The Intelligence World à la Hildie McQueen: Info for Writers

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Fiona - 
Today, we're visiting with author Hildie McQueen.
Hildie, you have an unusual back ground. You started off your career in army intelligence, turned successful romance writer, turned suspense writer.I'm sure you've found at all these turns that once in a while, circumstances line up and a hero emerges.

Sometimes they are not your every day heroes. I usually ask this question at the end, but could you tell us your favorite scar story and how the soldier and his dogs showed up at just the right moment?

Hildie -
My life has always been about going with the flow. Following my instincts to see where they land me. Usually, it works out. I'm super excited about this new turn, a try at romantic suspense.

How I got scar on my forearm (hidden by tatoo now)

One evening back in 1982, I was heading back to my Army kaserne (post) from a beer fest. A girlfriend and I were especially proud of having stolen large beer steins. We were, I'm sure, talking obnoxiously loud as we walked down the street. About four blocks from the front gate, a group of Turks happened upon us. I'm not sure if they meant us harm or were just having fun. What I do know is that we were not about to find out, so we took off running. And they chased after us, cat calling and saying things in Turkish.

It was not that hard to get away from them. And since we were both Army soldiers, that part didn't worry me. What did bother me was the possibility of having to drop my prize stein, and it breaking.

When we got to the back wall of the Army kaserne, we split. I decided to scale the wall, while my friend Lori (the smarter of the two) sprinted to the front gate. I got to the top of the wall, used the mug to hold down the barbed wire as best I could and jumped down.

Out of breath, I straightened to find that I had jumped right into the K-9 kennels. The dogs didn't bark at first, most cocked their head to the side and stared at me with puzzled expressions.

"Hands in the air!" a military police guy came to my rescue. (Sort of, I think his gun was drawn.)

He later told me, I was a sight. Obviously drunk, pants torn, mug in the air, blood dripping down my arm.

He was nice enough to let me stagger to my barracks, and I was nice enough not to mention his dogs were not very good watchmen since not one bit me.

Fiona - 
Ha! 
Hildie, what was it like being young in Germany working in Army intelligence?

Hildie -
It was an adventure. I hung out with German friends and got to know the locals, which was super cool. Germany is a beautiful country. I enjoyed traveling to Spain, France, and Italy. The only regret was that I was so young, I didn't appreciate so much the beauty of the architecture and such. At that age, my German friends and I spent most of our time jumping trains and having a great time.

The interesting part, was that I couldn't do some of the things they did because I had a Top Secret clearance and could be tested at any moment. So I stuck to the legal pursuits.

Fiona - 
Did you need to go through any specialized training or background checks to take on you duty?

Hildie - 
Oh yeah, everyone in my neighborhood was questioned. My mother was beside herself trying to explain to them that I wasn't a murderer, but had a special job in the military. LOL 

Besides random drug testing, I have been polygraphed about ten times! I hate those things

Other than my job training, I also had to do special anti-terrorist training yearly.

Fiona - 
Tell us about the polygraphing process and how you felt during the procedure.

Hildie - 
The first time, I wasn't sure what to expect. They sat me in a chair with a special cushion on it. Then a strap across my chest and wrists. Some sort of other monitors. Then they begin by telling you to lie. Those polygraph technicians were sneaky bastards, too. They would ask the same question over and over and freak you into thinking, "Oh no, am I lying?" LOL It's unnerving. But most of the time, I was done within an hour or so.

Fiona - 
Why a special cushion?

Hildie - 
I think people clench their butt cheeks when they lie.
I never even thought about practicing butt cheek relaxation. LOL

Fiona - 
Bahaha 
An hour seems like a very long and exhausting time - did you head to the bar afterwards?

P.S. A valium will take care of all that. Did they do drug tests at the same time?

Hildie - 
Nah, it was usually during work hours. Go get tortured, then back to work. I know some people had a beer right before. Not sure if it helped.

