DNA Bonds

By K. Lynn Lawrence

A prominent member of the city has been murdered. The people want quick justice. Time is now ticking. Will the scientific evidence bring the right man to justice or seal the fate of an innocent one?

How can the law protect, when science fails

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jun 11, 2015
• ISBN: 9781329209039

Book preview

DNA Bonds

DNA BONDS

By K. Lynn Lawrence

Copyright © 2015 by K. Lynn Lawrence

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Printed in the United States of America

First Printing, June 2015

ISBN 978-1-329-20903-9

Table of Contents

Chapter One: First Impressions

Chapter Two: Gone Camping

Chapter Three: Engagement

Chapter Four: First Case

Chapter Five: Field Work

Chapter Six: Blood evidence

Chapter Seven: Interviews

Chapter Eight: Dinner Out

Chapter Nine: Stupid, Stupid, Stupid

Chapter Ten: Bonds Broken

CHAPTER ONE: First Impressions

"The manhunt continues and no policeman in this city will rest until this person or persons are caught…" Sami rolled over and turned off the radio alarm clock. She pushed back her sandy brown hair from her eyes while just staring at the ceiling fan not really ready to think.  Waking up on a Monday morning was bad enough but also to that kind of news was not exactly what she had in mind for her first day as a defense attorney. She wanted to just roll back over and sleep for a while longer but decided the serenity of the moment was ruined.  Sami stretched for a few minutes then plopped her feet on the cold wooden floor feeling for her old fluffy slippers. She shuffled down the short hallway to the bathroom.  Sami considered these her lucky slippers even though they had seen better days but they reminded her of her family. She had one more big stretch trying to clear her head before stepping into the cold water of her shower. Most of her apartment was still bare but she did manage to have more than a few new suits for her new job. She figured that being on her own for the first time gave her some latitude for the partially furnished apartment but everyone knew that if you wanted to be successful you needed to look the part. While she was brushing her teeth she went back to wondering about the poor sap lawyer who would have to defend the guy mentioned on the radio. Under normal circumstances she should have thought more about the victim but she was a new lawyer now and in the back of her mind she wondered when she would get tough assignments like a murder case. It would have to be someone seasoned and smart, she thought for a moment, and being new to the job she was glad it wasn’t going to be her.  From the little information she got when she woke up it sounded like it was going to be a high profile case.  How many times did a big city police chief get on the radio and promise results?  She began to wonder what the crime was and who had been the victim but that would have to wait, she needed to leave for her new job.

Even though she had not lived in Chicago long, that morning’s traffic seemed worse than what she was used to seeing. It seemed odd because the weather wasn’t even a factor. In fact it was one of the better summer days in years, or at least that was what the weatherman announced on the radio.  She decided most of the stress she was feeling was due to being nervous about her new job.  This would be her first real job since passing the bar exam.  She tried desperately to reassure herself.  She found herself mumbling that passing the bar on the first try was something to be proud of and now she had a job where she was one of the younger defense attorneys in this city. Nervous, I shouldn't be this nervous, they are lucky to have someone like me, she tried to tell herself while catching a glance in the rearview mirror, but Sami could not help but crack a little smile and laugh just a bit even if it was at herself.  But it didn’t change the fact that she was nervous, so nervous in fact that most people would call it scared.

As she drove further down Washington Boulevard getting closer to City Hall and the County building she heard whistle sounds to the left of her and she saw policemen directing traffic to the right. There were lots of people standing on the sidewalk and some even in the street. People were even sticking their heads out of the windows of the tall business buildings that lined the busy streets. One man was so far out that Sami wondered if he was going to fall. Sami felt as if she had been transported to a three ring circus and somehow she had wandered onto the center ring.  What looked to be the rest of the police force was hovering around and yellow crime tape was being strung like streamers everywhere.  This was not going to be a good first day, Sami told herself.

Sami spied a police checkpoint in front of City Hall and knew she would have to pass through it since her new office was located in the building just behind it.  As Sami approached the checkpoint she cautiously reached for her identification and her packet from the office of Meyers and Jones, her new employers.  She was hoping that somehow this could get her some points with the police and get her through the process faster.  Being late for her first day on the job was the last impression she wanted to give her new boss, Scott Jordan.  During her interview Sami had gotten the idea that Mr. Jordan was a fair, kind man, but hated excuses and people who didn't do their share of the work.  She did not want to seem like one of those people.  She felt like she had a lot to prove, not only to herself but now also to Mr. Jordan.

