Things were a tad less bleak when I woke up Wednesday morning, since my feverish dreams of labs and smudges had given me a lead to pursue. I got dressed in my best navy trousers and a smart blazer, twisted my hair into a chignon, and applied a light and natural makeup look. Satisfied with my "young professional" vibe, I grabbed my heels and slid them on at the front door, careful not to wake Pri.

With Moriarty deigning to start after a couple of sputtered protests, I drove over to ...