“Try it. We’ve got nothing to lose. And Peter, if they can analyze the sample, have the lab call me with the result. No sense making you act as a middle man.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
After Blaine Hastings Jr. went on the run, life at Robin’s condo fell into a routine. In the morning, Jeff would drive Robin to her gym or the office. In the evening, he would drive her home. After checking to make sure no one was inside Robin’s apartment, Jeff would whip up a delicious meal. Then Jeff and Robin would read, work, or watch TV. When they got tired, Robin would go to sleep in her bedroom and Jeff would sack out on the couch.
“This has gotten very domestic,” Robin joked one night when they were seated side by side on the couch, watching a movie.
Jeff smiled. “We have started acting like an old married couple.”
Robin returned the smile. “That’s not so bad, is it?”
They looked at each other, and Jeff stopped smiling. Then he looked away.
Robin put a hand on his arm. “I really appreciate what you’re doing.”
“Hastings is dangerous,” Jeff said.
Robin took a deep breath. “Vanessa called this afternoon, right before we left the office. They think Hastings is probably out of the country.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Robin looked directly at Jeff. “I was afraid you’d stop staying with me.”
When Jeff didn’t say anything, Robin said, “You don’t have to sleep on the couch tonight. You can stay with me.”
Jeff looked nervous. “We discussed this in Atlanta, Robin.”
“I almost died in Atlanta. When I asked you to make love to me, you were right when you said it was my adrenaline talking. It’s not now. I care about you, Jeff. And I think you care, too, or you wouldn’t be here every night, protecting me.”
“An office romance is a bad idea,” Jeff said, sounding like a man torn between duty and desire.
“It can be, but it doesn’t have to be. Making love isn’t a trivial decision for me. I don’t sleep around, and I don’t think you do. If you care about me as much as I do for you, you shouldn’t be sleeping on the couch tonight.”
Jeff hesitated.
Robin gathered her courage. Then she leaned into Jeff and kissed him.
Jeff tensed for a second. Then he said, “God damn it, Robin,” and he crushed her in his arms.
Robin woke up with a big smile. She’d wondered what Jeff would be like in bed, and now she knew.
“Wipe that stupid grin off your face,” Jeff said.
“Who put the stupid look on my face, Mr. Hodges?” Robin said as she reached under the covers.
Jeff slapped her hand. “Stop that. You have to be in court at nine, and we don’t have time for any more debauchery.”
“Not even for a quickie?” Robin asked with an evil smile.
“Cut it out or I’ll dial 911.”
Robin faked a frown. “You’re no fun.”
Jeff kissed her and rolled out of bed.
Robin had been relieved to find out that the explosion that had scarred Jeff’s face had not impaired his other functions, and she’d been right when she guessed that he would be a considerate lover. Actually, he’d been much more than considerate. He’d been downright accommodating.
PART FOUR
OCCAM’S RAZOR
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
A month after Frank Nylander’s murder, Blaine Hastings Jr. was still a fugitive. Hastings or an unknown burglar were the popular choices for the person who had murdered Frank Nylander, but Rex Kellerman was not satisfied that Hastings had murdered Nylander. His focus had always been on Douglas Armstrong, who still claimed to have no memory of where he was or what had happened on the evening his law partner was killed. Then, just as Nylander’s murder was about to become a cold case, Kellerman received a call with some very interesting news.
“Is this Rex Kellerman?”
“Yes.”
“I’m Greg Nilson with Nilson Forensics. Peter Okonjo told me to call if I got a result on that blood sample he sent me.”
“What blood sample is that?”
“Mr. Okonjo said it was in a murder case. The victim was a Frank Nylander.”
Kellerman sat up. “What did you find?”
“Well, it’s inconclusive, but the DNA might be a match for a man named Douglas Armstrong.”
Now Kellerman was really interested. “Mr. Nilson, I have to be in court in fifteen minutes. Do you have some time later today to talk about this? It’s very important.”
“I’m free after two.”
“That’s perfect. Why don’t I buy you coffee, and you can walk me through what you did?”
Kellerman had suggested meeting at Patty’s Cafe, a locally owned coffeehouse on the outskirts of downtown. Ten minutes after he sat down in a booth in the back, a thin young man with sandy hair walked in. The man halted at the entrance and looked around.
Kellerman raised a hand, and the man walked to the booth. “Thanks for coming, Mr. Nilson.”
“It’s Doctor, actually.”
“Sorry,” Kellerman apologized. “What’s your field?”
“Computer science, but I’ve studied biology and genetics.”
“Impressive. When did you start your company?”
“Seven months ago. I spent a few years in the crime lab in Cleveland, Ohio, and decided to move to Portland to provide forensic services.”
Kellerman sensed that he was hearing a sales pitch. “How’s it going?”
Nilson smiled. “Slow, like most start-ups. That’s why I was excited when Mr. Okonjo called. This gives us a chance to get our name out there.”
Kellerman had done some research on Nilson Forensics and its owner in the time between taking Nilson’s call and coming to this meeting. He knew that Nilson had sunk his life savings into the business and that he was shy on customers to the point where he might have to declare bankruptcy.
“Dr. Nilson, can you explain what your lab does that the Oregon State Crime Lab can’t do? And please remember that I’m an idiot when it comes to science.”
“How much do you know about DNA?”
“It’s come up in other cases, but I’m no expert.”
“Let’s start with the basics: DNA is a molecule containing genetic material that codes for the unique physical characteristics of human beings. DNA is composed of four chemicals called nucleotides, or bases. The shorthand for them are A, C, G, and T. These bases pair together in the following way: A with T, and C with G. These pairs repeat in varying lengths and form rungs on the double helix that constitutes the DNA molecule.
“Now, the double helix is wound very tightly into a chromosome. A gene refers to a sequence of base pairs along a given portion of the DNA double helix which code for a certain trait, like blue eyes. Different genes are located in different places along a chromosome.
“An allele is one of several alternative forms of a gene that occurs in the same position on a specific chromosome. In other words, an allele is a variation in the number of times the base pairs of DNA repeat at a particular location on a particular chromosome. This number of repeats varies among humans. Modern forensic analysis focuses on the number of times the base pairs repeat at a variety of spots along a person’s chromosomes. By measuring and comparing the number of repeats at given locations, an analyst can distinguish one individual from another.”
“Okay, I get that. But what do you do that the crime lab can’t?”
“The normal type of DNA analysis is performed in a laboratory, like the Oregon State Crime Lab,” Nilson said. “DNA is extracted from the evidence, which can be a person’s saliva or a sample of semen or blood. I won’t go into the whole procedure, but you can get a graph of the DNA that can be used for comparison purposes.