But they asked about drugs

Especially if you started clenching because you needed a restroom break.
I did fail once because I wanted to cough and kept holding back. They got mad at me and kicked me out of the room. I tell you those polygraphers are buttheads! ;-\

Fiona - 
So you passed with flying colors because you're such a good girl err, were such a good girl (I'm posting photos of you - so you can't lie about this)

Hildie - 
I passed because I didn't lie. Not because I was a "good girl." There's a difference ;)

Fiona - 
What did you do during the day. And what would have happened to you if you smuggled files out in your boots?

Hildie - 
I was a captains assistant. He was hot too, had one blue eye and one brown eye. I still remember him. Captain Carson. He was blond... 

Oh yeah about the job, I did all kinds of things, mainly briefings and security - administrative type, not walking around with a weapon.

I was taking paperwork to headquarters one day and didn't realize there were a couple of classified documents mixed in. That was not a fun day. They wrote me up and made me go through refresher training, which was funny since I normally did that. So I counseled myself! LOL

Fiona
I've never met a man with different colored eyes - what a fun detail. Have you worked it into any of your books? 

Hildie - 
Yeah, I wonder where he is now. I am going to write that hero. Not sure but he'll probably be a cop or a cowboy!

Fiona - 
What are the different file classifications and what puts material into these categories?

Hildie - 
Confidential, Secret and Top Secret, then there's some super duper one called *****. 

(Fiona's note - references to this top secret name had to be redacted for national security's sake - I was warned that if I posted it, the baddies would come after me and try to milk me for other information. If you are a baddie and think I have any kind of information at all - I DO NOT. And everything redacted is erased from my memory. But Hildie knows - go for her.)

Hildie cont.
 I never saw one of those. Usually it depends on the measure of how much damage would be caused to National Security.

Fiona -
*****! HOLY MOLY, girlfriend. I wouldn't look at a file called ***** if you paid me my weight in gold.

Hildie -
I never got any closer than a rubber stamp with that on it. It was still new when I transferred.

No telling what evil would be after me and mine to give up the goods.

Yeah, most of us only knew a bit of the puzzle, rarely enough to be taken hostage by any baddies

Fiona - 
How would they transport ***** files - in a tank?

Hildie - 
LOL Probably a special courier. Whose job I would never want.

Fiona - 
Were you trained for that - what to do if a baddie snagged you?

Hildie - 
Give your name and serial number. That's it, can't say anything else
or...

Personally I'd offer them sex and to cook or clean their house. I was not about to die

Fiona - 
As if you could "offer" something. If the baddies had you, they'd make you do whatever they wanted.

You have to come up with a contigency plan - quick! What would you do?

...besides make a killer salsa.

no wait!

That might just do it.

Hildie - 
Hey, Mr. Badman, how about if I tell you what I read on an ***** file once? Plus, I'll give you Captain Carson's address.

I'd make some crap up about ships and air craft carriers!

Fiona - 
Captain Carson appreciates your loyalty. You don't have my address do you?

Did you learn ways to do research - find information that isn't readily available to lowly writers such as myself?

Hildie -
In a way. I haven't used any. I don't find that world as fascinating as perhaps the world of police officers, snipers, and black ops. They are the ones that have all the fun!

Fiona - 
Did you think the world of intelligence would be more exciting - were you disappointed?

Hildie - 
Not really. I think I was a bit paranoid at first. But I got used to it. There were times I was a bit nervous like when spies were caught or when we had certain threats, but for the most part it was not as exciting

Fiona - 
Can you tell me about spies being caught?

Hildie - 
Not any specifics. But I did work with a traitor for a short time. I don't understand people who do that.

Fiona - 
Can you tell us about that experience?

Hildie - 
It happened in the 80s. Boring normal guy. 

One day we are on shut down, can't leave the building. I was in Germany at the time. People that knew him were taken to be questioned. The rest of us were screened and released. I think I got home the next day early morning. It was strange, no one trusted anyone, and we all felt suspicious and paranoid. Didn't learn until months later what exactly happened. I'd only seen him in passing, so I wasn't one of the unlucky ones who was held for days. I remember being so mad at him. So angry that someone would do something that could potentially get us all killed. For money.

Fiona - 
What are three things that writers get DEAD WRONG about military intelligence.

