　like　that　before；〃　Vander　mused。
　　We　spent　an　hour　going　over　all　of　the　clothing；　including　shoes　and　belt；　and　nothing　else　fluoresced。
　　〃Definitely　two　different　things　there；〃　Vander　said　as　I　turned　on　the　lights。　〃Two　different　things　fluorescing　naturally。　No　dye　stains　involved　except　the　one　I　used　on　the　bucket。〃
　　I　picked　up　the　phone　and　called　the　morgue。　Fielding　answered。
　　〃I　need　everything　that　was　in　the　pockets　of　our　unidentified　man。　It　should　be　air…drying　on　a　tray。〃
　　〃That　would　be　some　foreign　money；　a　cigar　clipper　and　a　lighter。〃
　　〃Yes；〃
　　Lights　off　again　and　we　finished　scanning　the　exterior　of　all　the　clothing；　finding　more　of　the　odd　pale　hair。