Chapter 14

14

The online church service Kinsley was watching in Dev's cabin with his mother, Jada, and Colin was winding down, and a knock sounded on the door. Sierra. Had to be her. Or at least Kinsley hoped it was her and not another problem. She had seen Dev glancing at his phone during the last song and tapping his screen a few times, most likely opening the gate for Sierra.

Dev flashed Kinsley a look that she took to mean stay put, and he strode to the door.

"Has to be Sierra from the Veritas Center," Kinsley said so the others didn't worry. "Dev somehow succeeded in getting Sierra to hop in her van first thing this morning and drive directly here. How he did it, I don't know. Especially on a Sunday."

"My boy can be very persuasive." Sandy smiled. "Especially when he turns on the charm with women."

"Yeah," Jada said. "He's the charmer of the family all right, but he's still single, so apparently he isn't succeeding with the women." She chuckled.

Sandy swatted her hand at Jada, but Colin laughed along with her.

Kinsley had no desire to laugh and kept her eyes pinned to the doorway. However Dev got her to come here, Kinsley was thankful. Plus, she was thankful that Sierra had assigned a team to process Kinsley's apartment. And on top of that, Sierra refused to take any money for their work. That didn't mean Kinsley wouldn't find a way to pay them back. She would. She just didn't know how yet. Maybe she'd give them free work on any projects they needed her on in the future.

Dev opened the door a crack, looked out, then stepped back. "Thanks for coming."

Wearing jeans and a navy blue sweatshirt that highlighted her blond hair, Sierra entered in quick steps. She strode into the family room and stopped near the fireplace where she turned her back to the roaring flames.

She didn't look tired from the long drive, but her eager expression said she wanted to get to work, and she quickly introduced herself to everyone.

"Thank you for coming," Kinsley said.

Sierra waved her hand as if it were no big deal, but Kinsley knew she was leaving her family behind to be here. She held her hands out to the fireplace. "This fire is wonderful, but the wildfires not so much. Looks like they're approaching here."

Dev joined them. "So far, they haven't issued any evacuation alerts for our area, but we're keeping an eye on it."

"I've never seen the glow from the flames this close." She shuddered. "And I hope never to see it any closer." She took a deep breath and let it out. "So tell me more about what happened last night."

Dev described the incident in detail.

Kinsley watched Sierra's expression as she took in the news. The forensic expert had always impressed her, but she could often look unassuming. Pretty, but almost forgettable. With her long blond hair and bangs, she appeared to be in her early twenties just starting out in a professional career when in reality she was in her thirties and headed up one of the nation's top crime forensics labs in the country.

Of course, her inconspicuous presence was only true when she was dressed in civilian clothing, standing still and not in action. The moment she put on her white Tyvek suit, her focus became laser-sharp, and she tuned out everybody but her workers to do the job.

Dev picked up the plastic bag with the drone controller and handed it to Sierra. "This is the controller our suspect dropped so you can run it for prints and DNA."

Sierra took the controller and looked at it then nodded. "And is that all that happened?"

Dev shook his head and described the suspect fleeing in a truck. "I hoped the dog would take him down, but no such luck. The suspect fended him off."

"A dog." Her eyes lit up. "Did you say the dog touched the suspect?"

Dev nodded. "He almost tripped the guy up, and that's when he kicked the poor little fella in the side."

"Then I need to see the dog." She planted her hands on her hips, which were made curvier by the birth of two children. "Now!"

"But why?" Kinsley asked.

Sierra looked at her. "Human DNA can be transferred to dogs."

Dev gaped at her. "Do you mean Bandit could be the source for our suspect's DNA?"

"It's a distinct possibility. Researchers have determined that DNA collected by a dog's contact with humans is retained on the surface of the fur, not deeper in the fur and closer to the skin. That also gives it the potential to be easily disturbed, and I need to see the dog right away before that happens."

"If I take you to Bandit's house, you can swab him for DNA?"

"This information is very new and cutting edge. I haven't tried it before, but the researchers tell me that if Bandit touched your suspect, and he hasn't rubbed away all of the evidence, I should find touch DNA on his fur."

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."

Their banter reminded Dev of his childhood with his brother and sister. And with Kinsley. He didn't often argue with her, but he remembered hiding his real feelings by making sure she didn't think he liked her. Stupid boy things, like pretending she had cooties and germs. Or watching her all the time, then looking away when she caught him. Acting all tough and mean when all he wanted to do was be nice to her.

In some respects, he was doing the same thing right now, only more subtly. Or at least he thought he was being subtle. Maybe to Kinsley he was still behaving like a teenage boy.

Sierra shoved the gloves in a plastic bag she'd gotten out of one of her pockets and stood. "I don't have a bag big enough for the bed, so no one touch it. I'll send one of my assistants back to bag it. Any questions?"

"Yeah," Reid said. "Is there any hope that the DNA process has been sped up in the last few years?"

