A Death in the Family

Chapter 10

"That's it!" Douglas exclaimed. "Or what I hope it is anyway."

Sergeant Douglas looked over the most recent lab report, then looked over it again. It had new information in it, subtle, but it was there. That made him happy.

Cumberbatch, a case file still in his hand, peered over his partner's shoulder.

"Unidentified male DNA profile?" He asked.

"Bingo!" Douglas confirmed. "It isn't the husband or the sons so by default one would think this is the assailant."

"Of course, even a beat cop could figure that out."

Douglas grunted.

"Well don't let any of the rookies hear you say that."

"Wouldn't dream of it!" Cumberbatch replied with a smirk.

"Well I guess it's time to get Spinelli and Davey in here, kicking and screaming if we have to, and get DNA samples." Douglas looks satisfied.

"No way we got probable cause, not even with circumstantial evidence." Cumberbatch made a face. " It's not like we had much of a trail to begin with."

"That's why we have to get them talking, separately, of course, and find something." Douglas replied,, sounding much more confident than he had when he had come into work that morning.

"They'll be back in here before I can sneeze." Cumberbatch replied confidently, "neither of them are the brightest crayons in the box."

"Right." Douglas replied shortly. "I'd start writing my interview questions right now if I were you."

"You know I was never very good at writing in school." Cumberbatch replied, "always preferred to wing it."

"Did the police academy teach you nothing about questioning a suspect?" Douglas asked.

"Well I always do my best thinking on my feet." Cumberbatch replied. "You were always the charge first ask questions later kind of guy."

Cumberbatch grinned.

"Which is why I lead the interrogation." Douglas cut in.

"And why you were promoted." Cumberbatch reasoned with another smile.

Douglas shook his head.

"If only you applied yourself more."

"Then what would you do without a subordinate sidekick with the snappy comebacks." Cumberbatch answered. "That's what I'm here for!"

The person on top of Douglas and Cumberbatch's list was Spinelli and with some smooth talking they got him to come in voluntarily though he kept giving them a look like he had spotted a particularly poisonous snake.

"What is it now? I told you all I know." He sounded surly.

"Nothing much." Douglas replied conversationally, "We just want to clear a few things up with you and your stepbrother... If he's willing to come in."

Spinelli sniffed.

"Like what?"

"We want to know how you ended up with some of Lara Dooley's art supplies."

"I don't got no art supplies." Spinelli huffed. "Not like she ever asked me to model."

"Then what's this?"

Douglas showed him a section of the drawing blown up on a 8.5 x 11 piece of paper.

"How do you know she didn't make it up?" Spinelli exclaimed. "It's not like she went home and drew it that day. She had to do before!"

"So you're admitting you were there?" Douglas prodded.

"I might've seen her a few times." Spinelli admitted grudgingly.

"That still doesn't explain how some of her supplies ended up in your possession." Douglas continued.

"How do you know that, aside from that picture?" Spinelli replied crossly.

"Because," Cumberbatch cut in smoothly, "your DNA was found on several broken pieces of graphite and charcoal and I'm pretty sure if we match a partial footprint found on her totebag it will match a shoe that belongs to you."

Now Spinelli was sweating.

"How can you be sure the shoes are mine?" He sounded defensive now.

"Maybe they are maybe they aren't." Douglas said evasively. "Why don't you provide us with a few samples and prove us wrong."

Spinelli eyed then again with a lingering mistrust. Then grudgingly he gave them the swab and the shoe print they asked for.

Afterwards, Douglas looked satisfied.

"That went well."

They still had to interview Davey to see who was where when and see if there were any holes in Spinelli's story, but if the holes lined up and the shoe fit they could wrap up the case before summer. Then they repeated the process on Davey and were equally satisfied, they seem to be slipping but one couldn't say where. They would have to wait for the lab report of course, because after all DNA didn't lie.