Make No Bones

'But what's wrong with that?” asked another student. “Couldn't we do that?'

'Show it around? To whom? Who's missing that we know about?'

The student shook her head. “I don't follow.'

'Well, reconstructions are like fingerprints. They're not any good unless you have something to compare them to—somebody to compare them to, and we don't have anybody we're looking for. Nobody but Salish, and as Les and Nellie said, there are better ways of proving it's Salish.'

'But—'

'And if it turns out to be someone else, some other missing person, we don't have any idea of where he's missing from—according to the lieutenant, it's not from around here—so where do we show it around? And to whom?'

'Oh,” the young woman said, and sank disappointedly back. “I see.'

'Thank you, Gideon,” Nellie said, pulling together his notes from the lectern. “And now I think—'

Gideon was still standing. “But on the other hand...'

He still didn't see any forensic point in it, but by now his teacherly instincts were engaged. Throwing cold water on any glimmer of student interest went against his grain. Besides, seeing how close the reconstruction came to Chuck Salish's face would make it interesting for him as well as them.

'On the other hand, I'm supposed to do a demonstration tomorrow afternoon anyway. I was going to use a skull from the museum collection, but I don't see why I couldn't demonstrate just as well on an actual murder victim.'

'Yes, it does add that certain je ne sais quoi,” Leland said, sotto voce.

'But if I'm going to go through the whole process for real,” Gideon went on, “even if we just skim through it, it'll take more than an afternoon. I'd better get started in the morning.'

'But how can you do that?” It was Miranda. “Nellie, aren't you still working on it?'

Nellie considered. “I'll tell you what. You go ahead and work with the skull tomorrow, Gideon. I still have plenty to do on the postcranial skeleton. Let's see, isn't tomorrow afternoon's general session going to be at the museum?'

It was, someone volunteered. The topic was blunt-force skull fractures, and they would be using Miranda's collection.

'Well, then, why don't we give you until...oh, four o'clock, Gideon? Since everyone will be in Bend anyway, we can all drop by and see how your work stacks up against the photos—and against the memories of those of us who remember Mr. Salish. An impartial evaluation of the art of facial reconstruction, done in the spirit of scientific inquiry.'

The smile he directed at Gideon was somewhere between that of a friend for a friend, and of a frog for a fly.

'Not fair and you know it, Nellie,” Gideon said. “A day isn't enough for a thorough job, especially if I'm supposed to be teaching while I'm doing it. Three or four days, maybe—'

There were a few good-natured boos.

'Come on, Doc, put your money where your mouth is,” John murmured. “Give it a shot.'

Gideon sighed. “All right, fine,” he announced. “For what it's worth. But it's not a test of the method. And it means we'll have to get started early tomorrow. We'd better get the reconstruction going at seven.'

The looks exchanged among some of the students suggested a slight diminution of enthusiasm.

'Miranda,” Gideon said, “is there a problem getting the materials to me that early?'

'No, I'm usually at the museum by six. Quiet time, you know. I'll go on over to the sheriff, get a room set up for you, and see that there's coffee and donuts.'

'Can you do that?'

'Sure, they owe me. And I can sign the skull over to you then.'

Leland, looking dissatisfied, waved a finger at Gideon. “This means you won't be able to attend the regular morning session.'

'No, I suppose not. What's on?'

'I am. I'm presenting an overview of recent developments in coprolite analysis and their applications to forensic archaeology. With slides and hands-on material.'

There was a near-imperceptible pause. “Damn, Leland,” Gideon said, “it looks like I'll have to miss it.'

[Back to Table of Contents]

CHAPTER 10

* * * *

'I think I'm getting bones on the brain,” Julie said.

Yawning, Gideon flipped another pebble into the creek. “Who wouldn't?” Ploop.

They had gotten up early to spend some time together. With Gideon committed to the all-day reconstruction