The Trophy Exchange (38 page)

“
Ted!
”

“
O
kay
. O
kay
. She said I could come over and see the kids this weekend.
”

“
That
’
s a step in the right direction.
”

Ted laughed out loud.
“
Yeah, right. She also said I could sign our separation agreement while I was there.
”

Lucinda didn
’
t know what to say. She was spared from the effort of figuring that out by the ringing phone.
“
Pierce,
”
she said.

“
Lieutenant, I
’
ve got your DNA results. They are very interesting.
”

“
Interesting? How? Audrey?
”

A dial tone was her only answer.

Forty-Eight

With both arms stretched in front of her Lucinda pushed open the two doors and burst through the entr
ance
to the lab.
“
What
’
ve you got?
”

“
Come here,
”
Audrey said. In her bright
-
blue suit, she would
’
ve looked like an edit pencil if she
hadn’
t ha
d
her elbows jutting out
with
her hands rest
ing
squarely on her hips.

Lucinda joined her in front of a computer with two monitors. Audrey punched on the keyboard and two profiles popped up on the left-hand screen.
“
There are the samples from the two beer bottles. Identical,
”
Audrey said.

She
pressed another combination of keys. Two profiles popped up on the right-hand monitor.
“
The top profile is from the nail scrapings of the young girl at the triple homicide. The lower profile is from the bottom of the skillet
–
that one is just preliminary. We took a few shortcuts to process it as quickly as possible. We
’
ll need to run it again but they appear to be identical.
”

Lucinda
’
s eye bounced between the two screens.
“
They all look identical.
”

“
No. Not quite. Very similar. But some distinct differences. Look here. And here. And here. And here,
”
she said pointing a pencil tip from screen to screen.

“
What does it mean?
”
Lucinda asked.

“
I did a quick process of one of the samples from the suspect you brought in last night.
”

“
Thank you, Audrey.
”

Audrey glared at her with a pursed mouth and one arched eyebrow.

Oh jeez, Lucinda thought.
“
Thank you,
Dr.
Ringo.
”

“
You
’
re welcome, Lieutenant,
”
she said as she pounded on the keyboard again. Three profiles replaced the two on the first screen.
“
On top, we have a beer
-
bottle profile. On the bottom, we have the fingernail
-
scraping profile. The one in the middle is your suspect.
”

“
What am I looking at? What does it mean?
”

“
Your suspect
’
s profile is a perfect match with a beer bottle profile.
”

“
Yes, and
. . .
?
”

“
It is similar to but not identical to the crime
-
scene profile.
”

Lucinda wanted to scream in frustration at her lack of comprehension and Audrey
’
s refusal to get straight to the point. Instead, she asked again,
“
What does it mean?
”

“
Do you want my guess? My educated guess?
”

“
Yes, please.
”

“
In my professional opinion, the owner of profile one and two is the brother of the owner of profile three.
”

“
So
,
wait a second. You
’
re telling me my suspect was not at the crime scene but his brother was?
”

“
That
’
s what the profiles indicate, Lieutenant.
”

Forty-Nine

Lucinda pressed the elevator button, got impatient and headed for the stairs pounding up three flights to her floor. She flew past Ted on the way to her phone.
“
Looks like our perp is Evan Spencer
’
s brother.
”

“
What? Evan Spencer has a brother?
”

Lucinda spouted out a quick summary of the test results to Ted as she punched in the numbers to Evan Spencer
’
s office.

‘
Doctor
’
s office.
”

“
This is Lieutenant Pierce. I need to talk to Dr Spencer right now.
”

“
I
’
m sorry, Lieutenant, Dr Spencer is with a patient. May I take a message?
”

“
No, you may not. Interrupt him. Now. I need to talk with him immediately.
”

“
I am sorry but I cannot interrupt the doctor when he
’
s
―”

“
Yes, you can. Do it. Now.
”

“
But
―”

“
I could have you arrested for obstruction of justice.
”

Lucinda heard the phone clatter on the desktop. She waited, tapping her foot.
“
Hello, Lieutenant?
”
the receptionist said, her voice filled with caution and dread.

“
Yes.
”

“
Dr Spencer told me to tell you to call his attorney.
”

“
Listen. You tell the good doctor that either he picks up the phone right now or I
’
ll come over there and barge into his examination room. I
’
ll even wave my gun around if I have to.
”

The phone clattered once again. In a moment, Evan Spencer came on the line.
“
Lieutenant, as soon as this call is completed, I am contacting my attorney and asking him to file a harassment complaint with your superiors.
”

“
Where is your brother,
D
octor?
”

“
What brother?
”

“
Your brother.
”

For a moment there was silence on the line then Evan spoke.
“
I don
’
t have a brother, Lieutenant.
”

“
I know you have a brother,
D
octor.
”

“
I
’
ve answered your question, Lieutenant, and you refuse to accept my answer. I have to insist now that you talk to me only through my attorney. If you interrupt me at my office, I
’
ll sue you and the department.
”
The phone slammed in Lucinda
’
s ear.

Lucinda disconnected and pressed in the extension for the forensic lab explaining Evan
’
s denial to Ted as she did
.
“
Audrey? Are you sure you have brothers there? Could you have made a mistake?
”
Lucinda winced as Audrey
’
s vitriolic response scorched her ear.

“
Yes,
Dr.
Ringo, but the suspect says he doesn
’
t have a brother.
”
She held the phone from her ear and winced again.

“
I
’
m sorry
Dr.
Ringo. Thank you,
Dr.
Ringo.
”
She hung up the phone.
Why would Spencer lie about something like that?
“
Damn! Damn! Damn!
”

“
Lucinda?
”
Ted asked.

“
What?
”
Lucinda snapped.

“
What if he has a brother but doesn
’
t know it?
”

“
What if
. . .
Shit!
”
Lucinda slipped on her jacket and headed for the door.
“
I
’
m off to Lynchburg to pay a visit to Evan Spencer
’
s mother, Ted. Wish me luck.
”