Page 115 of Eternal Obsession

“No, ma’am.”

“Footprints?”

“Err . . . no.”

“Andrew! A strand of hair? Blood?”

“Nope.”

“And why are you working in here?” she asked him.

“Look at this.” Andrew directed Ingrid’s attention to two slides, one placed under the microscope, the other by its side. “These are some of the cells taken from both the girls’ neck areas, the wound or puncture sites where we believe their blood was drained from their bodies. They are like nothing we have ever seen. They’re human but they’ve mutated in some way. Take a look yourself.”

“So, Andrew, what have you found?” Ingrid closed her left eye, peering down the long microscope with her right. She could make out what appeared to be cells. She watched in amazement their frantic movement upon the slide. “They’re still alive! That’s not possible, is it?”

“Yes, ma’am. I mean, no. I’ve never seen anything like this before. We’ll give you a demonstration. That’s the only way we can explain it. Now, with no support system—i.e., the human body—cells die within minutes. But these cells, which have an abnormal molecular structure, are still alive without a support system. You’re not going to believe what kills them,” Andrew said, his two colleagues gathering around, waiting for Ingrid’s reaction.

“Okay, give it to me. What kills them?” Ingrid attempted to look enthusiastic for his sake. Andrew had obviously been working hard all night.

“Well, Laura and I used everything. We isolated a few and tried anything and everything that would kill cells instantly, or at least change their structure. Then—and this is the spooky bit—when daylight flooded the lab, all of the cells on the slide died.”

“What are you saying?” she asked. “Light?”

“We believe so.”

“Ultraviolet?” she asked.

“Yep.”

“You’re saying daylight alone killed these cells?”

“Yes, the only thing,” he replied, looking excited.

“Hence you’re working in here.”

He nodded.

“So what you’re saying is that whatever these cells came from can only live at night? The moment daylight comes around they have to avoid the light or they’ll die. Oh, bloody hell, you complete bastards! You know this is a vampire-style murder. I am too exhausted for such crap.”

“Ma’am, we know how this looks. That’s why we called you here. Now these are the same cells but taken from the second girl. Again they were found in the wound on the neck. The cells are an exact match to the first ones gathered the night before from the first victim. They haven’t been exposed to the light yet.”

“If you’re pissing with me, I’ll be so mad.” Ingrid studied his expression.

“There is a condition,” Andrew said. “A genetic disease. Those who suffer with this condition are extra-sensitive to light. If the sunlight touches them, their skin blisters terribly. They usually are anemic. Therefore, their bodies crave iron, even blood. In fact, theorists believe it’s what the vampire myth is based on.

“Perhaps this is somehow related to that, maybe it’s a more serious strain. There may even be some evidence of cerebral damage, leading to delirium. Who knows? Of course, we’ll know more when you catch the murderer.”

“But Andrew, surely if our guy was delirious, he wouldn’t have the sense not to leave evidence. I mean, no fingerprints, footprints, or any other forensic evidence other than this?”

“It’s not within the norm.”

“Do these cells react in the same way until struck by light?”

“Um, no. In fact, they’re a lot more fragile.”

“Back to square one.”

“Maybe it’s a similar condition,” he said.