them to stand down. This is ridiculous, thought Diane. They are acting like thugs.
“I’ll have to look inside all the other bags to make sure I get everything I need for my investigation,” said McNair.
“Very well,” said Diane. “The commissioner and Chief Garnett are here to sign as witnesses that the seals were broken on site when the evidence is challenged in court.” Diane took a pen from her pocket and handed it to the commissioner.
“Sign?” he said. “Challenged in court, you say?”
“Yes, we all remember the O.J. trial and what happens when evidence is not handled according to strict protocol. We will need official witnesses as to who did what and when, and who authorized it, especially if the seals are to be broken for no legitimate forensic purpose in field conditions where evidence can be lost or contaminated.”
Damn it, thought Diane, if the commissioner is going to cave in, he is going to accept responsibility for the consequences. Her statement had the desired effect. The commissioner didn’t want his name on anything, and there was no graceful way to say he wasn’t going to authorize the diversion from proper protocol.
“I think we can trust that Diane’s crew know the difference between bone and other material,” he told McNair. “It’s what they do.”
McNair scowled. It was a small thing, but from the look on his face, McNair wanted to win even the small battles.
Diane told Neva and David to bring out the bags of evidence containing nonhuman materials.
“I want to look at the labels on all the bags you don’t hand over,” McNair said.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” said Garnett. “The way you’re acting, you’d think we aren’t all on the same side. What possible reason could they have for withholding evidence? We have an agreement. My people will abide by it.”
“I agree,” said the commissioner.
David shot Diane a look that said, “Don’t you think this is damn peculiar?”
Yes, she thought, very peculiar.
It took David and Neva more than half an hour to retrieve and log out all the bags they had so carefully packed in the van. Diane hated to see the carefully collected and recorded evidence go to McNair’s custody. On the other hand, all he wanted was the glory, and he had many good people working for him. The evidence should be safe in their hands. He wouldn’t be getting his hands dirty analyzing any of it. He didn’t really know how.
“We’ll be finishing up the fire scene, too,” said McNair. “We’ll box any bones we find and send them to you.”
He turned, got in his truck with his friends, and sped away, throwing up slush on all of them, even on the commissioner’s nice black topcoat.
“This is for the best,” said the commissioner, brushing off his coat with a gloved hand. “He’s rough around the edges and not very tactful, but the job will get done.”
“That is our hope,” said Garnett. “This is a high-profile event, and it will come back to bite all of us in the ass if McNair screws it up.”
“He won’t. I assure you, he won’t.” The commissioner sounded more hopeful than certain.
The commissioner got in his car with one quick look over his shoulder and drove away. At least he didn’t splatter us, thought Diane.
“What just happened?” she asked.
“McNair’s uncle got to the commissioner,” said Garnett.
“Did you explain that it was McNair who was mishandling the evidence?”
“Yes, and the commissioner believed me. This is really not about logic or who’s right; it’s about politics,” said Garnett. “We are just going to have to make the best of it. Do you have pictures?”
“Yes,” said Diane.
“If McNair screws up and it becomes a public issue, we’ll use them. If any perp gets off because of McNair, we’ll certainly use them.”
Diane was thoroughly pissed when she arrived at her apartment. She had made the short walk through the woods, trudging through snow over a foot deep in hopes that the walk would cool her down. It didn’t. She took a shower, dressed in something decidedly nonforensic, and drove to the museum.
It was closed, but in times like these when she’d been ankle-deep in bodies and politicians, or just generally having a bad day, she drew peace from visiting and contemplating the exhibits in the museum. Sometimes it was the Egyptian room and the amulets that had been folded inside the mummy’s wrappings; sometimes it was the rocks and gemstones; sometimes she walked among the giant dinosaur skeletons or sat and looked at the wall murals