Black Forest, Denver Cereal Volume 5 (16 page)

Ava cleared her throat.

“
With the DNA from the
blood collected by my team after the Sand Creek incident, we’ve
been able to match alien DNA found on the Saint Jude necklace worn
by the boy Jeffy as well as DNA from two of the
trophies.”

Nervous, Ava cleared her throat again.

“
Technician Alvin and her
team collected blood from the platform at Sand Creek and off the
motor bike. They were able to match the blood samples to other
samples collected by CSU,” the lead forensics officer said. “They
have the clearest chain of custody on the samples Technician Alvin
and her team collected.”

“
You have the killer’s
DNA,” Seth said. “Fantastic.”

“
We believe so,
Detective O’Malley,” Ava said. “We haven’t yet found a match in the
Federal or Colorado DNA databank. We have, however, connected this
particular DNA to at least one other crime scene.”

“
What crime scene?” Seth
said.

“
We cannot determine what
the perpetrator was doing at the other crime scene or when he was
there,” the lead forensics officer said. “We can only say that he
was there.”

“
Where?”

“
His DNA was found in the
vehicle Bonita O’Malley was driving when she and her children
died,” the lead forensics officer said.

“
His DNA…” Seth said.
“Where?”

“
We were able to find the
vehicle in a salvage yard,” the lead forensics officer said.
“According to the owner of the yard, the vehicle has been in his
possession since the accident. Technician Alvin and her team have
collected a variety of forensics material from the car including
the Sand Creek perpetrator’s DNA.”

“
Where?” Seth
repeated.

Technician Alvin has created this
schematic,” the lead forensics officer said.

Ava pushed a cartoon drawing of the car
across the table. They found the killer’s DNA on the seat between
the car seats as well as on the steering wheel. Ava’s eyes
furtively scanned Seth for his reaction. He seemed blank and
emotionless.

“
But you can’t confirm
chain of custody,” Seth said.

“
Or when he was there,”
the lead forensics officer said.

“
It’s something,” Seth
said. “We haven’t found any more bodies. Based on the trophies,
we’re missing at least twelve.”

“
Yes sir,” the lead
forensics officer said. “Our senior team has been working overtime
to process all of the forensics gathered at the Sand Creek site,
the barn and the mansion’s chapel. We’re optimistic that we will
find something that will allow us to find the remaining
bodies.”

“
Thank you for your time
and hard work,” Seth said. “The family and I are meeting with the
Coroner to go over what they learned from exhuming my… Bonita
O’Malley and her children’s bodies. I’ll share this
information.”

Seth moved to get up.

“
There’s something else,”
the lead forensics officer said. “Technician Alvin and her team
have found something of interest.”

Seth sat back in his chair.

“
They have DNA evidence
that links the victims,” the lead forensics officer
said.

“
That’s not correct,” Seth
said. “There is no DNA link between the victims. We also haven’t
found any alternative evidence that links the victims.”

“
Technician Alvin and her
team have discovered evidence of a link, sir,” the lead forensics
officer said.

Seth raised his eyebrows. His demeanor was
somewhere between ‘prove it’ and what are you talking about. Ava
decided to dive right in.

“
Sir, you know that there
are two kinds of DNA,” Ava said.

“
Sperm and egg?” Seth
asked.

“
Sort of,” Ava’s mouth was
dry. She looked over at the lead forensics officer. He gave her an
encouraging nod. “There’s DNA that defines the cell’s function and
DNA that helps run the cell. The DNA for the cell can only come
from the egg because the egg is the original cell.”

“
Okay,” Seth
said.

“
Why don’t you draw it?”
the lead forensics officer said.

Ava nodded to one of her lab technicians.
The woman jumped to her feet and ran to the white board. She drew a
large circle with a smaller circle and a kidney bean shaped object
inside.

“
The DNA we usually track,
what’s in the database, is from the nucleus,” Ava said.

The lab technician drew a bunch of squiggly
lines in the smaller circle inside the circle.

“
The cell needs power
to function,” Ava said. “Every cell needs energy. That energy is
created in the mitochondria.”

The lab technician pointed to the kidney
bean shape inside the circle.

“
The mitochondria have
their own DNA,” Ava said.

The scientists all looked at Seth to see if
he understood. The lab technician drew squiggly lines inside the
kidney bean shape. Seth nodded.

“
Because it’s handed
intact from mother to child, in an egg, this mitochondrial DNA
changes very little, if at all, over time,” Ava said. “We were
looking at the DNA from the victims and… well… The victims’
mitochondrial DNA are identical within a ninety-five percent margin
of error. All but one.”

“
The victims have the same
mother?” Seth asked.

“
The same maternal line,”
the lead forensics officer said. “They have a common female
ancestor.”

“
Really?” Seth
asked.