Hildie - 
I haven't read much, but people assume everyone with a clearance has had a super secret mission. That military intelligence doesn't help as much as they should during war time, when in actuality, many of the servicemen and civilians in MI are first ones on the ground. And lastly, that MI folks are smart! LOL Nope mostly just crazy!

Fiona - 
Awesome. You are awesome, Hildie.

Hildie - 
Thanks! It was fun, had me reminiscing ! I'd like to mention the three cops I'm dedicating my book to. My friend Sheriff's Deputy Keith Warner, a guy that pulled me over in Alabama, and then became my FB friend. Officer Ryan Key. Scott Silverii. They're all heroes!

Fiona - 
They are indeed! Before you go, tell us about your novella.

Hildie -
The last twenty-four hours have been hell, between a fight with her ex that left her with a bruised face and now finding a dead body. Somehow Eliza Brock still manages to feel the undeniable attraction to the handsome deputy in charge of the investigation.

Sebastian Castro planned for another slow week in Lovely, Tennessee. Instead, the first murder in twenty years happens. Eddie Mason is dead, Eliza's ex had an ongoing feud with him and the widow is making the moves on Castro.

It's definitely not a normal week in the small town. But it's the week fate decides to bring two solitary people together. Just when neither of them needs it.

Heroine (Eliza) finds a dead guy, and her ex is one of the people of interest.

She'd convinced the deputy won't ask her out now, so she's bummed.

The Hero (Sebastian) while caught in the middle of investigation finds his attraction to Eliza distracting.

I have a funny scene where they're kissing. She puts the breaks on it, and he falls off the couch! It cracked me up while writing.

Fiona - 

Ha! Thanks for sharing, Hildie.

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Is Death Growing in Your Garden? Information for Writers with Teresa Watson

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The hazard symbol for toxic/highly toxic substances.
 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

DISCLAIMER - This site is geared to help writers write it right. I am presenting information to help develop fictional characters and fictional scenes: this is for informational purposes only to be used for your fictional stories. The information is just a tiny bit about poisonous plants that is available. There is so much more that you can learn with a simple search. But this needs to be taken seriously, especially to protect your children and pets. These plants, while beautiful, are DEADLY, particularly to children and pets. Just licking some of these poisonous things can quickly CAUSE DEATH. Always check the toxicity of a plant before you add it to your
garden or home.

The following article was written by Teresa Watson.

Growing Death in Your Garden 

We all know the familiar nursery rhyme:

Mary, Mary quite contrary

How does your garden grow?

With silver bells, and cockle shells,

And pretty maids all in a row.

      But do you know just how deadly little Mary’s garden really is? Cyanide was a particular favorite of Dame Agatha Christie. In her mystery And Then There Were None, the first death was from cyanide poisoning. And who can forget those lovely aunts from Arsenic and Old Lace, who used arsenic, cyanide and strychnine in the elderberry wine to kill their gentlemen callers? (I highly recommend you watch the movie with Cary Grant and Josephine Hull; it’s one of my favorite movies!) In the 1962 movie Dr. No, the cab driver, after a fight with James Bond, kills himself with cyanide in a cigarette rather than tell Bond who he worked for. But not all victims who use cyanide die. Such is the case with Raoul Silva from the 2012 James Bond movie Skyfall. Silva’s suicide attempt by hydrogen cyanide failed, and it burned his body internally, forcing him to wear a prosthetic face to hide the disfiguring injuries.

It was suggested to me that I use poison to kill off a character in my next novella, and I was shocked to discover just how toxic the plants are in flower and vegetable gardens. Take a look for yourself; I guarantee you will be totally surprised. I’m going to mention just a few in this article. I’ll talk about which parts of the plant are toxic, how toxic they are and the symptoms. At the end, you’ll find general treatment for these types of poison. 

Water Hemlock/Spotted Parsley

English: Cowbane or Northern Water Hemlock (Cicuta virosa) a. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Let’s start with what the USDA rates as “the most violently toxic plant that grows in North America”:

Water Hemlock/Spotted Parsley (Latin name: cicuta maculata). It doesn’t look deadly, with its tiny white flowers and umbrella-like appearance. You’ll find it growing near the edges of your property in pastures

and meadows.