She finally made it up to the police checkpoint and slowly rolled down her window.  She mumbled to herself, Hope they don’t look too close at my identification and realize I start my job today. I can only image the delay THAT would bring. She had only been given a temporary identification card that had been sent with her orientation papers and that she would get the official card in the afternoon. All she really needed to do at the moment was get her credentials so that she could get into the courthouse as one of the official lawyers.  A man, who didn’t quite look like a mere policeman but had an aura of authority about him, took her identification card, looked at both sides and walked away from the car without saying a word.  Sami sat in her car patiently waiting for the man to return. She did manage to notice that he had sandy brown hair and was slightly wavy. She hadn’t seen it yet but Sami imagined that his smile would light up a room. After a few moments he returned with her identification and told her she could proceed.  Sami gave a short sigh of relief though hoping she might still get a glimpse of his smile. Just then one of the older uniformed policemen barked over some orders but she had not been paying attention to know if they had been for her. The man assisting her turned around again and asked her to pull the car over and to accompany him.  She choked from surprise but did as the man requested.  Before she left her car she grabbed all her orientation materials and threw them into her briefcase.  Because she wasn’t sure where she was going or for how long she wanted to feel prepared, something her dad had always told her to do.  After only walking a short distance she could not help feeling like she was being watched.  Suddenly she felt as if she was a new strain of virus and everyone was looking at her under the microscope.  But who wouldn’t in a situation like this.  There she was in a brand new cream-colored suit and new cream-colored shoes being surrounded by people in blue uniforms that were decorating the place in yellow tape. Not to mention that everywhere she went she was being escorted. She didn’t mind her escort she just wished it was under different circumstances.  For a brief moment she wondered how important she might have appeared to all those onlookers As she began to pay attention to the officers and what they were discussing, that quickly left her mind as the fact that this was a crime scene crept back in.  This was not just any crime scene - this turned out to be a homicide crime scene.  She let the severity of the situation sink in.

A policeman directed her to the bottom of the giant stairs in front of the City Hall building and right next to the edge of the yellow crime tape. Even though she had visited the building many times before it somehow seemed bigger now. It was as if it had become some giant monster rising up from the ocean, and now was so tall it blocked out the sun.  Staring at the architectural she began to feel like she had been standing in a tomb surrounded by great pillars of stone. This building, this place was the heart of the judicial system for the city and it seemed so misplaced that this was where the homicide occurred.  This should be the last place for a crime especially homicide.

No, this was where punishment was decided, Sami told herself. Now Sami really felt scared. She had never been this close to a crime scene before.  In a low mumbling tone Sami tried to calm herself.  How would it look if she fell apart now, in front of all these people and on her first day on the job? What if she had been seen mumbling to herself? That would just make her stand out even further and not in a good way.  Thinking fast, Sami pulled out her cell phone from her brief case and pretended to be talking to someone. Now she wasn’t talking to herself but to someone on the phone or so the rest of the world would believe.  This seemed to be working, she felt a little more at ease and she no longer felt as if she was under a close eye from onlookers. They all seemed to be focused again on the men and women in blue. While she pretended to be on the phone, one of the onlookers that did notice her just happened to be Robert Scollich, one of the city's most infamous photojournalist. He didn't work for the top paper; instead it was a borderline tabloid that sold a lot of papers.  Often the articles covered actual news items but there were many facts that remained questionable by the public. Yet the paper was bought by the thousands day after day.  If there was a crime happening anywhere in the city Robert would be there. Some people had even gossiped that he might even go as far as to commit a crime just so that he would be the first to cover it. He always tried to blend in with the shadows so a worn black suit became his clothing of choice. His hair was also black but he could not seem to disguise his pale white face or hands.

