Page 72 of Water's Edge

“Hey, Megan. Were you still up? It’s two o’clock.”

Up and armed. My gun is under my pillow. That explains why my skull is hurting.

“I was working late,” I say. “You too, huh?” It’s a good lie. Tells him I recognize he’s a hard worker and that I am too. A good bonding technique, I think.

“You didn’t answer so I left a voicemail.”

No shit, Sherlock.“I was so focused, you know?”

“I’m the same way.”

Enough with the chitchat. Get to the point.

“Anyway, I have some results for you. You’re not going to believe them.”

I might if you tell me, I think.

“Try me,” I say.

“I found two DNA samples on the slides from Leann Truitt. One is hers and the other belongs to an unknown.”

My heart drops.

“Did the DNA database—”

Marley interrupts.

“Yes,” he says. “I ran it through the DNA database. I didn’t get a name. If you’ll wait, I’ll give you all my findings.”

“Okay. Sorry.”

“I didn’t run the original tests for the victims from Clallam and Kitsap. The one from Clallam was inconclusive. The body had been cremated so another couldn’t be taken. What it gave me didn’t mean much. It spit out about a hundred possibilities, but even if we suspected a match with someone, we’d never prove it.”

Inconclusive, like Larry said it would be.

“Do you have any good news?” I ask.

“I was saving the best for last,” he says. “The Kitsap sample had two DNAs. One was the victim’s and the other wasn’t in the database, but…”

He lets his words hang in the air.

“Butwhat, Marley?”

He hesitates until I want to reach through the phone and slap him upside the head.

“It was a positive match for the unknown DNA collected from Leann Truitt.”

I let that sink in and don’t realize I’m holding my breath until Marley says, “Did you hear me?”

“Yeah, Marley. Good job. I owe you one.” I hope he understands that’s a figure of speech. I’d never owe him one for doing his damn job. “I’ll send Ronnie in to get the results personally.”

“That’s great,” he says, and then: “I mean, can she give me your report on where you obtained the samples?”

“Yeah.” There’s no need for a report. Neither Bohleber nor Truitt matched any of the results. “But keep the results on file for ‘B’ and ‘T’ for me if you can.”

“I guess. I’ll put them in the DNA database, but I need a case number to put them under in case someone gets a hit later on.”

Crap!I forgot they’d be put in the DNA database and some type of case number had to be associated with the entry. But I guess it’s a good thing. Somewhere down the road a detective may get a match with a case they’re working. I’d love to see Bohleber or Truitt, or both, snatched up and charged with rape or murder.

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