Blood Brother by Malcolm Rose

Author:Malcolm Rose [Rose, Malcolm]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Malcolm Rose
Published: 2013-03-13T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

Luke was convinced that the pyramid was solid. It was too heavy to be hollow. Even so, he turned it upside down to look for a hidden opening in the base. There was nothing. He put it down on one of its shiny sides and stepped back. “Scan it, Malc. Is it solid? Could there be anything inside?”

Hovering over the ornament, Malc examined it first in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Then he tried infrared radiation, ultraviolet light and X-rays. When he’d used every available scan, he reported, “The object appears to have been formed from a single piece of natural jadeite. I calculate from its height and the area of its base that it has a volume of 707.1 cubic centimetres. This material is known to have a density of 3.3 grams per cubic centimetre. Therefore, if it is solid jadeite, its mass should be 2.333 kilograms to the nearest gram.” Malc hovered over the pyramid and scooped it up briefly on his scales. “Its mass is 2.334 kilograms, which is within experimental error.”

“It’s nothing but jade, then.”

“Highly likely. However, you should note that my spectroscopic examination of the base has detected some specks of a dark solid.”

“What is it?”

“Unknown. I can do further tests in a darkened room.”

Clutching the pyramid but keeping his fingers away from its base, Luke headed for the bathroom straightaway. He put it down on the surface beside the sink and said, “I’ll leave you to get on with it.”

“If I identify the traces, I cannot enter the result into case notes because the origin of the substance is unknown. It may be contamination from any one of a large number of sources.”

“I know. But I still want you to check it out.”

Left alone, Malc analysed the marks with a fluorescence technique. He sprayed phthaldialdehyde onto the dull surface and then swept intense ultraviolet light across it and detected tiny glistening spots typical of blood proteins. Then he performed cross-over electrophoresis with antibodies from some common species and found that the proteins on the pyramid reacted only with human antibodies. Emerging from the bathroom, Malc announced, “I have detected dried human blood on the base of the jade pyramid. It is too degraded for DNA analysis.”

“Human blood,” Luke muttered to himself.

“Confirmed, but its origin is unidentified.”

Luke pushed his hair behind his ears with both hands and let out a long breath. “Interesting, though.”

“It is a conspicuous but unhelpful finding.”

“Has it been there long?”

“Unknown. However, the degree of decomposition suggests that staining occurred several days ago.”

Luke nodded. “This morning’s all about blood. What do you make of my father’s idea? Could there really be someone else going around with his blood and DNA?”

“The suspect’s account is feasible, but Dr Sachs offered no proof that he has been a bone-marrow donor.”

“But, if he was, that’d explain the DNA around Julian Bent and Charlie Illingworth, wouldn’t it?”

“If the transplant took place, either the donor or the recipient would be responsible for the traces. In such an unusual situation, the possibility of wrongful arrest would be substantial.

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