Originally Robert was just waiting around like the other gaukers until he spied Sami.  He could not help but think she seemed out of place standing there. A moment after he saw her he thought to himself, Lawyer, definitely a lawyer.  Because he never liked to give up an opportunity even if he didn’t know what it was at the moment, he took her picture. He ended up taking about half of roll of film just of Sami as she stood there on the phone by the crime tape.   Even after Robert had taken enough photos he was not done observing Sami.  He pulled out his notebook and scribbled out one and half pages on notes about her.  Where she was standing, who she might be talking to on the phone and what was being discussed.  Appearance was more important than facts.  Because of his recent leg injury he knew he would not be able to keep up with her once she was done at the crime scene but he could watch to see where she was going and research it later. What he couldn’t research he would just make up to the sake of sales.

What seemed like hours since the policeman asked Sami to wait turned out to be about ten minutes.  The policeman returned, again apologized, handed back her identification and told her that she may proceed to the building.  Relieved Sami turned around to head back to her car but noticed that her car was now completely blocked by other parked cars.  The policeman, still watching her, noticed Sami hadn't left yet and turned to see what was wrong.  They faced each other for moment then he shrugged his shoulders and smiled.  Sami decided her first instinct was correct; he did have a great smile. Detective Stryder wasn’t used to these kinds of situations. He had only offered his help because it was going to be a high profile case and he knew his fellow police officers could use the help.

I guess you will have to come back later to retrieve it. He said.  The detective assured her that they would not tow it and then gave her his card.  He quickly took it back and wrote on the back smiled, and handed it back to her. She was so flustered that she didn't see what he had written before she shoved the card into her brief case.

Sami went back to her car to get her office supply box that contained items she wanted to put in her new office. Trying to stay positive, she thought to herself that it was a good thing she was able to leave her car because the box was heavier than she remembered or maybe brand new shoes were not the smartest thing for her first day.  Either way she didn’t want to have to walk the three blocks from the parking garage in addition to being delayed.  Even though this had been a murder all she could think about was how it would look if she were late on her first day. Proving that she was right for the job was honest, and hard working seemed so important right now. That was something her dad had instilled in her at a young age.  She decided that getting too emotional about this crime or any crime would not be good for her line of work. Besides, she thought to herself, getting upset leads to wrinkles.  This might have been the first crime she was exposed to but it definitely would not be the last.

She finally made it to the law firm Meyers and Jones and into the lobby. It was a lot fancier than she imagined. Everything seemed shiny and smooth. Both the walls and floor were made of marble with a few large oriental rugs placed around the waiting area chairs.  Sami continued over to the large marble front desk near the far corner. After looking up from some papers, the receptionist politely excused herself for a moment and quickly went through a door behind her desk.  Even though Sami seemed calm, cool, and collected on the outside, she was very unnerved on the inside.  The whole idea of being that close to a murder scene had finally started to take hold of her.  Things like this rarely happened back home in Nebraska.  Sure there were some crimes like robbery, maybe a shooting or two, but nothing that she had ever been standing so close to the actual location.  In fact, most of the crime reported back in her hometown seemed almost like it was happening somewhere else and this time that somewhere else was right in front of her. Now that she was living in a big city she was going to have to get used to this.

The receptionist returned, pulling her long blonde hair away from her face showing her eyes were still red from crying. She apologized for the delay and directed Sami to her new section in the firm.  Up on the third floor the section secretary showed Sami to her new office and suggested she make herself at home and that the Mr. Jordan would be in to see her shortly.  Just before she left, the secretary turned to Sami, I’m Julie by the way. I’m so sorry that no one was here to officially welcome you to our office, but with all that has happened here this morning…well, it just wasn’t a good time.  The Julie quickly turned as tears began to swell in her eyes, shut the door partially and disappeared down the hall.