"We do have rapid DNA for buccal cheek swabs, but in this case? No, nothing has changed. We still have to manually isolate the DNA before running it on a standard PCR machine."

"Kind of figured that." He shoved his hands into his pants pockets. "But thought I'd ask, just in case things had changed since I retired from the bureau."

Sierra turned to Dev. "Time for me to get a look at that drone that was spying on you."

"Spying?" Jessie glanced up at her father. "Dad, are we in danger here?"

Reid rested his hand on her shoulder. "Do you think I'd let my favorite little princesses be in any danger?"

"Princess?" Jessie stuck her finger in her mouth and mocked gagging. "Ella might be a princess still, but I'm way too old for something like that."

Reid gave a sage nod. "Oh, yes. Nine years old is very mature, but remember in royal families you can be a princess your entire life."

Jessie's eyes narrowed as she studied her dad. "Is that true or are you just making it up?"

Reid held up his hand. "Scout's honor, bug."

"Okay, then I guess I can be a princess still." She jumped up and flung her arms around Reid's waist. "Which is a good thing, because I do still have that princess dress Megan picked out for me, and I really do like wearing it."

Reid gave her a fond look, then focused on Sierra. "I'll make sure no one goes inside the dog crate, and we'll wait for your assistant to pick up the bed."

"Thanks, so much for your cooperation." She turned her attention to Jessie and Ella. "And to the two of you for being such great assistants. You were a big help."

"I want to solve crimes when I get older." Jessie's expression turned serious. "Maybe even do what you do."

Reid's mouth fell open. "You never told me that, bug."

"Because I knew you wouldn't like it." She stuck out her chin. "But it's what I want to do."

Dev had no idea that coming by here was going to cause Jessie to reveal her choice of careers to Reid. But she'd just turned nine, and she probably would want to be a lot of different things before she was old enough for a career.

"Then when you get older, if you still want to do that, you can come see me for a tour of our lab." Sierra patted Jessie's shoulder and headed for the door, her tennis shoes thudding on the old wood floor.

"Catch you all later." Dev took off after her.

Reid followed them outside onto the large, wraparound porch and addressed Sierra. "You do know I'm going to do my best to change her mind about the career she wants to have, don't you? She might be young and could change her mind over the years, but law enforcement in any capacity isn't an easy career, and I want her to know that."

"Figured as much, but please know I'm a worthy adversary." She laughed and jogged down the wide steps.

Reid had left the door open, and Jessie came barreling out to fling her arms around Dev's waist. "I forgot to say thank you for saving Bandit last night."

Heat rushed up his neck at her extravagant display. "No biggie."

"You're my new hero." She looked up at her father. "Sorry, Dad. You're my hero, too, but he rescued Bandit."

"I'm not bothered by it at all," Reid said, his tone sincere. "Rescuing Bandit is definitely worthy of hero status."

"Besides." Jessie smiled up at him. "You'll do something before the day is over to take your place back. That's just who you are."

Reid ruffled her hair. "Maybe I will. Maybe I won't, but either way I love you, and I know you love me. That's all that matters."

She flung her arms around him and held him fast.

"On that happy note, I'll take my leave." Dev started off toward his cabin and tried to keep in his heart the joyful spirit that Jessie often displayed.

Sierra fell into step next to him. "I hope my kids turn out as sweet as Jessie and Ella. But then, they're both boys. Rough-and-tumble. As they are now, I won't expect a lot of sweetness."

"How old are they?" Dev asked.

"Asher is four and Mason is just over a year old." Her wistful tone spoke to missing them.

"I'm sorry to take you away from them."

She waved a hand. "I'm the one who chose to continue to work. You're just providing that work. Besides, by bringing my assistants with me on this trip, I hope to be home tonight."

"There's one thing I wanted to ask you about, before we get to the drone."

She cast him an inquisitive look. "Go ahead."

"Kinsley told me she worked with you on the investigation into Peter Mooney."

"That's right." She frowned. "The guy who allegedly killed his work partner."

"She said you found evidence in the pond that still had DNA after an extended period of time."

"Oh that. Don't tell me you're one of the skeptics."

"Skeptic? No. Kinsley didn't remember the details, so I couldn't be skeptical if I wanted to." He shortened his normal steps to remain next to her. "Were others skeptical, and that's why the evidence didn't help?"

"A majority of crime scene professionals believe that after seven days in an aquatic environment, zero remaining fibers would be recoverable as possible evidence. That means a majority of agency protocols don't allow them to search and recover this form of evidence after a week."

"But you believe otherwise."

She nodded. "My belief is based on recent research, but there aren't any precedents set to admit it in a court of law."

"Tell me about it."

