Page 56 of Shadow of Fear
Dev’s expression lit up. “Then let’s get over there before he does rub it away.”
“I wish I could come with you,” Kinsley said as she looked at Dev. “But I know I have to stay here. Will you let me know if you locate anything?”
“It’s okay if you’re not there,” Sierra said. “We won’t learn anything today anyway. I’ll take samples, but I won’t know anything until I get back to the lab and Emory and I process them to determine if DNA is present.”
Kinsley had met Emory, the center’s DNA expert, before. She was extremely qualified and talented, too. “Emory’s the best, and if DNA exists, she’ll find it.”
“Indeed.” Sierra pivoted toward the door. “Let’s get after this.”
Gone was her laid-back demeanor, replaced by a single-focused drive that gave Kinsley hope. Hope that they would indeed find DNA on the dog.
Great news, but now came the waiting. Hours? Days? How long?
Kinsley really didn’t want to wait even a minute, but maybe if she knew how long the process might take, she wouldn’t fret the whole time.
“When will you have results?” she called after Sierra before she got out the door.
She tossed her hair over her shoulder and glanced back. “First, we have to finish the crime scene and drive back to Portland. I don’t expect that to occur before the end of the day. Then, it could take a half day or more for us to isolate the DNA and get it running. Once we get the samples on the PCR machine, it takes a minimum of twenty-four hours to complete.” She put her hand on the doorknob. “Does that give you a good enough idea of what to expect?”
Kinsley calculated the wait time in her head. “So by the end of the day on Tuesday, I should know who kicked Bandit and who operated the drone, likely our shooter.”
“No,” Sierra said. “You’ll know if we have a DNA profile, but I won’t be able to give you a name. To give you a name our profile has to return a match in the Fed’s DNA database.”
“What are the odds that his profile will be in this database?”
“Good, if he’s a known criminal. The database contains most every offender arrested in the past twenty-four years. So if your guy has been arrested in that timeframe, he’s likely included in the data. Perhaps even earlier, if the state adopted a DNA law sooner. However, without an official police investigation, I don’t have the right to access that database. So if you want a name to go with the DNA profile, you’ll need to get the police involved and have them officially request me to process the sample.”
Kinsley’s heart fell, and she swiveled to look at Dev. “What about Russ? He’s a sheriff. Can he do this for us?”
Dev frowned. “He could, but I don’t know if he will. If it compromises him in any way, he won’t agree.”
Sierra twisted the doorknob. “He’s right. I’ve worked with Russ before. He’s by the book and won’t make any exceptions.”
Kinsley wouldn’t be deterred by Russ’s straight-laced approach. She had to at least try to get him on the scene to convince him to order the test they needed. “Then we better get him out here to file an official report. And let’s hope there aren’t any exceptions that would prevent him from requesting DNA tests for the creep who seems determined to kill me.”
Dev appreciated Reid and his family’s cooperation with Sierra as she swabbed Bandit. Reid looked on as nine-year-old Jessie clasped the dog’s short leash, and her stepsister, Ella, held the dog’s rump so he couldn’t wriggle away from Sierra’s swabs. Dev wasn’t surprised by the number of swabs she’d taken. She said foreign matter was clinging all over his short hair, and she didn’t want to miss the important samples.
She paused and looked up at Jessie. “And you’re sure he’s only been in his crate since he came home?”
“Positive.” Jessie met her gaze with a confidence beyond that of a young child. “He spent so much time outside last night that he was exhausted, and all he’s done is sleep.” She stared at her dog. “Besides, he deserves to be in time-out for taking off like he did last night. Something could’ve killed him in the woods, and then where would I be?” Her voice wavered.
Sierra reached out as if to pat the child’s hand, but pulled back. She wore gloves, so maybe she thought twice before contaminating them.
She smiled instead. “But he didn’t get hurt, and there’s a positive in all of this. He could very well have helped your friend Dev here find the man he’s looking for.”
“Yeah,” Ella said. “My mom always says God makes good things come from bad. Maybe that’s what happened here.”
Ella would know all about making good from bad. The child had suffered from a brain tumor and survived life-threatening situations. Dev found it amazing to see such a positive attitude coming from her. He could learn a thing or two from the sweet child.
Sierra leaned back and ripped off her gloves. “I’m done with Bandit, and you can release him, but I’ll need to take the dog bed from his crate.”
Jessie narrowed her eyes. “He’s not gonna like that, but if he stayed home last night it wouldn’t have happened.”
Ella let Bandit’s back half go and cuddled his head. “He’s just a dog, Jess. Give him a break.”
Jessie wrinkled her nose at her stepsister. “You’re such a softy.”
Ella lifted her shoulders. “And proud of it.”
