Detective by Arthur Hailey

the
room was in a state of wild
disorder, with chairs turned over,
bedding disarrayed, and the victims'
clothes scattered around. The radio,
on a windowsill, continued to play.
    DETECTIVE 77
    Quinn turned to Ceballos. "That was
on when you came in?"
    "Yes, and when the security guy got
here. Station sounds like HOT 105."
    "Thanks." Quinn made a note. "My
son listens. I can't stand the
noise."
    Ainslie was beginning a series of
calls on his, portable police phone.
Room 805's telephone would not be
used until after a fingerprint
check.
    His first call was to summon a
Crime Scene ID detail
identification technicians who were
part of a civilian arm of the Miami
Police Department. The ID team would
photograph the crime scene and all
evidence, including minuscule items
that untrained eyes might miss. They
would seek fingerprints, preserve
blood samples, and do whatever else
the detectives needed. Meanwhile,
until the ID crew arrived, the crime
scene would remain "frozen in time"
exactly as when discovered.
    One single blundering individual,
merely walking or touching, could
destroy a vital clue and make the
difference between a crime being
solved and a criminal going free.
Sometimes even senior police
officers, visiting a murder scene
out of curiosity, compromised
evidence; that was one reason why a
Homicide lead investigator had total
authority at any scene, no matter
what his or her rank.
    More calls by Ainslie: a report to
Homicide's commander, Lieutenant
Newbold, already on his way; a re-
quest for attendance of a state
attorney; a plea to Police
Headquarters for an information
officer to handle the media people.
    As soon as the ID team was finished
with the victims' bodies, Ainslie
would summon a medical examiner,
whose first inspection should take
place as soon as possible after
death. ME's were touchy, however,
about being called too
    78 Arthur Dailey
    soon and having to wait while the ID
people completed their work.
    Later still, after the medical
inspection and the bodies' removal
to the Dade County morgue, an
autopsy would follow, which Bernard
Quinn would attend.
    While Ainslie was telephoning,
Quinn used a rubber glove to unplug
the loud radio. Next he began a
detailed study of the victims'
bodies their wounds, remaining
clothing, articles nearby all the
while still making notes. He
observed several pieces of
expensive-looking jewelry on a
bedside table. Then, turning his
head, he exclaimed, "Hey, look at
this!"
    Ainslie joined him. Incongruous
and bizarre laid out on the far side
of the dead persons, and initially
out of sight, were four dead cats.
    The detectives studied the inert
creatures.
    At length Ainslie said, "This is
meant to tell us something. Any
ideas?"
    Quinn shook his head. "Not offhand.
I'll work on it."
    In the weeks and months to come,
every brain in Homicide would
conjecture reasons for the dead
cats' presence. While numerous
exotic theories were advanced, in
the end it was conceded that none
made sense. Only much later would it
be realized that an important
matching clue was present at the
Frost came scene, within a few short
inches of the cats.
    Now Quinn leaned down, viewing
more closely the crudely severed
body parts. After a moment he
gulped. Ainslie glanced across.
''You all right?''
    Quinn managed to say, "Back in a
minute," and headed for the outer
door.
    In the corridor outside, Cobo
pointed to an open doorway down the
hall. "In there, Chief!''
    Seconds later, Quinn disgorged into
a toilet bowl the
    DETECTIVE 79
    breakfast he had eaten an hour
before. After rinsing his mouth,
hands, and face, he returned to the
murder scene. "Long time since I've
done that," he said ruefully.
    Ainslie nodded. The experience was
one that Homicide officers shared
from time to time, and no one
criticized. What was unforgivable was
vomiting at a murder scene and
contaminating evidence.
    Voices in the hall signaled the
arrival of an ID crew. A lead
technician, Julio Verona, stepped
inside, followed by an ID