"It's simple really. The partner had gone missing four weeks prior to my search, and the skeptics couldn't believe that there would be any evidence left after that long of time, but we located the carpet fiber. Research told me to expect a high initial loss of fibers in the first twenty-four?hours in the water—up to eighty-one percent in moving water regardless of the textile type. But after the first twenty-four?hours the persistence rates plateau. Then at forty-eight hours, the effect of textile type became important." She cast a glance at him. "Are you with me so far?"

Dev nodded. "But you were way beyond the forty-eight-hour mark."

"I was." She got a gleam in her eyes. "But that's when the textile type came into play. Carpet shows the highest persistence and the respective roughness of surface texture make a big difference. These textile types keep the same order of highest to lowest persistence even over four weeks, illustrating the overarching effect of fabric construction."

"So the moral of the story is law enforcement shouldn't give up too soon, and it's always worth searching. Or at least it will be once the courts catch up to the research."

"Exactly. Which is one of the reasons why the DA chose not to prosecute." Her attention shifted ahead, probably studying the drone that remained in the same position where it had fallen, about twenty feet from his cabin's porch.

She closed the distance to it and set down her portable kit that resembled one of his large fishing tackleboxes. He hung back a bit and watched her in action. She took out a stack of yellow, numbered evidence markers and placed one next to the drone and a second near a section that had broken off the drone when it crashed.

She slipped her fingers into disposable gloves and lifted her camera from around her neck. She snapped pictures of both items, the click of the shutter breaking the silence. Releasing the camera to let it hang around her neck, she squatted and picked up the large piece of the drone that held a camera.

She turned it over and studied the device. "Are you familiar with remote ID?"

Dev nodded. "A registered drone in flight has to provide identification and location information through a broadcast signal so it can be received by others."

"Exactly. It allows the person receiving the signal to locate the control station."

"So, for example the FAA could find a drone that is flying unsafely," Dev said.

"Correct." She peered at the drone again. "Newer models have the broadcast signal built in, but this looks like an older model drone. If I'm right, it would have to be retrofitted with a remote ID module. I don't see one, but Nick can tell us if it had any earlier broadcasts. I'm not sure if he can access the data or if it's only restricted to the FAA and law enforcement."

"Come on now." Dev grinned. "I've heard Nick is the wonder boy, and he can do anything, just like the rest of you."

Sierra rolled her eyes. "You all may think we're superhuman, and we come close." She chuckled. "But we're just hard workers using the most current technology possible to help solve crimes, like any other forensic expert."

"If you say so, though I've never seen other experts contribute to resolving investigations like you all do." He smiled. "Is there any way to tell if the drone is registered but just failed to add the module?"

She turned it over again, then grimaced. "No registration number on the device, which is required by the FAA."

Dev resisted letting his frustration get to him. "So we can't track it that way."

"Nick might be able to. Each drone has a remote ID serial number, so if it's registered with the FAA, Nick might be able to use that number to do a reverse lookup in the registration database."

"Odds are good, if we're dealing with a criminal here, he won't have registered the device."

"Probably not. Happens more often than we like." She went back to studying the aircraft. "I wish I could say there was something unique about this one, but it's the sort of drone you can buy pretty much anywhere. One thing I will say for it, though, is that it's on the pricier end of your routine drones and has a much better camera. If the memory card survived the fall, Nick should be able to read it and maybe find additional footage."

"If this guy is as sharp as I think he is," Dev said, "would there be any footage other than what was recorded of our compound last night?"

"You'd be surprised." She set the drone back on the ground, likely for her assistant to bag. "It's illegal for someone to take down a drone even when its violating the law, so drone operators can be pretty sure no one is going to shoot it down or otherwise bring it down."

"Yeah, I thought of taking it down that way, but not as related to the kind of footage the memory card might contain. I just didn't want it recording us."

"Drone operators often do a test filming before launching their device. Criminals can be lazy by nature and not delete that footage. Sometimes it provides us with images of a building or landmark that can help direct us to them. We've even had it contain photos of the suspects themselves."

Sierra was putting a far different spin on the information they could get from the drone than Dev had heard of, and his gut burned with excitement. "Why wait for Nick? Let's go ahead and take the card out now and get a look at it."

She studied him as she would evidence under one of her microscopes. "I know you're eager for information, and I'd like to help you out. I really would. But the camera will have to be removed to reach the memory card, and manipulating the device runs the risk of smudging fingerprints or contaminating DNA. It first needs to go back to the lab for Emory to process DNA, and I'll lift any prints. Only then will we give it to Nick."

Dev wanted to ignore her answer. Scoop up the drone and pop out the memory card. But she knew what she was doing. The very reason he'd brought her here, and he had to trust her. "Then let's get going so you can give this thing to Nick as soon as possible."

She closed her evidence kit. "We'll get your scene processed, and then I'll take it back with me when we're done."

Dev nodded, but that wasn't soon enough for his liking. Not nearly soon enough. They were going to waste the rest of this day with nothing happening with the camera when their suspect was out there, perhaps planning his next attack on Kinsley.