Dust to Dust

leg was injured, but he was pumped full of adrenaline.”
    David shook his head. “No blood trail to the body, and Daughtry was bleeding freely from his wound. We do have a trail that more or less matches his and Hanks’ tale, but with a small detour into one of the little rock gardens, or whatever those rock-bordered spaces are that are all around the yard,” said David. “What I think is, Daughtry lost his gun for a time, most likely when he fell through the floor of the porch. One of the other perps picked it up, shot Dildy, and threw the gun down. I think Daughtry then retrieved it, and isn’t admitting that he ever lost it. The chief of police is pretty strict about knowing a gun’s whereabouts at all times. He doesn’t like it when an officer loses track of his gun, even for a few minutes.”
    “What does Daughtry say?” asked Diane.
    “Don’t know. Don’t want to know. I just deliver evidence, sometimes along with scenarios when appropriate. I explained things to Hanks. He tried to argue with me about what the evidence says and didn’t like it when I stuck to my analysis. But it’s his problem now.”
    “Naturally, he’s going to try and protect his own,” said Diane.
    “We’re in the same tribe,” said David. He rubbed his balding crown down to the dark fringe around his head where his hair was making its last stand.
    “We are on the same side, but that’s a little different from being family,” said Diane. “Your obligation is over now that you’ve told Hanks, so don’t worry about it. My sense is, he may not like it, but he won’t ignore it. Besides, that’s better than having shot a fleeing perp in the back at forty feet. So, anything else I should know about?”
    “That covers it as far as the evidence goes. We didn’t get any fingerprints other than exemplars, and Jin tells me that all the blood belongs to Dr. Payden.”
    “How did you get Marcella’s fingerprints? Did you take them at the hospital?” asked Diane.
    “Didn’t have to,” said David. “She’s on file.” He grinned. “Dr. Payden has a record.”
    “What?” said Diane. “For what?”
    “Seems that when she was a student many years ago, she protested a construction project that was about to start building on top of a Native American prehistoric site. Archaeologists were trying to get an injunction so they could excavate the site and save the remains from destruction, but the construction contractor was hell-bent on leveling the place before the court order could be issued. She sneaked into the construction site in the dead of night, revved up one of their heavy front-end loaders, and ran over all their smaller equipment, shed and all,” said David, still grinning from ear to ear. “She got community service and a fine.”
    Diane shook her head and smiled. “Who knew? She seems so harmless. We all did things in our youth. Where are Izzy and Neva?” she asked.
    “Izzy’s out on his own, working a break-in. I’m sending him out by himself on some of the smaller things. He’s doing well, by the way,” said David. “Neva is in the museum at Document Analysis. She’s curious about the handwriting on the desk.”
    Diane looked over at Jin. “What are you doing up here?” she asked.
    “Visiting. You know, you always say that when I visit you guys up here. Like I’m never supposed to take a break.”
    Diane looked at Jin a moment. “Touchy today?”
    “His two new employees—the ones he went through such a long process of finding—are driving him crazy,” said David. “They’re as obsessive-compulsive as he is.”
    “Being detail oriented is not OC,” said Jin. “It’s simply doing a good job. There’s a reason that, as young as we are, we are one of the most reliable labs in the country. You have to admit, the DNA lab pays for itself many times over.”
    “I admit all of that,” said Diane. She stood up. “I’m taking a kit out to do some private work. Call if you need anything.”
    “I can go with you,” said Jin. “You might need help.”
    “It’s a freebie,” said Diane.
    “I do pro bono,” said Jin.
    “Why would you want to go?” asked Diane.
    “My new employees are driving me nuts,” he said.

Chapter 15
    They rode toward Gainesville with Ross Kingsley driving, Diane in the passenger seat, and Jin in the backseat talking a blue streak about his new lab technicians.
    “I thought you liked Elvis,” said Diane.
    “I do,” said Jin, “but I don’t come to