Potentially, there might be a reason for the knife in this individual circumstance, but that would require further investigation.
"Sounds like this is our guy," Rake said.
Dollews smiled like a clown.
"Can you tell us what cells the DNA came from?" I said.
Dollews looked over at the other screen, scrolling down to the less important information. "Quilla don't actually have DNA."
I didn't care.
"Neither really do they have cells in the strictest sense of the word."
Still not what I asked.
"Although their organs are broken up into smaller units, the barriers between these units are not strict enough to call them cells. They are more like syncytia."
"Can you or can't you?" Rake said.
Dollews stared at the screen, unphased by Rake's rudeness. "The genetic material from the crime scene is mainly from the blood."
That was interesting. There was no sign that either suspect fought back, and quilla skin was tough, like bone lattice. "And how much of it was there?"
Dollews went back to his network screen for a few clicks. "It was our clearest signal."
"So how much blood would be needed to produce that much quilla...genetic material, at a crime scene?"
Dollews smiled. "Not too much."
I trusted Dollews less than a gree mercenary. "Even factoring in how much you would expect to degrade on account of the hole?"
Dollews bobbed his head sideways. "I suppose we should increase it for that, so it would be a reasonable sized wound."
Unfortunately, quilla blood looked exactly the same as human blood to the eye, so the trails and puddles could have been from Peti or Kenrey. I looked to Rake. "If Peti was bleeding that badly, then why was there no trail outside the room?"
"Perhaps he patched himself up," said Dollews. "It is much easier for a quilla to patch a wound than a human. Their scales keep the blood in naturally." He grinned at me as if he was winning a game of chess. "You don't look convinced, Mr. Nidess. I'll get the blood expert."
Moments after Dollews tapped his screen, a scientist pushed through the door without knocking. He was a short blond man whose face was swamped by beard.
"Did you test the blood around the room? Dollews asked.
"Yessir."
"And what did you find?"
"Quite interesting actually. Most of the small spots dotted around the room belonged to Kenrey, and the puddle under the guard was all him, but the main big puddle next to the bed also contained Vos Peti's FSA. My thinking is that Kenrey managed to wound him before he died."
"With what? His finger nails?" I said. "Kenrey didn't have a weapon."
"Maybe Peti took it with him," suggested Dollews.
"Could be," the blood guy agreed. "If it was the same knife Peti brought with him, then it would make sense he took it away again."
"What about cellular analysis of the blood?" I said, "Did you find any quilla body material?"
The blood guy looked at Dollews for help. "We don't normally check for that–"
"But we will," Dollews said, "if that's something you feel would be useful. My team are at your service."
"Thank you," I said. "I have my suspicions it might be important."
Dollews waved the man away, but I remembered another question as he reached the door. "And in your professional opinion, the blood spatter is entirely consistent with a fight between Peti and Kenrey, and then another between Peti and the guard?"
"Yessir, entirely consistent."
I nodded. The science division had made up its mind. Peti was the only suspect, and any evidence to the contrary was being dismissed or removed. Peti was Dollews' wet dream. He was high profile, scary looking, and most importantly, implicated by the science division.
Rake had said next to nothing since we entered the office. If he didn't believe Dollews, he didn't care. To him Peti was an equally perfect scapegoat. If the SP ever caught him, his other crimes would merit his execution even without Kenrey's murder.
"Thank you very much doctor," I said. "I think we have our chief suspect. Could you transfer all
"Sounds like this is our guy," Rake said.
Dollews smiled like a clown.
"Can you tell us what cells the DNA came from?" I said.
Dollews looked over at the other screen, scrolling down to the less important information. "Quilla don't actually have DNA."
I didn't care.
"Neither really do they have cells in the strictest sense of the word."
Still not what I asked.
"Although their organs are broken up into smaller units, the barriers between these units are not strict enough to call them cells. They are more like syncytia."
"Can you or can't you?" Rake said.
Dollews stared at the screen, unphased by Rake's rudeness. "The genetic material from the crime scene is mainly from the blood."
That was interesting. There was no sign that either suspect fought back, and quilla skin was tough, like bone lattice. "And how much of it was there?"
Dollews went back to his network screen for a few clicks. "It was our clearest signal."
"So how much blood would be needed to produce that much quilla...genetic material, at a crime scene?"
Dollews smiled. "Not too much."
I trusted Dollews less than a gree mercenary. "Even factoring in how much you would expect to degrade on account of the hole?"
Dollews bobbed his head sideways. "I suppose we should increase it for that, so it would be a reasonable sized wound."
Unfortunately, quilla blood looked exactly the same as human blood to the eye, so the trails and puddles could have been from Peti or Kenrey. I looked to Rake. "If Peti was bleeding that badly, then why was there no trail outside the room?"
"Perhaps he patched himself up," said Dollews. "It is much easier for a quilla to patch a wound than a human. Their scales keep the blood in naturally." He grinned at me as if he was winning a game of chess. "You don't look convinced, Mr. Nidess. I'll get the blood expert."
Moments after Dollews tapped his screen, a scientist pushed through the door without knocking. He was a short blond man whose face was swamped by beard.
"Did you test the blood around the room? Dollews asked.
"Yessir."
"And what did you find?"
"Quite interesting actually. Most of the small spots dotted around the room belonged to Kenrey, and the puddle under the guard was all him, but the main big puddle next to the bed also contained Vos Peti's FSA. My thinking is that Kenrey managed to wound him before he died."
"With what? His finger nails?" I said. "Kenrey didn't have a weapon."
"Maybe Peti took it with him," suggested Dollews.
"Could be," the blood guy agreed. "If it was the same knife Peti brought with him, then it would make sense he took it away again."
"What about cellular analysis of the blood?" I said, "Did you find any quilla body material?"
The blood guy looked at Dollews for help. "We don't normally check for that–"
"But we will," Dollews said, "if that's something you feel would be useful. My team are at your service."
"Thank you," I said. "I have my suspicions it might be important."
Dollews waved the man away, but I remembered another question as he reached the door. "And in your professional opinion, the blood spatter is entirely consistent with a fight between Peti and Kenrey, and then another between Peti and the guard?"
"Yessir, entirely consistent."
I nodded. The science division had made up its mind. Peti was the only suspect, and any evidence to the contrary was being dismissed or removed. Peti was Dollews' wet dream. He was high profile, scary looking, and most importantly, implicated by the science division.
Rake had said next to nothing since we entered the office. If he didn't believe Dollews, he didn't care. To him Peti was an equally perfect scapegoat. If the SP ever caught him, his other crimes would merit his execution even without Kenrey's murder.
"Thank you very much doctor," I said. "I think we have our chief suspect. Could you transfer all
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