Beverly Connor - Dead Secret

“We haven’t analyzed all the trace evidence yet, but we don’t believe it was an accident either,” said Diane. She explained to him about the twigs and branches that had been in the water only as long as the two victims, and the air hose that was punctured with a knife.

“I was afraid of that. You know, Rankin is pretty good. When he says something is suspicious, he means it.”

“The teeth often get broken when the regulator’s forcibly pulled out,” said Korey. He looked suddenly embarrassed. “I mean, if you’re looking for foul play, that’s a clue.”

Diane looked at Korey a moment before she spoke. He was obviously enjoying being on the other side of the building-the dark side, as she had heard some of the museum staff call it. Korey knew something about scuba diving and wanted to share.

“This is Korey Jordan, my head conservator at the museum. Among other things he’s an expert on waterlogged wood, and we’re using that expertise on the quarry case.”

“Expert on waterlogged wood. They got an expert on everything nowadays, don’t they?” The sheriff held out his hand. “Glad to meet you, son.”

“Likewise.” Korey looked at Diane. “I’ve worked with divers. That’s how I know about the regulators.”

“Find much work in waterlogged wood?” the sheriff asked, grinning, showing an even row of tobacco-stained teeth.

“Between museums, archaeology and recovery of ancient logs, and the fact that there aren’t that many of us, I get a lot of consulting.”

“Ancient logs?”

“Like those hundred-year-plus old-growth logs discovered at the bottom of Lake Superior. When they’re dried out they’re some sweet wood.”

Canfield shook his head. “I’m always amazed at the things I don’t know about.”

Jin reached for the autopsy report. “Korey’s right. You get your mouthpiece jerked out, it can break your teeth.”

He flipped through Rankin’s report, reading the findings. Diane looked over his shoulder.

“The ME said something about that-the teeth being broken from the inside out. That must have been what he was talking about,” said the sheriff. “Now, Jin, didn’t you say there might be a second diver?”

“There had to be one, unless the guy was a complete idiot.”

“I’ve been talking to his relatives, and that would be the consensus,” the sheriff said. “He took some scuba-diving lessons, but the instructor kicked him out because he wouldn’t follow safety protocol.” He pronounced safety protocol as if he were quoting the instructor. “Jake Stanley has never been in bad trouble, but always on the fringes of it. Kind of guy who wants the quick buck, knows everything and won’t listen to anyone.”

“And that’s why he’s dead,” said Jin.

“You see something in the autopsy report, son?” the sheriff asked Jin.

Diane directed Canfield and Jin to the table to sit down. Korey took his leave just as Neva came in carrying a box.

“Have a seat, Neva,” said Diane. “We’re discussing the quarry crime scene.”

Neva nodded to the sheriff and sat down.

“The tests on his tissue samples and blood,” said Jin, answering Sheriff Canfield’s question, “had a high nitrogen level. He probably at least had nitrogen narcosis, which would have impaired his judgment considerably, plus caused a lot of other physical problems. That may be why, if he was attacked and his hose was cut, he didn’t put up much of a fight.”

Diane nodded. “Some of the bruises are consistent with having those branches pushed down on him, which is what may have happened, rather than his getting tangled up in them.”

The sheriff shook his head. “His family and friends that me and my deputies have talked with so far haven’t a clue as to what he was doing or who he was doing it with. They all said he’d been acting real secretive lately.”

“God, I’m good,” David shouted from his computer.

As if choreographed, all their heads turned toward David, who sat with his hands folded across his chest, looking at his computer screen with the amount of satisfaction that Newton must have had when he discovered gravity, or college freshmen when they discover beer comes in a keg.

“You have something to share?” asked Diane.

“Sure, when I finish enjoying the moment,” said David.

Neva smiled at Jin, who shook his head.

“You’ve got to understand how difficult this was. You don’t just plug it into the software and ask it to make the picture clear. You have to work with it, tweak it, baby it-failing that, write your own algorithm.” He hit a key, which initiated the sound of the printer. “You see, the problem is, range between color values is different in, for example, the background and the foreground, so one-”

“David,” said Neva. “We really appreciate the level of intelligence and skill it takes for you to do what you do, but I for one don’t understand what the heck you are talking about. Bottom-line it for us. Let’s see the picture.”

“That would be the most impressive.” David scooped up the pages coming out of the printer and walked over to the table. “In case you have forgotten, here is the original.” He tossed it on the table.

“You mean to tell me you made something of this?” said the sheriff. “There’s nothing here.”

“It would seem not, but. . ” He made a flourish with his hand and began dealing the pictures like cards in a deck. “I printed one for each of you.”

“I’ll be damned,” said the sheriff. “This can’t be possible.”

“Wow,” said Neva. “Now, see, this is impressive.”

“I’ll say,” agreed Jin.

Diane examined the photograph. What was once a foggy blur was now something recognizable-not crystal-clear, but it didn’t have to be. It showed enough. It was an old car, the kind in old Eliot Ness gangster movies. What was so remarkable about the work that David had done was not that he brought out the car in the photo, but that, on the shelf of the backseat near the rear window, was unmistakably a human skull.

None of them said anything as they studied the photograph. Finally, Jin broke the silence. “How long you think that’s been down there?”

“I have to hand it to you and the lab here,” the sheriff said looking from the original photograph to David’s enhancement. “This is pretty amazing.” He laid the pictures down on the table. “So we know what our dead guys were looking for. What we don’t know is why anybody would care after all this time-if, of course, that’s why they were killed.” He shook his head. “Now I’ve got to figure out how I can get that thing up off the bottom.”

“I’d like to go down and photograph it first,” said Jin. “Maybe even work the crime scene from down there. I scuba-dive.”

The sheriff nodded. “How do you think we should go about this?”

“We can call a company,” said David. “They’ll probably do something like inflate a balloon inside the vehicle-or tie special balloons to it. That’s how they got those enormously heavy antique logs that Korey was talking about off the bottom of Lake Superior. Depending on what condition it’s in, they’ll try to contain it in some way. Jin can tell us how the process works.”

“Well,” the sheriff, said as he stood up. “thanks for finding me another crime scene-one that looks expensive.” He chuckled. Canfield went to the door and Diane buzzed him out.

“Good job, David,” said Diane. “You did good. More than good. I’m really impressed.”

“We all are,” said Jin. “I thought the sheriff’s eyes were going to drop out of his head.”

“All the praise is appreciated-and deserved.” He made a flourishing bow. “Thank you.” He turned to Neva. “So, Neva, what’s in the box?” said David.