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！
illed while making his rounds； although the stairwell where he was found wasn't part of his normal route。 He may have been investigating a suspicious noise or something of that nature。 He may have just stopped for some reefer。 A recently smoked marijuana cigarette was found near the archway directly outside the stairwell exit。 We will； naturally； be testing the body for drug use。〃
〃God； that's all we need；〃 said Wright。 〃But haven't you found any useful clues？ What about this wild animal business？ You…〃
Pendergast held his palm up and waited for silence。 〃I would prefer not to speculate until we discuss the available evidence with experts。 Some of these experts may be from among your own staff。 For the record； we've found no signs as yet that any kind of animal had been in the vicinity。
〃The body was found lying at the bottom of the stairwell； although it was clear that the attack occurred near the top； as blood and viscera were found along the length of the stairs。 He either rolled or was dragged to the bottom。 But don't take my word for it； Dr。 Wright；〃 Pendergast said； picking up a manila envelope from the desk； 〃see for yourself。〃 He pulled out a glossy photograph and laid it carefully on the tabletop。
〃Oh； my God；〃 Wright said； staring at the photograph。 〃Heaven help us。〃
〃The right…hand wall of the stairwell was covered with splattered blood；〃 Pendergast said。 〃Here's a photograph。〃
He handed it to Wright； who slid it quickly on top of the first。
〃It's a simple matter to do a ballistics analysis on splattered blood；〃 Pendergast went on。 〃In this case； the evidence is consistent with a massive blow directed downward； instantaneously disemboweling the victim。〃
Pendergast replaced the photographs and checked his watch。 〃Lieutenant D'Agosta will be checking in with you to make sure that everything is proceeding along the lines we've discussed；〃 he said。 〃One last question； Doctor。 Which of your curators knows the most about the anthropology collections here？〃
Dr。 Wright seemed not to have heard。 Finally he said； 〃Dr。 Frock；〃 in a barely audible voice。
〃Very good；〃 said Pendergast。 〃Oh； and Doctor…I told you earlier that the Museum can remain open； all other things being equal。 But if anybody else dies inside these walls； the Museum will have to be shut down immediately。 The matter will be out of my hands。 Understood？〃
After a long moment； Wright nodded。
〃Excellent；〃 Pendergast replied。 〃I'm very aware； Doctor； that your Superstition exhibition is scheduled to open this ing weekend； and that you have a large preview planned for Friday evening。 I'd like to see your opening proceed unvexed； but everything will depend on what we discover in the next twenty…four hours。 Prudence may require us to delay the opening party。〃
Wright's left eyelid began to twitch。 〃That's quite impossible。 Our entire marketing campaign would be derailed。 The publicity would be devastating。〃
〃We shall see；〃 Pendergast replied。 〃Now； unless there's anything else； I don't think we need keep you any longer。〃
Wright； his face drained of color； stood up and； without a word； walked stiffly out of the room。
D'Agosta grinned as the door closed。 〃Softened up that bastard nicely；〃 he said。
〃What's that again； Lieutenant？〃 Pendergast asked； leaning back in the leather chair and picking up the book with renewed enthusiasm。
〃e on； Pendergast；〃 D'Agosta said； looking cagily at the FBI agent。 〃I guess you can drop the genteel act when it suits you。〃
Pendergast blinked innocently at D'Agosta。 〃I'm sorry； Lieutenant。 I apologize for any unseemly behavior。 It's simply that I can't stand pompous； bureaucratic individuals。 I'm afraid I can bee quite short with them。〃 He raised the book。 〃It's a bad habit； but very hard to break。〃
= 17 =
The laboratory looked out over the East River and across to the warehouses and decaying industrial buildings of Long Island City。 Lewis Turow stood in the window and watched an enormous barge； piled with garbage and surrounded by countless seagulls； being pushed out to sea。 Probably one minute's worth of New York City garbage； he thought。
Turow turned away from the window and sighed。 He hated New York； but one had to make choices。 The choice for him was enduring the city and working in one of the best genetic labs in the country； or working in some halfassed facility in a nice rural spot somewhere。 So far he'd chosen the city； but his patience was running out。
He heard a low beeping； then the soft hiss of a miniprinter。 The results were ing through。 Another soft beep indicated the print job was finished。 The threemillion…dollar Omega…9 Parallel Processing puter； which took up a series of large gray boxes along one wall； was now pletely silent。 Only a few lights indicated that anything was happening。 It was a special； hardwired model designed for sequencing DNA and mapping genes。 Turow had e to the lab six months before specifically because of this machine。
He fetched the paper out of the bin and scanned it。 The first page was a summary of the results； followed by a sequence of nucleic acids found in the sample。 Next to those were columns of letters that identified primer sequences and mapped genes from the target group。
The target group； in this case； was unusual： big cats。 They had asked for gene matches with Asiatic tiger； jaguar； leopard； bobcat。 Turow had thrown in the cheetah； since its genetics were so well known。 The outgroup chosen was； as usual； Homo sapiens； a control to check that the genetic matching process had been accurate and the sample sound。
He scanned the summary。
Run 3349A5 990
SAMPLE： NYC Crime Lab LA…33
SUMMARY
TARGET GROUP
％ matches degree of confidence
Panthera leo 5。5 4％
Panthera onca 7。1 5％
Felis lynx 4。0 3％
Felis rufa 5。2 4％
Acinonyx jubatus 6。6 4％
OUTGROUP CONTROL
Homo sapiens 45。2 33％
Well； this is plete bullshit； thought Turow。 The sample matched the outgroup a lot more than it matched the target group…the opposite of what should have happened。 Only a 4 percent chance that the genetic material was from a big cat； but a 33 percent chance it was from a human being。
Thirty…three percent。 Still low； but within the realm of possibility。
So that meant trying GenLab for a match。 GenLab was an enormous international DNA database…two hundred gigs and growing…that contained DNA sequences； primers； and mapped genes for thousands of organisms； from the Escherichia coli bacterium to Homo sapiens。 He would run the data against the GenLab database； and see just what this DNA was from。 Something close to Homo sapiens； it looked like。 Not high enough to be an ape； but maybe something like a lemur。
Turow's curiosity was piqued。 Till now； he didn't even know that his laboratory did work for the police department。 What the hell made them think this sample came from a big cat？ he wondered。
The results ran to a hefty eighty pages。 The DNA sequencer printed out the identified nucleotides in columnar format； indicating species； identified genes； and unidentified sequences。 Turow knew that most of the sequences would be unidentified； since the only organism with a plet