I got a lead today on another contact! A friend at work is going to put me in touch with a retired forensic scientist who used to work at the Pierce County Washington State Patrol Crime Lab. They are the labs that run all the trace evidence. Way cool! I'm very excited. More interviews to line up. Summer can't come soon enough. It's time for me to dig in to the police work of my novel. I've been reading a lot about procedure, so I can get started, but it's much more meaningful to talk with the folks who actually do it as a career. I want to preserve the realism. The picture of the WSP belongs to www.nbc.com.
I am now writing my first autopsy. I'm writing from behind the observation glass, but it's still pretty gruesome. Detective Riley has remote control of the cameras and is zooming in on some nasty injuries. Not his favorite thing, but part of the job. He's just glad they spent the extra money on an isolated ventilation system, so he can't smell anything. Hearing and seeing are bad enough. But very enlightening.
Ran across a quote that is often posted outside autopsy rooms: "Taceant colloguia. Effugiat risis. Hic locus est ubi mors gaudet succurrere vitae." Translation: Let idle talk be silenced. Let laughter be banished. This is the place where death rejoices to help those who live. |