Sami was relieved that she had some time to herself. How on earth could someone be excited and mortified all at the same time? she asked herself. She decided the only way to regain her composure was to turn this vacant office into her new own space.  Making it home seemed very important. She decided to put out her favorite pictures. The picture of Ripley, her trusted cat, came out of the box first. Even though he had passed away right before law school she had always felt better seeing his kind, gentle face. He had always been there for her as a child when she needed him, so the picture became an adult security blanket.  He had been her first pet that she received the summer before first grade. Everyone was amazed that he lived so long.  Next, she got her picture of her mother and father. It has been taken the summer they all went scuba diving in Panama City, Florida.  It had probably been the first time in her life that she had felt like an adult around her parents. They had always told her how much they were proud of her and how she always fought for what was right.  Her dad used to joke that some day she would grow up to be a super hero and that her super power was her stubbornness.  The last photo she decided to put out was a picture of the mountains she had taken in Montana.  There was something soothing about the snow capped mountains surrounded by fields of flowers.  She looked again in the box trying to remember what else she brought besides the usual office stuff.  What could be at the bottom of the box that is so heavy? Sami wondered but then she saw it. She wondered how on earth her friends from home had gotten that thing into the box without her knowing. It also explained why the box seemed so heavy.  Sami pulled out this rather large clay sculpture.  She could not help but laugh and wonder which one of her friends had no clay molding abilities.  When the group first gave it to her she could not tell that it was supposed to be a person doing a kick.  It looked more like tangled melted candles.  The inscription read: We knew you could do it, we just didn't know how you’d do it. All the best, Cathy, Dawn and Lynne.  Her friends had teased her because when she had started the kickboxing class she had a terrible time.  Sami often fell over while trying to do the front kicks or roundhouses. She had often been accused of hitting like a cheerleader, which didn't help her ego. But as time went on she got much better.  That didn't stop them from making fun of her before she left. She had started to put it back in the box and decided that it would go nicely by the window.  It could be a reminder of the friends she left back home and a reminder that she could do what she set out to accomplish.  Besides it could be a great conversational piece when people came into her office, Sami assured herself.

Sometime had gone by when Sami finally noticed people moving around in the hall more. People were crossing the front of her office and she could tell they were busy talking about something; however the topic of conversation could not be discerned because of the muffled tones. She knew it must be about the murder and people were already speculating on what happened and who may have committed the crime.  In a place like this it would be crime if they weren’t talking about the murder.

Sami decided it was time to find people and find out some information. Most people flocked around refreshment areas and there she would find out more of what was going on with the case.  For a moment all the noise and bustle seemed exciting. Sami always loved trying to solve the crime when she used to watch her favorite detective shows.  After peeking out of her door to see if she were being watched she quietly headed down the hallway.  At first, the hustle and bustle seemed like what would be expected in a successful attorney’s office, lots of people talking and walking, paper being moved around.  Several people seemed to be in arguments or what lawyers often called negotiations.  It was exciting until Sami realize again everyone probably was talking about the same topic; that morning’s murder. Sami thought about the murder again and decided the whole thing seemed very creepy and yet here was a mystery to solve and that she couldn’t resist.

She decided to get a soda and then linger hoping to overhear some inside information. From what she could gather from a group talking at a nearby table, the victim was one of the more prominent Assistant District Attorneys, Eric Wright. He had been murdered in his office. They had already heard that the cleaning lady who came into the building first thing in the morning had discovered the body. Nothing had been reported stolen so the idea of the murder being a botched robbery was being dismissed by the group.

Most District and defense attorneys worked lots of hours. one of the lawyers mentioned, So when Eric was working late that night or well into the morning it didn’t seem odd. The group at the table continued with their assessment of the murder victim. Sami learned that he had been a very nice but driven attorney.  He had only been with the DA’s office for five years, but he had already proven himself and was the senior assistant.  What made him different was that he hadn’t backstabbed anyone, was always willing to help a friend, and his clients loved him.  Even when he lost, which was almost never, no one seemed to hold any hard feelings. They knew he had given his all for their case.  In part, this was why this murder seemed even more senseless. No one could really think of any enemies.  One of the people at the table even made a remark that Eric was really a normal person posing as a lawyer because he was so well liked. Another made a small joke about how Eric was the only lawyer he knew out there with his hands in his own pockets and that Eric left ambulance chasing to the dogs.  Sami drifted from their conversation for a moment and thought how ironic it seemed that a successful, nice lawyer named Mr. Wright was killed. What hope was there for every single woman looking for a Mr. Right? What kind of cosmic joke was going on around here? She dare not smile about it but she could not help but see some humor in all of this.

Suddenly over the speaker came a request for Mr. Jordan’s staff to report to the conference room for a staff meeting.  Mr. Jordan was to be Sami’s new boss