Toxic parts of the plant:

 The whole plant - especially the roots of early growth. 

How toxic: 

Deadly to take by mouth or to apply to the skin. Death occurs within a matter of minutes, depending on the dosage.


Symptoms: 

* The first symptoms include drooling, nausea, vomiting,

   wheezing, sweating, dizziness, stomach pain, lethargy, and

   delirium. 

* More serious symptoms include trouble breathing, convulsions,

   heart problems, kidney failure, coma, and death.


Foxglove (Latin name: Digitalis purpurea)

English: Foxglove Foxglove in hedgerow (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I’m sure you all recognize the word digitalis. Doctors use digitalis to strengthen the heart and regulate the heartbeat. The most commonly prescribed drugs are digitoxin and digoxin, and patients using these medications are carefully monitored by their doctors to make sure they suffer no ill effects. In your garden, they are tall, thin plants, with white, pink and purple bell-shaped flowers.


Toxic parts of the plant: the entire plant, especially the leaves of the upper stem.


How toxic: 

As mentioned above, it is used for medical purposes. But, if you need a quick, effective way to kill off a character, a high dose of foxglove will effective dispose of them.


Symptoms: 

Blurred vision, confusion, depression, disorientation or hallucinations, fainting, headache, irregular or slow heartbeat, lethargy, loss of appetite, low blood pressure, rash or hives, stomach pain, vomiting, nausea or diarrhea, weakness or drowsiness.

 (***Children have been known to die by sucking on part of the plant.)





Hydrangea (Latin name: hydrangea macrophylla)

Hydrangea macrophylla (Bigleaf Hydrangea, Hortensia) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

My mother grows these in her garden in the front yard, and I think they are beautiful. They grow so big, and the flowers in colors of pink, blue or white are simply gorgeous (hers are blue). So I was shocked to discover that they are poisonous!


Toxic parts: 

The entire plant, especially the flower buds.


How toxic: 

Think cyanide.


Symptoms: 

* Itchy skin, vomiting,

   weakness, sweating. 

* More serious symptoms

   include shortness of breath,

   dizziness, fainting, rapid pulse,

   a drop in blood pressure that

   can cause convulsions and death.


Mistletoe (Latin name: Phoradendron flavescens)

Mistletoe berries in Wye Valley (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We all know what mistletoe looks like: a cluster of green leaves with white berries. A popular holiday decoration, all couples in love want to get caught standing under it for the kiss. But beware, looks can be deceiving, and enough mistletoe could give you the kiss of death.


Toxic parts: 

All of it, especially the berries.


How toxic: 

It depends on the dosage. Drinking anything containing mistletoe, or munching on the leaves, berries or shoots will, at the very least, cause abdominal pain and diarrhea (I’ve never tried mistletoe tea, but apparently people do drink it.)


Symptoms: 

Stomach irritation, intestinal irritation, abdominal pain, diarrhea, reduced blood pressure, slowed pulse, nausea, vomiting, slowed heart rate, cardiovascular collapse, and seizures. 

(***This is VERY potent for pets, so keep this away from them!)


Lily of the Valley (Latin name: Convellaria majalis)

Convallaria majalis cv. Plena (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

How could something with a name that sounds like it should be in a song be so deadly? They are very sweet smelling, and look like tiny white bells.


Toxic parts: 

The entire plant, especially the leaves.


How toxic: 

Even the water you put the flowers in will contain

deadly traces of toxins. 

One bite will give you a

headache, hot flashes, hallucinations and irritability (sounds like menopause!). Enough of the toxins will slow your heart rate down, potentially leading to coma and even death.


Symptoms: 

Besides the ones mentioned above, symptoms could include abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, confusion, fatigue, dizziness, and reduced blood pressure.


Nightshade (Latin name: Atropa belladonna)

Atropa belladonna or Atropa bella-donna, commonly known as Belladonna, Devil's Berries, Death Cherries or Deadly Nightshade (Solanaceae), Flower (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 I've personally never seen

 a nightshade plant, but I

 have heard of belladonna. Mostly found overseas, it can now be found in North America, especially in areas rich with limestone. The berries are various colors of red, orange and green, and when they bloom, the flowers are purple with green pollen bulbs.


