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Tina Renaldi had hired a defense attorney before sitting in the interview room early that evening. She was wearing a colorful blouse with an ankle-length, embroidered denim skirt.
“Ms. Renaldi, do you recognize this glove?” Karen asked.
“It looks like one of my gardening gloves. I’ve been looking for those!”
“Why have you been looking for them?”
“They’ve been missing for a few days. I could have sworn they were on my back porch with my gardening tools.”
“When did you notice that they were missing?”
“I think it was last Thursday. I was going to pull up some more of my plants now that the frosts have arrived.”
“Was anything else missing from your house?”
“No, I don’t think so. Wait a minute, I lost my toothbrush and my hairbrush! I admit that I’m getting old, but how do you lose a toothbrush? It’s always sitting in its holder in the bathroom. Luckily I had a spare that the dentist’s office gave me. I’m always losing my hairbrush, though.”
“When did you notice that your toothbrush was missing?”
“I don’t remember what day it was. Sometime last week.”
“Did you hear about my kidnapping recently?
“Yes, it was in the news. I’m glad you’re all right. Why are you asking me these questions?”
“This glove was found at the scene of my kidnapping. How was your glove at the scene of my kidnapping?”
She looked at her lawyer, then back at Karen. “I . . . I have no idea. It looks like my missing glove, but why do you think it’s mine?”
Karen pulled three DNA evidence reports from her file and placed them on the table, facing Tina and her lawyer. “This shows that your DNA was found on this glove from the scene of my kidnapping. This one shows that your DNA was found at the scene of a recent arson at the Franklin County Fairgrounds, in which a woman was seriously injured. This report confirms that it’s your DNA because it matches your DNA profile in the 23andMe data repository. Why was your DNA found at the scene of an arson at the fairgrounds?”
Tina looked frantic. “It can’t be! I don’t have a profile on any DNA database. And I haven’t been to the fair in years. Somebody must be framing me!”
Karen put a mugshot on the table and asked, “Do you know this man? His name is Keith Moraine, also known as Mo, Rain, and Rainman.”
“No. I’ve never heard of him, and I’ve never seen him before.”
Karen put another mugshot on the table. “Do you know this man? His name is Mark Breen.”
“No, I’ve never heard of him or seen him before.”
“Very well, that’s all the questions I have. Ms. Renaldi, I am not charging you with any crimes at this stage of the investigation.” Karen concluded the interview and stopped the recording. “I am requesting a swab sample of your DNA before you leave. I don’t yet have a court order for this, but I can get one.”
Tina looked at her lawyer who nodded. Tina agreed to the swab sample.
When they were done, Karen said, “Thank you, Ms. Renaldi. You are free to go.”
Tina was clearly shaken by the whole experience.