older,” he explained, sliding the thick glasses up his nose. “Was it normal for the Professor to be checking out something with the FDA?”
“It's possible. Researchers are always looking up scientific information on the Internet. The real question is whether the information on these pages had any special meaning.” Sterling opened the closet door. More of the same—stacks of textbooks and boxes of paper, jumbled laboratory data, and copied journal articles. Various of Wilson's articles sat on one shelf, as did a shoe box full of Minicam videotapes. Sterling rummaged through quickly, before putting everything back in its original place. He pulled out his small black-leather book and scribbled some notes. He looked at his watch. It was one o'clock and he was starting to get hungry. He needed to sit and collect his thoughts.
It was time to go see Kay. The investigation was important, but he also had to be there for her. Wilson was all she had in the world, and everyone knew how close they were. For a brief moment, for no particular reason at all, the strangest thought entered Sterling's head. Was it possible that Wilson had run off with another woman? Unlikely, but every possibility had to be considered. One thing Sterling had learned after all these years with the Bureau was never to put anything past anyone.
Sterling neatly arranged the sheets of paper on the desk. “I think that'll do it for now,” he said to Wiley.
“Once state has finished dusting the car for prints, I'll have them sent to the lab,” Wiley said. “Shouldn't take more than a few hours.”
“The sooner, the better,” Sterling said. As they left, he took another look at the photo of Wilson and himself hanging on the wall. Though only for a brief moment, it warmed him to think that Wilson liked that picture as much as he did.
Carlton straightened up when he heard the door open. Sterling thought he might have been napping.
“How long is your shift, Carlton?” Sterling asked.
Carlton looked at his watch. “I came on at five this morning. I'll leave at three this afternoon, maybe stay later for some overtime.”
“Any relief?”
“Someone will come by soon so I can take lunch.”
“Make sure they don't let anybody in,” Sterling said firmly. “That entire lab needs to be fingerprinted.”
“Yes, sir,” Carlton said. He seemed good at taking orders.
“And if anyone comes by saying they need to see the Professor or they work in the lab, make sure you take down their information—name, ID number, affiliation, and phone number where they can be reached.”
Sterling and Lieutenant Wiley started down the hall. His lips moving silently, Carlton reviewed the instructions as the elevator doors opened.
“What about the cleaning man?” Carlton called after them.
Sterling struck his hands out to keep the elevator doors from closing. “What cleaning man?”
“He said he might need to come back later. He wasn't able to finish everything.”
Sterling and Wiley stepped out of the elevator. “I thought you said the only person who asked to come in was one of the students,” Sterling said. He was seeing red again.
“Well, I didn't think the cleaning people counted,” Carlton said, shrugging his shoulders.
Sterling shook his head. Hanlon had made his blood simmer, and now Carlton had brought it to a boil. Only hours into the investigation, and he had already counted at least five mistakes that could seriously taint the evidence and hinder their ability to find Wilson. “Did you at least get his name?”
Carlton twisted his mouth. “I don't remember. He said he was running late and forgot his ID in his locker.”
“How long was he in there for?”
“Not sure. He was coming out just as I arrived.”
Sterling looked at Wiley. “We need the records of who was doing the cleaning this morning,” he said firmly. “If this investigation is going to amount to anything, we've got to check on everything. Twice. This is the kind
“It's possible. Researchers are always looking up scientific information on the Internet. The real question is whether the information on these pages had any special meaning.” Sterling opened the closet door. More of the same—stacks of textbooks and boxes of paper, jumbled laboratory data, and copied journal articles. Various of Wilson's articles sat on one shelf, as did a shoe box full of Minicam videotapes. Sterling rummaged through quickly, before putting everything back in its original place. He pulled out his small black-leather book and scribbled some notes. He looked at his watch. It was one o'clock and he was starting to get hungry. He needed to sit and collect his thoughts.
It was time to go see Kay. The investigation was important, but he also had to be there for her. Wilson was all she had in the world, and everyone knew how close they were. For a brief moment, for no particular reason at all, the strangest thought entered Sterling's head. Was it possible that Wilson had run off with another woman? Unlikely, but every possibility had to be considered. One thing Sterling had learned after all these years with the Bureau was never to put anything past anyone.
Sterling neatly arranged the sheets of paper on the desk. “I think that'll do it for now,” he said to Wiley.
“Once state has finished dusting the car for prints, I'll have them sent to the lab,” Wiley said. “Shouldn't take more than a few hours.”
“The sooner, the better,” Sterling said. As they left, he took another look at the photo of Wilson and himself hanging on the wall. Though only for a brief moment, it warmed him to think that Wilson liked that picture as much as he did.
Carlton straightened up when he heard the door open. Sterling thought he might have been napping.
“How long is your shift, Carlton?” Sterling asked.
Carlton looked at his watch. “I came on at five this morning. I'll leave at three this afternoon, maybe stay later for some overtime.”
“Any relief?”
“Someone will come by soon so I can take lunch.”
“Make sure they don't let anybody in,” Sterling said firmly. “That entire lab needs to be fingerprinted.”
“Yes, sir,” Carlton said. He seemed good at taking orders.
“And if anyone comes by saying they need to see the Professor or they work in the lab, make sure you take down their information—name, ID number, affiliation, and phone number where they can be reached.”
Sterling and Lieutenant Wiley started down the hall. His lips moving silently, Carlton reviewed the instructions as the elevator doors opened.
“What about the cleaning man?” Carlton called after them.
Sterling struck his hands out to keep the elevator doors from closing. “What cleaning man?”
“He said he might need to come back later. He wasn't able to finish everything.”
Sterling and Wiley stepped out of the elevator. “I thought you said the only person who asked to come in was one of the students,” Sterling said. He was seeing red again.
“Well, I didn't think the cleaning people counted,” Carlton said, shrugging his shoulders.
Sterling shook his head. Hanlon had made his blood simmer, and now Carlton had brought it to a boil. Only hours into the investigation, and he had already counted at least five mistakes that could seriously taint the evidence and hinder their ability to find Wilson. “Did you at least get his name?”
Carlton twisted his mouth. “I don't remember. He said he was running late and forgot his ID in his locker.”
“How long was he in there for?”
“Not sure. He was coming out just as I arrived.”
Sterling looked at Wiley. “We need the records of who was doing the cleaning this morning,” he said firmly. “If this investigation is going to amount to anything, we've got to check on everything. Twice. This is the kind
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