Fatal Cure. Chapter 15, 16, 17
15
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22
It had been a turbulent night at the Wilson house. Just after two o’clock in the morning Nikki had begun screaming again and had to be awakened from yet another terrifying nightmare. The episode had upset everyone and had kept them all up for over an hour. David and Angela regretted having allowed Nikki to watch crime-scene technicians work, guessing they had contributed to her terror.
At least the day dawned bright and clear. After five days of continuous rain the sky was pale blue and cloudless. In place of the rain was a big chill. The temperature had plunged into the upper teens, leaving the ground blanketed with an exceptionally heavy hoarfrost.
There was little conversation as the Wilsons dressed and breakfasted. Everyone avoided making reference to the luminal test although Angela refused to sit at the kitchen table. She ate her cereal standing at the sink.
Before Angela and Nikki left, David asked Angela about lunch. Angela told him she’d meet him in the lobby at twelve-thirty.
On the way to school, Angela tried to encourage Nikki to give Mr. Han more than one day’s chance. “It’s difficult for a teacher to take over someone else’s class. Especially someone special like Marjorie.”
“Why couldn’t Daddy save her?” Nikki asked.
“He tried,” Angela said. “But it just wasn’t to be. Doctors can only do so much.”
Pulling up to the front of the school, Nikki jumped out and was about to dash up the walk when Angela called her back.
“You forgot the letter,” Angela said. She handed Nikki a letter Angela had written explaining Nikki’s health problems and needs. “Remember, if Mr. Hart has any questions he should give either me or Dr. Pilsner a call.”
Angela was relieved to find that Wadley wasn’t around when she arrived at the lab. Quickly she immersed herself in her work, but no sooner had she started when one of the secretaries let her know that the chief medical examiner was on the phone.
“I have some interesting news,” Walt said. “The material that we teased from beneath Dr. Hodges’ fingernails was indeed skin.”
“Congratulations,” Angela said.
“I’ve already run a DNA screen,” Walt said. “It is not Hodges’ skin. I’d bet a thousand dollars it belongs to his assailant. It could prove to be critical evidence if a suspect is charged.”
“Have you ever found evidence like this before?” Angela asked.
“Yes, I have,” Walt said. “It’s not rare in mortal struggles to find remnants of the attacker’s skin under the victim’s nails. But I have to admit that this case represents the longest interval from the time of the crime to the discovery of the body. If we can make an I.D. with a suspect it might be worth writing it up for one of the journals.”
Angela thanked him for keeping her informed.
“I almost forgot,” Walt added. “I found some black carbon particles embedded in the skin samples. It looks strange. It’s as if the killer had scraped up against a hearth or a wood stove during the struggle. Anyway, I thought it was curious and that it might help the crime-scene investigators.”
“I’m afraid it might only confuse them,” Angela said. She explained about the luminol test the night before. “The blood spatter wasn’t anywhere near a fireplace or the stove. Maybe the killer picked up the carbon earlier, someplace else?”
“I doubt it,” Walt said. “There was no inflammation, just a few red blood cells. The carbon had to be picked up contemporaneous to the struggle.”
“Maybe Hodges had carbon under his nails,” Angela suggested.
“That’s a good thought,” Walt said. “The only trouble is the carbon is evenly distributed in the skin samples.”
“It’s a mystery,” Angela said. “Especially since it doesn’t jibe with what the crime-scene people found.”
“It’s the same with any mystery,” Walt said. “To solve it you have to have all the facts. We’re obviously missing some crucial piece of information.”
After having been denied the opportunity to ride his bike for an entire week, David thoroughly enjoyed the trip from his home to the hospital. Taking a little extra time, he followed a route that was slightly longer than usual but much more scenic.