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“Do tell,” said Cash

“I’m not sure you’d believe me if I told you,” I said “I’d rather show you Any chance you’ve got some free time late this afternoon or tomorrow?”

“Since you ask so nice,” he said, “and since you’re about to help me blast a killer’s alibi out of the water, I’lland after lunch, but I should be through by four o’clock or so”

I checked my watch It read 8:37

“Can you y Department around four-thirty? We’ll take a little field trip from there”

“You’re being ot me hooked”

I told him how to find my office, and then I called Jason Story, one of raduate students Jason sounded sleepy when he answered the phone, which wasn’t surprising considering he’d sentthe experiment he’d just finished

“Sorry if I woke you up, Jason,” I said “We need to do another run today”

He yawned “So soon? I’ve already done six in the past two days”

“’Fraid so,” I said “The stakes are higher on this one, though This one’s the dog and pony show for the DA’s investigator”

Suddenly he sounded much more alert “Okay, no problem,” he said

“Can you get it started by ten?”

“AM or PM?”

“AM”

“Wow,” he said “That’s cutting it close But okay, yeah You h-it’s been pretty hot out there, and I won’t have time to take a shower”

“No s”

“I guess so” He laughed “What tiuy from the DA’s office out?”

“Around five, five-thirty That should be about right, shouldn’t it?”

“Should be Gotta go See you then”

Jason was getting ready to enter his second year in the graduate prograotten hooked on CSI, Jason aspired to be a forensic scientist Unlike otten real-world experience He’d spent three years as a volunteer with a Knox County Rescue Squad The rescue squad didn’t handle crih death scenes-car crashes and drownings, even a plane crash-to get past the jitters, and as soon as he took osteology, I was sure he’d be a valuable addition to etry, too-Jason felt as coraphic map and a compass as I felt with a mandible or a femur And if I ever needed to tie soet loose, Jason would be the one whose knotcraft I would call on He was steady and reliable, and, maybe more to the point, he was in the market for a thesis topic, so he’d jumped at the chance to help with some research

At 4:20, Cash knocked on my door “You’re early,” I said “Good man”

“I finished up a little sooner than I expected,” he said, “and I didn’t see s to do, though, tell me, and I’ll make some phone calls till you’re ready”

‘No, this is fine,” I said “Let’s go Do you want to ride with me or follow me?”

“Let me follow you, so I can just head ho?”