Page 56 of Shadow of Doubt
Chelsea let her camera hang from the strap around her neck, featuring the design of bright yellow crime scene tape. “I’m done with the photos.”
Sierra bent to pick up the bullet casing and displayed it on her gloved palm. The brass had discolored but was intact. “Thankfully, this wasn’t in the path of the accelerant or the extreme heat could’ve melted the brass.”
“Looks like the casing for my Glock.” Brooklyn tapped the gun she wore under an overshirt.
Sierra looked at her. “Ah, so you’re a gun owner like most of us here. I’m not surprised, with this guy after you. It does appear to be a 9mm casing, the same caliber as your Glock is chambered for, so makes sense that you think it could be for your gun. Of course, that’s just a guess based on years of recovering bullets, and like I said, Grady will have to evaluate it to be sure.”
“Looks like a nine to me too,” Dev said. “Good find. Have you located anything else of interest?”
“I told you about the Sig with silencer I located, which is chambered for a 9mm, so that could further suggest a bullet was discharged here.”
“Indeed,” Dev said. “Maybe our victim didn’t die from the fire after all.”
“If not, hopefully, Kelsey will be able to prove that,” Sierra said. “In other evidence, I’ve recovered the main doorknob and will process it back at the lab to see if it holds any viable fingerprints.”
“You can find prints even after the fire?” Brooklyn asked.
“Maybe. If I can clean it satisfactorily. The soot’s minimal, so I don’t think it’ll be a problem. And we’ve gotten better results using a newer technique called vacuum metal deposition.”
“Never heard of that,” Colin said.
Sierra got out a plastic bag and dropped the casing inside. “The process involves the thermal evaporation of metals inside aspecial chamber. The controlled high-vacuum conditions cause the metals—mostly gold, silver, and zinc—to form thin films, developing any fingerprints present and making them visible.”
Colin was impressed with her knowledge, even if he didn’t really understand the method. “And you can use this process on burned items like the doorknob or casing?”
Sierra nodded. “I have to safely remove the soot first. It doesn’t always work, but those cases are rare.”
“How long before we’ll get fingerprint results?” Brooklyn asked.
Sierra tilted her head. “It’ll be awhile. I can’t do it in the field. I have to use a custom-built chamber in my lab. I’ll have to finish up here first, but once I return to the lab, it should move along fast. Will take longer if the cleaning process is more difficult.”
“Can’t someone else at your lab run the test?” Brooklyn asked, sounding impatient for results.
“Sorry, no.” Sierra frowned. “Just me.”
“And I don’t suppose you want to leave here right now,” Dev said.
“I wouldn’t mind leaving a crime scene.” Sierra gave a wistful look. “But never before the scene is thoroughly processed.”
“Which will be when?” Brooklyn asked.
“Now that we have help”—Sierra nodded at her photographer—“I’d say it cuts our time down to a day or two.”
“Man.” Brooklyn bit her lip. “That long? Wait…sorry. I didn’t mean to sound like I was complaining. Just coming to realize that this isn’t a speedy process.”
“It’s an exacting science that will take as long as it takes.” Sierra locked gazes with Brooklyn. “Unless, of course, you’re clairvoyant and can direct us to evidence.”
Brooklyn laughed but looked around the ruins as if she thought she might be able to help. “Kane loved to hide things inhis bedroom. Under the floorboards. Do we have any idea which room was his?”
Sierra shook her head. “Guessing by size, I’d say the large corner room in the back.”
Colin studied the area where the celling remained hanging precariously over the bedroom. “I’m assuming with the structure partially standing, you’ve stayed away from there.”
Sierra nodded. “Too dangerous. We’re waiting for the fire department to come back and safely bring it down for us.”
“But that’ll just set things back further.” Brooklyn looked between all of them, her frustrations so evident in her downturned mouth that she looked like a pouting little girl.
If the situation weren’t so serious, Colin would chuckle. But itwasserious, made more so by the status of the structure. “We’ll just have to?—”
