Mike Dixon

Alan reached for the mouse. „They‟re there because they
have unusually long heads.‟ He clicked and a map of northeast
Asia flashed on the screen.
Kirstin was entranced. Tong Yee‟s family came from Manchuria.
He said in his journal that Rosie had inherited the
Yee family looks. She delved in her handbag and produced a
photograph of Tong Yee. Alan scanned it and Tong Yee‟s po-
sition flashed up near Rosie and Rosalind.
Alan sat back. „Less than one per cent of the inhabitants
of our entire planet would be found anywhere near those
three points.‟
„Do you think they‟re related?‟
Alan shrugged. „The value of these tests is not to prove
that a young person of one appearance would age into
someone of another. It has been developed to reject possi-
bilities. For example, if you had a young person here,‟ he
stabbed a finger at the screen, „there‟s no way they could
age to over there. The measurements are made on welldefined
skeletal features and they don‟t change with age.‟
Kirstin fully understood Alan‟s concern. His attitude was
defensive. He‟d spent hours defending forensic evidence in
court and had learnt the need for discretion. That meant
you needed a bolt hole. The best ploy was to speak in broad
generalities and not be over positive about anything. Her
problem was to find the truth.
„Do you think Rosie and Rosalind are the same person?‟
Alan shrugged. „Possibly. The chance of two randomly
chosen persons being so alike is less than one per cent …
unless they both come from Manchuria.‟
„If they both come from Australia?‟
„Then it‟s much less than one per cent.‟
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