Free Delusions With Murder: A Rilynne Evans Mystery by Jenn Vakey Page B

it to a specific make or model.  What exactly were you looking for?”
    “Honestly, anything at all that could be used to help us get to a suspect.  Or at least give us something to compare to when we do have a suspect.”  Rilynne was not hopeful they would be able to get anything from the fiber that would be helpful, but like Wilcome, she was desperate.
    “There is one more test I could do.  I don’t know if it would stand up in court,” he seemed to be talking more to himself than to Rilynne, “but it might get you a little closer to finding the guy.”  He walked out of the room without another word to her.  Rilynne did not know whether to follow him, or stay where she was.  After a few moments she made a movement towards the door, but stopped again when Ben came rushing back in with an evidence envelope in hand.
    “I can run a test to see what environmental factors affected the fiber.  Since it was just one fiber, we weren’t able to find any physical trace that was useful, but I may be able to get a chemical breakdown to see if it was exposed to anything that would have embedded itself on it, like an odor.”  Ben seemed excited, more so than Rilynne had ever seen him.
    Rilynne had been in and out of crime labs during her career, but was still amazed by what they were able to do.  “So you are checking to see if the car smells?” 
    Hearing her skepticism, Ben turned from the equipment to face her.  “Think about when you sit in another persons car; within seconds you can tell if they have eaten in there recently, if they are a smoker, or if they use air fresheners.  Those scents get embedded in the fabrics and carpets, which will keep them in the car for a while after the source is gone.  The longer the carpet was exposed to a scent, the stronger it would be.  Have you ever bought a used car where the previous owner smoked?  It takes a long time before the car will lose the smell.”  He grinned as Rilynne looked from him to the computer, obviously impressed.
    “You’re amazing.  Let me know as soon as you find anything.”  She gave him a quick pat on the arm as she left the room.
     

Chapter Eight
    T he last hints of daylight were still peaking through the window when Rilynne crawled into bed.  It had been a long few days, and all she wanted was to curl up with her pillows and go to sleep.  The moment she let her eyes close she felt herself drifting, as if she were weightless, floating in the clouds.
    The sun was suddenly shining brightly on her face.  It took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust so she could see her surroundings. 
    The trees seemed greener than normal; the leaves were almost fluorescent above her, and stood out against the black and white trunks.  She was laying on her back with her head resting on a rotten log.  Just above the trees she could see large black birds spinning in circles.  The sight of them seemed to add to a sense of dread that had overcome her, but she could not see why; it was a beautiful day, and she could not think of a more relaxing place to be.
    Behind her she could hear the roar of water slamming against rocks.  She tried to turn to see where the sound was coming from, but she could not muster the strength to pull herself up.  After a few moments of trying, she resigned to watching the scene above her.  It was not as relaxing as the water, however; in the few minutes since she had last looked, several more birds had joined the kettle.
    Although the knot in her stomach was only increasing, the combination of the soothing sounds and pure exhaustion she was feeling made it almost impossible to keep her eyes open.  As her eyes drooped, she could see the outline of two figures coming over the hill in front of her.  She wanted to yell, but as her lids finally closed, everything around her drifted away.
    The scene suddenly shifted to a more familiar one.
    She was walking through a hallway, towards the door at the far end.  It was cracked just