Slow Kill - Michael Mcgarrity [71]
The sergeant smiled with relief.
“Don’t embellish the story too much, Sergeant.”
The sergeant’s smile changed to a grin. “There’s no need for that, Chief.”
As Kerney expected, news of the incident had spread like wildfire throughout the department, creating a lot of amused head shaking among the troops about their new chief.
Kerney returned his thoughts to Sergeant Pino. It was quite likely she’d come looking for him with blood in her eye if she happened to encounter DEA Special Agent Evan Winslow.
He called Penelope Parker, hedged a bit on the details, and told her he had some indication that George Spalding might not have died in Vietnam.
“Oh, Alice will be so happy to hear that,” Parker replied, a pleased lilt to her voice. “Will you be coming out here to do more investigating?”
“I doubt it,” Kerney said. “I need to know where George is buried.”
“At the Fort Bayard National Cemetery in New Mexico,” Parker said. “At least what could be found of him.”
“Meaning what?”
“The bodies had basically been incinerated in the crash. Identification was made primarily by dog tags, remnants of uniforms, and dental records.”
“Who supplied the dental records? The military or the family?”
“I don’t know.”
“Were all the victims’ identities verified?” Kerney asked.
“You’re asking me for information I don’t have,” Parker replied. “Remember, this happened long before my time. I do know that after the divorce, Alice wanted George’s remains disinterred so that a DNA test could be made. She wanted to use the latest technology to prove that he was still alive. But Clifford stopped it by getting a judge to rule that both parents would have to agree to the exhumation.”
“Who was the judge?”
“I don’t remember his name, but he was located in Silver City, New Mexico, near the cemetery where George was buried. I typed all the original correspondence. Alice’s lawyer should have the particulars.”
“I’ll need those,” Kerney said. “Would Alice be willing to resubmit a request to disinter the body and also provide a DNA sample for comparison purposes? A simple cotton swab for saliva inside her mouth should be all that’s required.”
“I’m sure she’ll want to cooperate.”
“Give me her lawyer’s name and phone number and I’ll get the ball rolling.”
“How quickly do you plan to act?” Parker asked, after reading off the information.
“I’d like to move fast and get the skeletal remains tested and compared to Alice’s DNA as soon as possible,” Kerney replied. “We can use a private lab in Albuquerque to do the analysis. How soon can you get Alice in for a mouth swab?”
“Her doctor makes house calls,” Parker said, excitement rising in her voice. “I’ll see if he can come out right away. Otherwise, I’ll make an appointment and take her to his office as soon as possible.”
“Tell him exactly what the swab is for and ask him to handle it like evidence. He’s to wear gloves and seal the swab in a clear plastic bag. Have him send it to me by overnight air express.”
“Should I tell Captain Chase about this?” Parker asked, after Kerney gave her his mailing address. “He called a day ago asking if I’ve spoken to you again.”
“Please don’t tell him anything.”
“You make it sound like a conspiracy,” Parker whispered delightedly.
Kerney sidestepped the remark. “You’ll get a call later today from a New Mexico judge who will want to verify Alice’s willingness to have the body exhumed. Make sure she’s prepared to give consent.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem.”
“If you have a fax machine at the house, give me the number and I’ll send you an exhumation request form. Fax it back as soon as Alice signs it.”
“What are you planning to do to the body?”
“We’ll take a bone sample from the skeleton and have it compared to Alice’s DNA. Also, I’ll ask for fresh X-rays of the teeth.”
“Who will do the examination?” Parker asked.
“A forensic anthropologist,” Kerney replied.
“How long will this take to accomplish?”
“Disinterring the body can be done quickly,” Kerney said. “Using a private lab for the testing will cut the turnaround time significantly. We should