Toxic parts: 

The whole plant, especially the berries, roots and leaves.


How toxic: 

A single leaf can be fatal to an adult. You probably won’t even have time to call for help.


Symptoms: 

Unable to speak, respiratory problems, intense digestive distress, and violent convulsions. 

Antidote/Treatment:

* CALL 911 or Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. 

* Try to find out how much poison the victim ingested and their

    weight. 

* DO NOT make the victim vomit unless instructed to by

   emergency personnel.


An antidote depends on the type of poisoning, and with all the medical advances that are happening every day, an antidote could have been discovered as I write this. General treatment is aggressive supportive care by paramedics in the field, and then by hospital personnel. Depending on the severity of the poisoning, treatment could include:

* Activated charcoal

* Gastric lavage
* Blood and urine tests
* Breathing support
* EKG
* Fluids
* Medication to treat specific symptoms.


Quick treatment improves your characters chances. But even then, the symptoms could last 2-3 days. The important thing is to get treatment for your victim as quickly as possible. But since this is for fictional writing, it might be better to let them die…

Fiona - 

That was very interesting, Teresa. You put your research to work for you in your new Novella, can you tell us about your story?

Teresa - 

It's time for the county fair, and things are heating up for the coveted "best pie" blue ribbon. But two competitors, Gladys Norwell, and Durlene Snodgrass, are disqualified the day before the fair. 

During the pie eating contest, Gladys' husband, Harold, falls face first into his blueberry pie, and Gladys is the prime suspect. Did our beloved Gossip Queen kill her husband, or is someone setting her up? It's up to Lizzie, her beloved dogs Babe and Mittens, and the rest of the gang to

sniff out the truth before the Queen

is dethroned...permanently.

Fiona - 

Very fun! You know here on ThrillWriting we always like to ask about the story behind your favorite scar. Would you share yours?

Teresa -

Known to my friends as Queen Klutz, my scars (and casts) are many, but the favorite scar story belongs to my son. 

When he was 18 months old, he wanted juice one night before bedtime. I told him no, and went upstairs to get his pajamas. Alas, my son has his mother’s stubborn streak. The one time I had to buy a glass jar of juice was the time he decided to pick it up. I heard a crash, and came racing down the stairs. There was a trail of blood from the kitchen, across the living room, ending at my recliner, where my son sat on the floor. A bloody handprint was on the seat of the recliner. I grabbed the phone and a beach towel, wrapping it around his right hand as I called my parents. After I hung up, I looked at his feet, and noticed a pool of blood under his left foot. Another beach towel went around his foot. 

Picking him up, I went outside, holding him in my arms while I waited for my parents to show up. When they did, my mother got out with tea towels and a box of Band-aids because she thought I was overreacting. When she saw me standing there with him in my arms, she immediately opened the back passenger door so I could get in. Three hours later, seven stitches in his hand, and five behind the toes of his foot, we were back home. The middle finger of his right hand is slightly bent because of scar tissue, and is a reminder of that night.

Fiona- 

Before we end, could you tell us a little about you?

Teresa -  

Teresa Watson

I’m the daughter of a retired Methodist minister, so I moved a lot when I was a kid. Familiarity with small towns and the people in them have helped me with writing my stories. There are plenty of characters to draw from for inspiration! I’m a wife of a wonderful man, a mother to a hard-working, sweet, kind and caring 20-year-old son, a granddaughter to an awesome 95-year-old woman who is the basis for a character in my new series, a daughter to two wonderful people who have been so supportive, a sister to a few, and a friend to many.

Fiona - 

Thank you so much, Teresa.

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Crime Scene Plotting Gems: Info for Writers w/ USA Today Bestseller Jamie Lee Scott

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USA Today bestselling author, Jamie Lee Scott joins me today.

Jamie, as you know, I love to learn how to write it right. And, like me, you like to get down and dirty with the learning process. I know that for your novella you went out on a ride along in Thibodaux, Louisiana thanks to our fellow author Police Chief Scott Silverii. And we were in classes together at the Writers' Police Academy, recently.

