A couple of hours later...
"Hey." eric said to ryan as he intered the lab going straight for the comparison microscope, set down the evidence box he was carring and opened it up.
"what do you think horatio wants to talk to us about?" ryan asked.
"the case obviously, "eric said. He pulled out two large envelopes and carefully extracted the contents.
"You think he's got a break already?"
"Guess we'll find out when he gets here.
"Hopefully. I just ran the fragment from under the vics fingernails through the GC/mass spec. Heres a question for you: What do rubber and rabbits have in common?"
"A significant carotene content," eric said with a grin.
"right," ryan addmitted.
"Hey, your talking to a scuba diver. I spend more time iwth rubber in my mouth then----"
"Dont say it please!" Ryan said as he continuied, "Anyway, I'm learning all kinds of things about rubber i never suspected. The plant Hervia brasiliensis comes from brazil-hense the name-but its almost extinct there now. Bright wiped out almost every plant in the early twentieth century."
"Yeah, ninety percent of the worlds rubber comes from southeast asia now,"eric said."Its one of the few places in teh world with enough rainfall- rubber plants needs around 100 inhes a year to do will. Right?"
"Right,"ryan said. "Okay, then- can you tell me why rubber plants in plantations only grow to around eitty feet high?"
"Yes i can, "eric said, smiling. "carbon. The plant needs it to grow, but its also an essential compontent of rubber. Since only carbon dioxide from the atmosphere canm supply carbon to the plant, carbopn winds upbeing split between the two needs when the tree is in production, which restricts its growth.'
"Well, that and the fact that the tapping process limits foliage to the top of the tree, whjich cuts carbon dioxide intake...how much do you know so much about this?"
"What, as opposed to you?"eric asked innocently. "I guess its just my years of CSI experiance..."
"Sure, "ryan sad skeptically. "Anyway, only ten percent of natural rubber is turned into latex------"
"Which consists of an aqueous suspension of cis-polyisoprene, a linear polymer of high molecualr weight." eirc said, "The actual rubber conten of this spension is around thirty percent."
This time, ryan chose to ignore him. "----a substance whose biological purpose is sill not entirerly clear. Rubber tress are tapped every other day producing a cupful of lated; to extract rubber from the emulsion they coagulate it with formic acid. Then its processed inj one of two ways: compacted into seventy pound blocks---"
"-------Seventy-three, actually-----"
"-------or compressed into sheets and dried over a fire-----"
Ryan stopped and looked at eric. Eric stretched and yawned, then smiled at Wolfe.
"Im not boring you am I? ryan asked.
"No, no i just didnt get enough sleep last night. Out clubbing. You were saying?"
"A smokey fire," ryan said. " the smoke contains natural fungiceds, and also gives the latex an amber color." He paused.
Eric paused, too. "Interesting," he finally said.
"so...depending on the grade, latex has different distinguishing charateristics. Its rated according to the mooner scale an the lovibond index, which measures viscosity and color respectively. I'm not sure where my sample falls according to those two, but i can tell you exactly how much carotene, ash and hydroxylamine hydrochloride it contains. My next step is checking with the manufactorers and seeing which ones handle latex with these particualr qualitites. Unless you've got a better idea?
"Me?" eric pretended to look surprised. "Hey, I wouldnt know where to start. This is your baby---run with it."
Ryan narrowed his eyes and smiled. "I've noticed that despite having to know a little about everything, CSI's still tend to hagve areas they're better in than others. Calleigh, for instance, and firearms."
"Some of us ever have more then one," eric said.
"Like you. You're a diver, but you've also written forensics articles on---what was it again?" It was ryans turn to pretend, frowning and scratching his head. "Oh, yeah----tire tracks."
Erics grin got bigger. "Busted"
"which would mean you would know all about what tires are made of, too. Erog, your extensive technical knowledge of rubber."
"Rubber, yes. Latex, not so much. You're blazing a new trail, there."
"Hopefully, one with fewer smartasses on it," wolfe muttered, and delko laughed.
Horatio walked slowly into the lab."Find anything that can help us?
"Well,"eric started,"I found that one of those robbers fingerments match the ones found on the mask. Doug west."
"Good," h said and left the lab just as fast as he had came. Leaving ryan and eric in silence once again.
"You know we'll find her right, wolfe?" eric said notcing how ryan was working at a slower pace then normal.
"wha..." ryan said as the arm under his chin slipped and he smacked his chin on the desk. Delko would have normally laughed his ass of at that, but he's never seen ryan so upset. "yeah...,"ryan looked up at delko,"I dont know what i will do if we dont..."
Callighee came running into the lab. "Horatio has doug west in interagation." ,"Ryan jumped up knocking his chair onto the floor. He ran out of the room not giving callighhee or eric a backward glance. As soon as he reached the interigation room frank was outside the room waiting for him.
"Ryan,"frank started as he put out a hand to stop ryan,"You can't go in."
"What,"ryan asked,"why not?"
"Because West wont talk if your in there." Ryan looked past frank into the room where H was speaking with west.
"Fine, but i want to know everything that bastard says."
