Leaving Time

Virgil wants to take a closer look at the DNA evidence recovered from the body that was trampled by the elephant. After his encounter with Nevvie in Tennessee, he wants to be sure the body of the accident victim was really hers. He tries talking to his sole remaining contact at the police department, only to be told the records that he needs were accidentally destroyed years earlier.

As he returns to his office building, he’s confronted by Serenity and Jenna, who bombard him with questions. They go inside, where he explains how hard it will be to get any DNA information. Just at that moment, he notices the evidence bag with the sliver of fingernail caught in the victim’s shirt.

Virgil, Serenity, and Jenna go to see Tallulah, in order to ask her to run a DNA analysis on the fingernail and the blood on the victim’s shirt. Virgil’s newest theory is that the blood will prove to be Alice’s, and the fingernail will belong to Nevvie. They may have fought. As he explains to Jenna, “Your dad isn’t the only one who would have been upset to hear she was having Gideon’s baby” (353).

The trio walks to a nearby restaurant to discuss the case.