“
Yes sir,” Ava said. “We
were so surprised that we tested each other to make sure the test
worked like we thought it did. I have the same mitochondrial DNA as
the victims but these guys don’t share it. You don’t have it,
Detective O’Malley, nor does the Coroner or any of her staff
including the other forensic officers. Bonita O’Malley and her
children all have the same mitochondrial DNA.”

“
Which victim doesn’t have
this DNA?”

“
The male skeleton
identified as Mark Gilmore,” Ava said.

“
You’re sure?” Seth
asked.

“
Yes. You asked us to test
the children, Katherine Roper Marlowe and Patrick Hargreaves? We
did a variety of blood tests and a DNA test,” Ava said. “Patrick
has the mitochondrial DNA but Katherine does not.”

“
What the hell does that
mean?”

“
We believe most of the
victims, and Patrick Hargreaves, are from families that have lived
in the Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico region for a long time,”
the lead forensics officer said. “For example, Bonita O’Malley’s
mother’s family has lived in the front range for over a hundred
years. The child, Patrick Hargreaves? His mother’s family moved
here when Denver was a fort.”

“
Razor?” Seth
asked.

“
Roger Hampden has
identical mitochondrial DNA,” the lead forensic officer said. “Your
Charlie does not.”

“
But Charlie’s Dad’s
family is from Denver,” Seth said.

“
Doesn’t matter, sir,” Ava
said. “This DNA can only come from his mother. Charlie’s mother is
from Cleveland.”

“
Seriously?” Seth couldn’t
get over his surprise. “And you came up with this
yourself?”

“
Technician Alvin and her
team did sir,” lead forensics officer said. “She thought it was
worth testing. Since the lead forensic team is overloaded, they
encouraged her team to pursue this line of inquiry.”

“
We were struggling to
find a reason why some victims were picked over others,” Ava said.
“Now we know.”

“
Does the killer have this
mito-whatever?” Seth asked.

“
No,” Ava said.

“
No?” Seth shook his head.
“How would he know about the mito-whatever?”

“
That’s the million dollar
question,” Ava said.

“
Wow,” Seth said. “This
is… brilliant. I’ll share this with the investigative team. And…
Thanks.”

Ava and her lab technicians stood while Seth
and the lead forensics officer left the room. When the door closed,
they cheered. Ava looked at her watch.

“
I have to run,” Ava
said.

She hugged each member of her team and raced
out of the building. She had a full afternoon of waxing, hair
appointments, and nails to get ready for tonight. She was all the
way to her car before she let out her own little cheer.

Score one for Technician Alvin!

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & THIRTY-TWO

Probed

Monday afternoon – 2:30 P.M.

“
Where's Mommy?” Katy
asked as she climbed into the Lexus SUV. “Monday Mommy. That's how
it always, always goes.”

“
You and I need to talk,”
Jacob said.

“
About what?” Katy blinked
her big dark eyes at her father. Jacob snapped the safety belt to
her car seat and closed her door.

“
Very funny,” Jacob said
as he got into the driver's seat. “Did you think I wouldn't notice
that you were avoiding me?”

“
You've been working,
working, working.” Katy demonstrated his life with a flail of her
arms. “Granddaddy said you were making up for some people who went
away. It doesn't make any sense to me but that's what he
said.”

“
I've been covering two
sites for some jerks who quit,” Jacob said.

“
Good riddance. That's
what Granddaddy said,” Katy said. “They were mean to Noelle so I
hate them.”

“
Their daughters were mean
to Noelle,” Jacob said.

Jacob started the car and drove away from
the Marlowe school. Katy waved to Paddie as they left the parking
lot.

“
Where are we going?” Katy
asked.

“
To the shop,” Jacob said.
“So we can talk.”

“
Oh,” Katy
said.

Ever dramatic, Katy’s face became the mask
of a trapped prisoner. Jacob laughed and Katy laughed at her joke.
They drove to Detroit Street and into the driveway of Jacob's wood
shop. Jacob pulled the SUV into a bay and closed the door. He
helped Katy out of her car seat and took her back to the office he
used for his building rehab business. He got out some milk and a
tray of warm brownies. Katy clapped her hands.

“
Are you avoiding me
because of the dragon and snakes?” Jacob asked. “It’s pretty scary
for a little girl.”

“
No Daddy,” Katy said.
“You don't scare me. Ever. Paddie either.”

“
You don't want to talk
about moving objects?” Jacob asked.

Katy gave him a solemn nod.

“
Why?” Jacob asked. “I'm
the one person in the world who could understand.”

“
Girls aren't supposed to
move things,” Katy said.

“
They haven't,” Jacob
said.

“
Auntie Valerie can,” Katy
said.

“
What do you mean?” Jacob
asked.

“
She can make things come
to her,” Katy said.

“
What things?”

“
Anything she wants. Movie
jobs, Mike, pretty dresses, whatever,” Katy said. “That's what
Naomi says anyway. Naomi says that her sister was the same way and
that they never thought about it as like their dad or you. But it's
the same.”

Jacob squinted at his mother's wisdom coming
through his daughter.