Before we get started sharing some of the crime scene plotting gems that you picked up, can you tell us about yournovella?

USA Today Bestselling Author, Jamie Lee Scott

Jamie Lee - 

Sure.

Uncertain Beginnings -
When Sergeant Wyatt Burke goes to the house of one of his officers -  after the man doesn't check back in for duty after his dinner break - he finds him face down on the floor at the foot of his stairs inside his house. What first looks like an unfortunate accident, soon becomes a murder investigation, and takes Sergeant Burke into darker shade of blue.

Though my novella, Uncertain Beginnings, is the first in my "uniformed" police procedural series, I've written six private detective agency novels prior to this series, and I've used the information I've learned from law enforcement and crime scene investigators to write both the P.I. novels and the police procedurals.

Fiona - 

And of course we know that when you said a darker shade of blue, blue refers to cop culture. Would you say your novella is a police procedural?

Jamie Lee - 
Yes, a police procedural. I incorporated what I learned riding with Scott's cops and CSI to catch the killer in my novella. In this case, it's what you can't see that may be the evidence that solves the case.

The seed that started this series was a 12 hour night shift with the Thibodaux police. I watched, followed and listened. It helped to get the details of how cops interacted with the public and how the public interacted with them.

Fiona - 

And today we are going to be sharing gems from your CSI class.

One thing that doesn't show up in many books is that there is a series of hand offs in a criminal death (or an unexpected death).

1) The police have to give the okay that the area is safe before the

     EMT can go help someone.

2) The EMTs go in and help the injured person or declare the

    person deceased and give them a time of death. The official

    time of death is when the EMT makes the declaration and has

    nothing to do with the actual time that the person died.

3) The EMTs hand the scene over to the medical examiner or their

    representative. The ME takes pictures and conducts specific tests

    on the body that will help them to make a determination about

    whether an autopsy is required.

4) The ME hands the scene over to the detective - but the body is in

    the custody of the ME

But that's not always true.

Jamie Lee -

In my CSI class at WPA, I learned that not all states have an ME who comes to the crime scene.

The CSI unit works in tandem with the detectives to be sure the scene is processed properly and that the evidence isn't contaminated.

Many CSI investigators aren't police, they are hired companies. The CSI is a trained layperson. In this case a layperson means that they have not taken a police officer's oath.

When the detective determines there's been a crime, they call in the CSI unit, who then comes in with their gear, completely suited up. They expect anyone on the scene to be suited too. This includes booties, gloves, hair nets, white suits (Tyvek).

Fiona - 
When they enter the crime scene can you go through the CSI unit's priorities?

Jamie - 
The scene is first photographed, long distance, to get an overall picture of the scene, then middle distance, gives objects relationship to one another, then close ups.

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Nothing is touched until ALL photographs are taken, and CSI is satisfied.

After the initial photos, and possibly video is taken:

* Numbered tents are placed

   for possible evidence

   pieces. 

* Items are again

   photographed. At this

   time the evidence may be

   collected. There are

   different types of 

   collection containers. 

* The containers are usually paper, 

   but may be hard plastic, in the

   case of a container for a knife.

Patti Phillips, photographer "Grab the CSI Kit"

Fiona - 

What are some details that you found surprising about the packaging?

                                                               Patti Phillips, photographer "Grab the CSI Kit"

Jamie Lee - 

* All wet evidence is dried before packaging, and rarely is plastic

   bag used unless there is zero % chance of mold.

* DNA is packaged in paper.
* When the evidence is sealed, it is taped. 

* The information is written across the tape, so that if there is

   tampering, it will be evident. 

* All evidence bags have handwritten Incident Report #, 

   Date sealed, Time, Initialed, #items, and new opening each

   time the package is opened.

* The information is written on the package every time it's opened,

   and the new info is again written across the tape.

*  Only CSI can touch the contents. Lawyers can look at it, but not

   touch, but then no one wants to touch if they don't have to.

* Each time the evidence bag is opened, it must be opened from a

   different side, so the original seals are never disturbed. 

