cpatricia.unnaturalexposure-第22章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　
　While　Marino　ambled　off　to　make　phone　calls　somewhere　down　the　hall；　I　was　shown　into　the　modest　office　of　a　man　I　had　known　since　his　residency　days　at　the　University　of　Tennessee。　Canter　had　been　as　young　as　Lucy　when　I　had　met　him　for　the　first　time。
　A　devotee　of　forensic　anthropologist　Dr　Bass；　who　had　begun　the　decay　research　facility　in　Knoxville　known　as　The　Body　Farm；　Canter　had　been　mentored　by　most　of　the　greats。　He　was　considered　the　world's　foremost　expert　in　saw　marks；　and　I　wasn't　quite　sure　what　it　was　about　this　state　famous　for　the　Vols　and　Daniel　Boone。　Tennessee　seemed　to　corner　the　market　on　experts　in　time　of　death　and　human　bones。
　'Kay。'　Canter　rose；　extending　his　hand。
　'Dave；　you're　always　so　good　to　see　me　on　such　short　notice。'　I　took　a　chair　across　from　his　desk。
　'Well；　I　hate　what　you're　going　through。'
　He　had　dark　hair　bed　straight　back　from　his　brow；　so　that　whenever　he　looked　down　it　fell　in　his　way。　He　was　constantly　shoving　it　out　of　his　way　but　did　not　seem　aware　of　it。　His　face　was　youthful　and　interestingly　angular；　with　closely　set　eyes　and　a　strong　jaw　and　nose。
　'How　are　Jill　and　the　kids？'　I　inquired。
　'Great。　We're　expecting　again。'
　'Congratulations。　That　makes　three？'
　'Four。'　His　smile　got　bigger。
　'I　don't　know　how　you　do　it；'　I　said　sincerely。
　'Doing　it's　the　easy　part。　What　goodies　have　you　brought　me？'
　Setting　the　hard　case　on　the　edge　of　his　desk；　I　opened　it　and　got　out　the　plastic…enclosed　sections　of　bone。　I　handed　them　to　him　and　he　took　out　the　left　femur　first。　He　studied　it　under　a　lamp　with　his　lens；　slowly　turning　it　end　over　end。
　'Hmmm；'　he　said。　'So　you　didn't　notch　the　end　you　cut。'　He　glanced　at　me。
　He　wasn't　chastising；　just　reminding；　and　I　felt　angry　with　myself　again。　Usually；　I　was　so　careful。　If　anything；　I　was　known　for　being　cautious　to　the　point　of　obsession。
　'I　made　an　assumption；　and　I　was　wrong；'　I　said。　'I　did　not　expect　to　discover　that　the　killer　used　a　saw　with　characteristics　very　similar　to　mine。'
　'They　usually　don't　use　autopsy　saws。'　He　pushed　back　his　chair　and　got　up。　'I've　never　had　a　case；　really；　just　studied　that　type　of　saw　mark　in　theory；　here　in　the　lab。'
　'Then　that's　what　this　is。'　I　had　suspected　as　much。
　'I　can't　say　with　certainty　until　I　get　it　under　the　scope。　But　both　ends　look　like　they've　been　cut　with　a　Stryker　saw。'
　He　gathered　the　bags　of　bones；　and　I　followed　him　out　into　the　hall　as　my　misgivings　got　worse。　I　did　not　know　what　we　would　do　if　he　could　not　tell　the　saw　marks　apart。　A　mistake　like　this　was　enough　to　ruin　a　case　in　court。
　'Now；　I　know　you're　probably　not　going　to　tell　much　about　the　vertebral　bone；'　I　said；　for　it　was　trabecular；　less　dense　than　other　bone　and　therefore　not　a　good　surface　for　tool　marks。
　'Never　hurts　to　bring　it　anyway。　We　might　get　lucky；'　he　said　as　we　entered　his　lab。
　There　was　not　an　inch　of　empty　space。　Thirty…five…gallon　drums　of　degreaser　and　polyurethane　varnish　were　parked　wherever　they　would　fit。　Shelves　from　floor　to　ceiling　were　crammed　with　packaged　bones；　and　in　boxes　and　on　carts　were　every　type　of　saw　known　to　man。　Dismemberments　were　rare；　and　I　knew　of　only　three　obvious　motivations　for　taking　a　victim　apart。　Transporting　the　body　was　easier。　Identification　was　slowed；　if　not　made　impossible。　Or　simply；　the　killer　was　malicious。
　Canter　pulled　a　stool　close　to　an　operating　microscope　equipped　with　a　camera。　He　moved　aside　a　tray　of　fractured　ribs　and　thyroid　cartilage　that　he　must　have　been　working　on　before　I　arrived。
　'This　guy　was　kicked　in　the　throat；　among　other　things；'　he　absently　said　as　he　pulled　on　surgical　gloves。
　'Such　a　nice　world　we　live　in；'　I　mented。
　Canter　opened　the　Ziploc　bag　containing　the　segment　of　right　femur。　Because　he　could　not　fit　it　on　the　microscope's　stage　without　cutting　a　section　that　was　thin　enough　to　mount；　he　had　me　hold　the　two…inch　length　of　bone　against　the　table's　edge。　Then　he　bent　a　twenty…five…power　fiber　optics　light　close　to　one　of　the　sawn　surfaces。
