“I’ll remember that,” Anne said, rising from her chair, giving the ADA a sheepish smile. “I don’t know how successful I’ll be adhering to it, but I’ll remember it.”

Chapter 13

13

“That’s fucking bizarre, man,” Bill Hicks said. “He killed his own mother.”

“He says he killed her,” Mendez said. “Why would somebody just blurt that out to a couple of cops? I don’t care if the guy is some kind of mathematical genius. He’s a fucking wack job.”

“What did Vince have to say about it?”

Leone had gone on to the college to have another conversation with Arthur Buckman, one the college president was not likely to enjoy. Mendez had grabbed Hicks in the parking lot at the SO. They were on their way to the Thomas Center for Women to speak to Jane Thomas, who was probably not going to be happy to see them, either.

“He thinks it’s probably true.”

“Does he think Zahn killed Marissa Fordham?”

“He’s not leaning that way. He thinks the murder was too messy. Zahn is a freak about touching other people. This killer had to have been covered in blood.”

“That many stab wounds, killing in a frenzy like that,” Hicks said. “It would be a safe bet the killer would have cut himself at some point. A bloody knife is slippery.”

“He could have worn gloves.”

“He didn’t bring a weapon to the scene, but he brought gloves?” Hicks arched an eyebrow, dubious.

“If he knew the vic, had been to her house, he would know she had knives there. No need to bring his own,” Mendez pointed out.

“What are the odds we get blood evidence on the perp out of that mess in the house?”

“Slim to none. We’ll send the knife to BFS.”

“How about to the FBI?”

The state Bureau of Forensic Sciences lab was good. The Bureau was the best—although it would take weeks to get results.

“If the boss says we can, why not?” Mendez said. “And if we get lucky and get seminal fluid off the body or off the sheets, maybe they get DNA.”

Hicks made a face. “What’s it good for? A bunch of scientific mumbojumbo and mathematical statistics to put a jury to sleep? That is if a prosecutor can ever get it admitted. It hasn’t happened yet.”

“You wait and see,” Mendez said as he slowed the car and turned into the Thomas Center parking area. “Once the gurus get all the bugs worked out, DNA will be the thing.”

“If you say so.”

“I do.”