* Once all of the openings are breached, that package will be put in

    a new container, to start over with the original seal.This helps

    with chain of custody.

* All evidence is kept indefinitely until released by the courts.

* There are warehouses of evidence from cases that have been

   cleared by the courts, but the statute of limitations hasn't cleared,

   so the evidence is kept.

Fiona - 

Tell us about any evidence collection that was new to you - surprising. 

Jamie Lee - 

When hands are covered for evidence, they are covered with paper bags, to avoid sweating, as that will ruin any evidence.

Fiona - 
On a dead person or on the way to the hospital?

Jamie Lee - 
Any person who was at the scene and may be a witness or a suspect.

Fiona - 

Alive then - who knew!

Jamie Lee - 

We can talk about "swabbing the log"

Fiona - 

Yes, let's do that. what is it?

Jamie Lee - 
When looking for DNA evidence, you need skin.

English: Overflowing toilet (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you have nothing, you can wait for your suspect to take a poop. Then you "swab the log" because there will likely be some skin shed in the process of eliminating the fecal matter.

The matter itself is worthless, but the skin cells that may have been deposited at the time of defecation can give detectives the DNA they need.

Fiona - 

Argh. So how do you stop them from flushing? And how do you swab a log?  - So awesomely gross!

Jamie - 
I'm not sure how they get the fecal matter in the first place. But if they aren't letting the suspect out of their sight, they may have them go in a facility that they've clogged, or somehow if there are "skid marks" that may hold some matter. 

Swabbing the log would consist of the same protocol as swabbing the inside of a cheek. Only I'd think they'd try very hard to swab the entire surface, as to not miss a chance at getting skin cells.

Fiona - 

And this is why I write about CSI but don't actually do CSI.

Other gems?

Jamie Lee - 
Interesting: GSR, gun shot residue will show on anyone in the room when the gun was fired.

GSR is also extremely fragile and must be processed within four hours.

The most important thing is that ANYTHING can be evidence.

Fiona - 
Give me a "for instance".

Jamie Lee - 
A person who put in a job application on Monday may come back and rob the place on Tuesday. Now you have the robber's address.

My biggest surprise was learning that they use Mylar and a form of electricity to pick up prints.

Fiona -
Wait - how do you do that with a stun gun?

Jamie Lee - 

* They place the Mylar over the fingerprint, then make the

   electrical charge with a stun gun, which lifts the print into

   the Mylar,

* The static charge on the dust particles cause the Mylar film to be

   sucked into the surface.
* Then the air bubbles are rolled out with a fingerprint roller, and

   the print can be examined with a light. A flashlight will work. It's

   just to make sure you got the print before you affix it to a more

   secure surface. And it absolutely can't be in contact with plastic

   because it will remove the static charge.

Fiona - 
Affixed with superglue?

Jamie - 
It is photographed immediately.

That photo is an electronically-lifted print

I know your readers enjoy video quick studies. Here's one I found on Electrostatic Footprint Lifting with Dr. Shaler. In this film he:

* Shows the film

* Shows the electrostatic lifter

* Step by step procedure including using a brayer to get rid of air

   bubbles
* Electrostatic print can be lifted from paper, carpet, almost any

   surface. But the print can not be made with water. It must be

   made with dust.

VIDEO QUICK STUDY (5:41)

Fiona - 

Very fun stuff! Thanks so much Jamie Lee for stopping by ThrillWriting to share. Before you go, we always like to hear your favorite scar story.

Jamie Lee - 

I have a scar on my face, under my nose on the left side, and everyone always thinks it's a pencil mark, if they see it at all. I was in a car accident when I was 5 years old. 

My dad was driving our Riviera on a raining night, we were coming home from my grandfather's art gallery on Cannery Row in Monterey, CA, and he tried to pass a motor home. The motor home sped up, and my dad lost control of the car and hit a tree head on, I went through the windshield. Yes, I had a seat belt on, but in those days it was only a lap belt. 

The cut was on the left, and my body was black and blue on my right. I have no recall of the accident, or several days after, nor do I have any memory of my life before the accident. I'm probably one of the few kids who has no memory of kindergarten. 

Fiona -
Thank you Jamie 

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