National Laboratory of Forensic Science

The National Laboratory of Forensic Science is represented in the novel through forensic work at Blackeberg school after two youths are killed at the school pool. Its bloodstain analyst helps secure and interpret evidence, and the resulting pattern gives material support to testimony that the investigating officer finds difficult to reconcile with an ordinary explanation.

Role in the Investigation

During the day after the killings, Gunnar Holmberg studies the crime scene at Blackeberg school and speaks with students. Two technicians from downtown and a bloodstain analyst from the National Laboratory of Forensic Science remain at the pool, securing evidence. The laboratory’s documented role is therefore specific: its analyst contributes forensic expertise at the site, alongside the other personnel processing the scene.

Bloodstain Evidence

The bloodstain technician’s findings complicate Holmberg’s attempt to account for what the boys say they witnessed. The blood has run in a pattern that leaves traces on the ceiling and beams; its distribution gives the immediate impression that it was made by someone flying. The physical evidence does not simply settle the account, but corroborates it to some extent, making it harder for Holmberg to dismiss the boys’ statements as fantasy.

Significance in the Inquiry

The analyst’s work brings an unsettling, physical dimension to an investigation otherwise mediated by reports and questioning. Holmberg is already trying to find a reasonable explanation, and the evidence offers a pattern he expects he may still be able to explain away. The National Laboratory’s presence thus marks the boundary between official interpretation and material traces: the findings are documented, but their implications remain unresolved in the scene.