　'Definitely　a　Stryker　saw；'　he　said　as　he　peered　into　the　lenses。　'You　got　to　have　a　fast…moving；　reciprocating　motion　to　create　a　polish　like　this。　It　almost　looks　like　polished　stone。　See？'
　He　moved　aside　and　I　looked。　The　bone　was　slightly　beveled；　like　water　frozen　in　gentle　ripples；　and　it　shone。　Unlike　other　power　saws；　the　Stryker　had　an　oscillating　blade　that　did　not　move　very　far。　It　did　not　cut　skin；　only　the　hard　surface　it　was　pressed　against；　like　bone　or　a　cast　an　orthopedist　cut　from　a　mending　limb。
　'Obviously；'　I　said；　'the　transverse　cuts　across　the　midshaft　are　mine。　From　removing　marrow　for　DNA。'
　'But　the　knife　marks　aren't。'
　'No。　Absolutely　not。'
　'Well；　we're　probably　not　going　to　have　much　luck　with　them。'
　Knives　basically　covered　their　own　tracks；　unless　the　victim's　bone　or　cartilage　was　stabbed　or　hacked。
　'But　the　good　news　is；　we　got　a　few　false　starts；　a　wider　kerf　and　TPI；'　he　said；　adjusting　the　microscope's　focus　as　I　continued　holding　the　bone。
　I　had　known　nothing　about　saws　until　I　began　spending　so　much　time　with　Canter。　Bone　is　an　excellent　surface　for　tool　marks；　and　when　saw　teeth　cut　into　it；　a　groove　or　kerf　is　formed。　By　microscopically　examining　the　walls　and　floor　of　a　kerf；　one　can　determine　exit　chipping　on　the　side　where　the　saw　exited　bone。　Determining　the　characteristics　of　the　individual　teeth；　the　number　of　teeth　per　inch　（TPI）；　the　spacing　of　them　and　the　striae；　can　reveal　the　shape　of　the　blade。
　Canter　angled　the　optic　light　to　sharpen　the　striations　and　defects。
　'You　can　see　the　curve　of　the　blade。'　He　pointed　to　several　false　starts　on　the　shaft；　where　someone　had　pushed　the　saw　blade　into　the　bone；　and　then　tried　again　in　another　spot。
　'Not　mine；'　I　said。　'Or　at　least　I　hope　I'm　more　adept　than　that。'
　'Since　this　also　is　the　end　where　most　of　the　knife　cuts　are；　I'm　going　to　agree　that　it　wasn't　you。　Whoever　did　this　had　to　cut　first　with　something　else；　since　an　oscillating　blade　won't　cut　flesh。'
　'What　about　the　saw　blade？'　I　asked；　for　I　knew　what　I　used　in　the　morgue。
　'Teeth　are　large；　seventeen　per　inch。　So　this　is　going　to　be　a　round　autopsy　blade。　Let's　turn　it　over。'
　I　did；　and　he　directed　the　light　at　the　other　end；　where　there　were　no　false　starts。　The　surface　was　polished　and　beveled　like　the　other　one；　but　not　identical　to　Canter's　discerning　eye。
　'Power　autopsy　saw　with　a　large；　sectioning　blade；'　he　said。　'Multidirectional　cut　since　the　radius　of　the　blade's　too　small　to　cut　through　the　whole　bone　in　one　stroke。　So；　whoever　did　this　just　changed　directions；　going　as　it　from　different　angles；　with　a　great　deal　of　skill。　We　have　slight　bending　of　the　kerfs。　Minimal　exit　chipping。　Again　denoting　great　skill　with　a　saw。　I'm　going　to　bump　up　the　power　some　and　see　if　we　can　accentuate　the　harmonics。'
　He　referred　to　the　distance　between　saw　teeth。
　'Tooth　distance　is　point…oh…six。　Sixteen　teeth　per　inch；'　he　counted。　'Direction　is　push…pull；　tooth…type　chisel。　I'm　voting　this　is　yours。'
　'You　caught　me；'　I　said　with　relief。　'Guilty　as　charged。'
　'I　would　think　so。'　He　was　still　looking。　'I　wouldn't　think　you　use　a　round　blade　for　anything。'
　The　large；　round　autopsy　blades　were　heavy　and　continuous　rolling；　and　destroyed　more　bone。　Generally；　this　was　a　utility　blade　used　in　labs　or　in　doctors'　offices　to　saw　off　casts。
　'The　rare　occasion　I　might　use　a　round　blade　is　on　animals；'　I　said。
　'Of　the　two…　or　four…legged　variety？'
　'I've　taken　bullets　out　of　dogs；　birds；　cats　and；　on　one　fine　occasion；　a　python　shot　in　a　drug　raid；'　I　replied。
　Canter　was　looking　at　another　bone。　'And　I　thought　I　was　the　one　who　had　all　the　fun。'
　'Do　you　find　it　unusual　that　someone　would　use　a　meat　saw　in　four　dismemberments；　and　then　suddenly　switch　to　an　electric　autopsy　saw？'　I　asked。
　'If　your　theory's　correct　about　the　cases　in　Ireland；　then　you're　talking　nine　cases　with　a　meat　saw；'　he　said。　'How　about　holding　this　right　here　so　I　can　get　a　picture。'
　I　held　the　section　of　left　femur　in　the　tips　of　my　fingers；　and　he　pressed　a　button　on　the　camera。
　'To　answer　your　question；'　he　said。　'I　would　f