The Night Killer

circumstances. “The poncho this man was wearing and the knife he had and gave to the Fallon woman. The man who was seen roaming the woods in the vicinity of the Barres’ around the time they were murdered.”
    “That’s impossible,” said David. “Those things are still in the vault in our lab, and they were as clean as a whistle, as far as blood is concerned.”
    “What are you talking about?” said the sheriff, silent up until now.
    Diane noticed he hadn’t made eye contact with anyone since the doctor dropped his bombshell.
    “Fallon turned them over to me,” the sheriff said.
    “Really?” said David. “Or did you forcibly take envelopes containing the items from Dr. Fallon and stomp off? Anyway, you had to notice that the envelopes were not the official chain-of-custody evidence envelopes we use, and the knife was wrapped in a lace handkerchief. Not our crime lab protocol at all.”
    The sheriff said nothing. Dr. Linden looked a little confused and not quite so puffed up in the chest.
    “What are you saying?” said Dr. Linden. “The woman handed over false evidence?”
    “No, she did not,” said David. “The poncho and knife the sheriff took were gifts to Diane—a joke Neva and I cooked up for her. We do that on occasion. In recognition of her notable experience in the woods, we thought it would be funny to give her her own rain poncho and woodsman knife. You know, in case it happened again.”
    Neva nodded in agreement. “We wondered why she hadn’t mentioned our little gag,” she said.
    “We can, of course, prove it,” said David. “We have the receipt for our purchase. And I’m quite certain the checkout clerk, a charming woman who sold it to us, will remember. And, of course, the bar code on the label of the poncho will match the items sold by the store. We have Liam’s things in our vault and they have not left the chain of custody. I had an officer of the Rosewood Police Department watch as I did the testing for blood immediately following Dr. Fallon’s arrival from Rendell County with them, and that officer signed an affidavit as to the procedures I did and the resulting negative findings. The knife, in fact, is still in pieces where we took it apart and still has Liam Dugal’s initials carved into the handle. I think, Sheriff, if there is blood from the Barres’ murder on the knife you have, then you or your people are the only ones who could have put it there. You had custody of the items, the bodies, and the crime scene with all the blood in it.”
    Liam looked toward the ceiling and breathed out. Andie grinned.
    Dear, paranoid David , thought Diane. He plans for disasters.
    “You son of a bitch,” said the sheriff. “You did this on purpose.”
    “What is he saying?” Dr. Linden asked the sheriff.
    Conrad didn’t answer him. Neither Travis nor the other two deputies said anything.
    “I’m going to have to step in,” said Agent Mathews. “Sheriff, I’m going to ask that you voluntarily step down, pending an investigation into your possible criminal misconduct in office. Deputy Travis Conrad can fill your position until we get this cleared up.”
    The ambulance arrived and Bob went with the paramedics to the cells.
    “What’s this about?” asked Dr. Linden.
    “The sheriff put me in the cell with three drunk men who tried to gang-rape me,” said Diane. She pointed to her ripped clothing. “I defended myself.” She started to add, “with help,” but she was afraid the sheriff might try to use that to hold Liam again.
    Dr. Linden looked at her, puzzled, as if she might be lying, but noticed that no one contradicted her.
    “I’m going home,” said Diane.
    “I would like the return of the items from my pockets,” said Liam. He squinted at the sheriff, as if trying to see inside his brain.
    Travis walked over, unlocked the desk in the corner of the room where they kept possessions, and lifted out an envelope with Liam’s name on it and handed it to him. Diane noted that they hadn’t listed the contents on the outside. Unprofessional to the end. She shook her head.
    Liam emptied the envelope out on the desk and quickly inventoried the items, gathered them up, and put them in his pocket. He took his billfold and looked at his credit cards and his money, counting the bills before he pocketed the billfold. He looked again into the face of the sheriff as he put his belt back on.
    “I’m opening a formal investigation through the attorney general,” said