Part 3
Created | Updated Jun 21, 2003
Collecting the fingerprint evidence was an adventure in and of itself, although the police were happy to hand over the glass that poisoned Demon Drawer when they understand I had contacted a private fingerprinting lab. Luckily, I was able to find all the fingerprints I needed by visiting the Personal Spaces of the victim and the suspects. The trend towards decoration at h2g2 is so prevalent, especially in these politically active times, that everyone had a button, sign, or other object on display that included hidden prints from their owner.
I knew from watching the security tape that Demon Drawer, Redbeard, and Amy the Ant were the only patrons who touched one of the two glasses of Guinness. I hadn't yet ruled Amy the Ant out. Indeed, her position as Security Advisor to Peregrin and Bluebottle's campaign was highly suspicious.
But as I suspected, Amy's prints were nowhere on the glass of Guinness that poisoned Demon Drawer. The glass Amy poured turned out to be yet another red herring.
The Prints Themselves
Fingerprint Analysis
With gloved fingers, I boxed and sent the Guinness glass to Hercules Parrot, that famous Belgian Detective. A week later, I received this response.
Exhibit one (pictured) was examined and revealed two latent fingerprints. Neither print exhibited a whorl structure, thus eliminating Amy the Ant as a source of either of the prints.
The fragmentary latent print in the upper left of the exhibit as pictured has a basic arch structure. It appears to be a left thumbprint, judging by the size and positioning of the latent print in relation to three other prints on the reverse side of the glass (not pictured.) This latent print shares 12 individual characteristics with the thumb print taken from Demon Drawer, an amazing number considering the fragmentary nature of the print. There can be little doubt that the print in question was created by Demon Drawer lifting the glass from the top, perhaps to take the very drink from the glass that introduced the poison into his system.
The second print, in the lower right hand corner of the exhibit, appears to be from a middle finger. This belief is strengthened by the appearance of a sizable print on the reverse side of the glass consistent with a thumb print, though it has been smeared too much to be conclusively identified. The print on the front of the exhibit shares nine individual characteristics with the print taken from Redbeard's starship. There is a high probability that Redbeard placed the print on the glass, possibly by moving the glass across the table.
My work was beginning to pay off. And yet, the evidence was hardly more than circumstantial. To link the murder attempt to Redbeard, I needed to explain where he got the unusual poison used in the murder.
