A Rumor of Bones: A Lindsay Chamberlain Mystery by Beverly Connor Page B

home and let
us call you," said the sheriff.
    "Now, look here-" began Mike Pruitt.
    "Please, Mr. Pruitt, you will be more comfortable
at home," interrupted the sheriff. "This could take a
while."
    "It didn't take that long last time," protested Sarah.
    Lindsay answered, "That was because the teeth
were clearly different from your daughter's teeth in the
photograph. If these teeth occlude properly, like many
children's do, I will have to rely on other more timeconsuming methods. Please listen to the sheriff and
wait at home. You will be much more comfortable, and
this could take several hours."

    They reluctantly agreed, and the sheriff escorted
them to their car. When he returned, Deputy Andy
Littleton took the first brunt of his anger.
    "Who told them?"
    "I don't know, sir. I didn't. You said not to."
    "Find out who did." He turned to Lindsay. "Thanks
for the help with the Pruitts. The bones are in the
back. I guess you know the way by now."
    Lindsay found her way to the back room. Derrick
had laid the bones out in a long box. The odor was
strong and unpleasant. Most of the connecting cartilage
had not yet decomposed, and most of the bones were
still articulated. Portions of the scalp-with wisps of
blonde hair attached-still adhered to the skull. She
looked at the face of the skull, mentally fleshing it out.
There was a slight indentation in the chin; the teeth did
occlude evenly; the orbits were a little far apart. In her
heart, Lindsay knew this was little Peggy Pruitt, but she
took out her measuring instruments and the photograph
of Peggy and began her work.
    The camera measurements she had requested from
Mickey Lawson were clipped to the photograph. Lindsay unclipped them and lay aside the figures. She
began measuring the photo: nasion to gnathion, orbital
height and breadth, nasal height and breadth, bizygo-
matic breadth, bigonial breadth, symphysis height, and
many, many more. On a separate paper she made the
calculations that would tell her the actual size of
Peggy's head. After the calculations, she made the
same measurements on the skull. The measurements
on the photograph, adjusted for the actual size of the
face, were all consistent with the measurements of the
skull. Later, for the report, she would photograph a superimposition of the portrait of Peggy with an x-ray
of the skull. Lindsay took a hand lens and carefully
examined the teeth in the photograph. After a while,
she rose and walked to the sheriff's office.

    The door was closed, but the sheriff's voice from
inside was clear and angry. "If it turns out not to be
Peggy, the Pruitts have had several hours of agony for
nothing. If it is Peggy, nothing was to be gained by
them knowing ahead of time."
    " I just thought-" began a voice that Lindsay recognized as that of the receptionist.
    "You just thought your judgment was better than
mine. And I won't have that in this office"
    "No, I--
    "In this office confidentiality is absolutely essential. Do I make myself clear."
    "Yes, sir."
    "Good, then this won't ever happen again."
    "No, sir."
    The door burst open and Winifred hurried out,
brushing past Lindsay, red-faced and embarrassed.
Lindsay knocked on the open door. The sheriff jerked
his head up, then smiled slightly. "Come in. Lindsay.
Close the door."
    "I need another measurement from the photographer, if he has it. I was wondering if I could use your
phone."
    "Sure. How is it looking?"
    "I believe it's Peggy."
    "I kind of figured so." he said. "Truthfully, I was
dreading a third missing child."
    "I'm not ready to make a definite identification just
yet." Lindsay dialed the number written on the back of the photograph. She reached Mickey Lawson and asked
him if he kept a record of the lighting distance and angle
for Peggy Pruitt's portrait. He left the phone for several
minutes. When he returned, he gave her some numbers.
Lindsay thanked him and hung up the phone.

    "I am going to need an official copy of