Dead Past

something out of the gaping hole of the burned-out basement.
    Diane looked over the edge into the pit. Wisps of smoke or steam rose here and there from the dark mass into the cold night air. The bright white light of the spotlights seemed to be absorbed into the charred rubble and not reflected back. A gust of wind carried up from the basement an acrid stench that smelled like a combination of wood smoke, wet, burned garbage, melted plastic, and scorched flesh, with an assortment of chemicals thrown into the mix. Diane stepped backward for a breath of air to clear her lungs.
    The house that was there only yesterday had been a yellow Victorian with an octagonal tower, high-peaked roof, fireplaces, wraparound porches, and white gingerbread trim. A long line of students had lived many of their university years in its apartments. Diane remembered scenes of them laying down a large tarp and pouring sand over it to make themselves a beach volleyball court on game weekends, or some student relaxing on the porch swing reading a book, or several sitting on the steps shouting at their friends passing in cars. And now . . . nothing but black ashes covered with the spiderweb of crime scene string and scaffolding.
    Was one of those students from the porch swing in happier times now lying on her autopsy table? The thought made her profoundly sad.
    Diane walked toward the front of the burned-out house through the safe path that her team had created. All the snow had melted from the path, leaving a muddy walkway covered by planks. David saw her approaching, rose, and walked on the planking toward her, readjusting his baseball cap on his balding head. Neva looked up and waved, but kept working.
    The drops of sleet were getting heavier, and Diane could feel her hair getting wet. She pulled a knit cap from her coat pocket and put it on, pushing her hair underneath it.
    “How’s it going?” asked Diane. She could tell by the look on David’s face he wasn’t happy.
    “Frustrating,” said David. He took off his cap, smoothed down the nonexistent hair on the top of his head, and put his cap back on. “It’s going fine if we can keep McNair away.”
    “What’s he doing?”
    “Mostly meddling.”
    “Meddling?” Diane raised her eyebrows. “He is the arson investigator.”
    “Then he should act like one.” David glanced over his shoulder as if someone might be listening. “He looks through all our evidence bags—breaks the seal and paws through the contents. Says he needs to see what we’re finding. I told him that the lab is the place to examine the evidence, and he told me to just tend to my job, that he’s in charge. I don’t know how this guy thought he would be even remotely qualified to be the director of the crime lab. He’s not qualified to be an arson investigator. Any good defense attorney can challenge every piece of evidence we’ve collected, because of him.”
    “I’ll speak to him.” Diane felt a sudden flush.
    “It won’t work, unless you intend to watch him, too.” David lifted his chin slightly, which was a signal to Diane that McNair was approaching.
    “OK. You go back to work and I’ll try and talk some sense into him.”
    Diane whirled around and walked to meet McNair as he approached. She watched a scowl form on his face. Unbecoming, she thought.
    “We need to talk,” said Diane. Not a good opening, but she wasn’t feeling diplomatic.
    “ We need to talk?” he said, emphasizing the word we .
    “Don’t break the seal on the evidence bags. . . .”
    “Listen, you can’t tell me how to run my investigation. I need to see what they’re finding.”
    Diane’s flush was now a full-fledged burn. “They’re recovering what’s left of the human victims of this fire, and they’re doing it by strict protocol. We have serious chain of custody and contamination concerns here. This is not the time or place to examine sensitive evidence.”
    “People want answers fast. The slow way you and your people work won’t do.”
    “Forensic analysis and identification of human remains is an exacting process with the most profound legal and personal consequences. It takes the time that it takes. And my people are the best in the business.”
    McNair gave her a dismissive snort and a snide smirk. Diane had an almost irresistible urge to hit him right in the middle of his smirky mouth.
    “What do you propose we do?” she said. “Give a hasty identification of someone’s child on the basis of a