Vindicta

Fun with Fingerprints

Three minutes late. Not too bad but I could do better. Gloves? Check. Goggles? Check. Lab coat? Check. ID? Check. Assignment folder? Check. Let's see what I have to do today.

A 2,000-year-old roman face cream with clear fingerprints from the last usage. Check for DNA and fingerprints, determine what the cream is composed of, who last used it and make preparations for its new exhibit.

Okay, let's get down to business...to defeat the Huns! ( sorry I couldn't help it). The museum's lab is already full of other scientists who have begun with their daily tasks. Andrea is stationed at our table looking rather irritated with me for being late, again.

"Nice of you to finally join me, Levi This 2,000-year-old facial cream isn't going to document itself." She stated flatly.

" Happy to see you too Miss Marbles!" She pretended to seem annoyed at the nickname but I knew she secretly enjoyed it when I called her that. It all started one day when she was studying marbles from the 1900s. Andrea was about to return them to their vault when she tripped and the marbles scattered all across the floor. Luckily she and the marbles were okay and she kept her job here at the Lawson Museum of Natural History. Her full name is Andreanna Diane Maybles which only made "Marbles" so much better. Ever since, the nickname stuck.

She was a really sweet girl with a great sense of humor. Her wild ebony hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail with a few wispy strands framing her face. Her skin was a deep brown in comparison to my much lighter freckled complexion. I've secretly been crushing on her since I started working at the museum 2 years ago.

" I hope you didn't come here to just stand there," she said, pulling me back to reality . "If we don't finish this we won't have time to do the rest of today's work."

"Oops! Sorry!" I blushed. " what can I help you with?"

"For starters, you could write down that it is primarily composed of animal fat, starch and tin oxide."

"On it," I responded. This time with more determination. " Do you think we will actually get a fingerprint off of this? I mean it's centuries old!"

"Absolutely!" Andrea Exclaimed without looking up from her microscope. "The last person to use this had very calloused fingers and was most likely male."

"Cool!" Gosh, that sounded stupid. But I didn't want to stop the conversation.

" I got it!" She whipped around to face me smiling.

    " Really?! That's fantastic! "

    " you know what," she started.

"Yeah? Go on." I hoped I didn't sound to eager.

"Do you think it would be funny if we added this fingerprint to the police database? Just for a laugh." She reassured with a playful grin.

" Actually.... That would be pretty funny." I returned smiling.

"You know what, I have a friend, Cooper Glendon, who works as a forensic scientist down at the Lawson City Police department. I'm sure he'd get a kick out of it!"

"You really think so?" Excitement crept into the edges of her voice.

"I'm positive. I'll call him when we finish up." Was I actually positive? Eh, maybe a solid 60% sure.

"Levi, you're the best! Let's finish this up." Just hearing that made my day.