cpatricia.blacknotice-第80章

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　　I　dug　in　my　satchel　and　got　out　my　portable　phone　and　called　Fielding。
　　〃Her　body　just　got　here；〃　he　told　me。　〃Do　you　want　me　to　start　on　her？〃
　　〃No；〃　I　said。　〃Do　you　know　where　Chuck　is？〃
　　〃He　didn't　e　in。〃
　　〃I　just　bet　he　didn't；〃　I　'said。　〃And　if　he　does；　sit　him　in　your　office　and　don't　let　him　go　anywhere。〃
　　　
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　　At　not　quite　2：00　P　。m。　I　pulled　into　the　enclosed　bay　and parked　out　of　the　weather　as　two　funeral　home　attendants　loaded　a　pouched　body　into　an　old…model　black　hearse　with　blinds　over　the　windows　in　back。
　　〃Good　afternoon；〃　I　said。
　　〃Yes；　ma'am。　How　are　you？〃
　　〃Who　you　got　here？〃　I　asked。
　　〃The　construction　worker　from　Petersburg。〃
　　They　shut　the　tailgate　and　peeled　off　latex　gloves。
　　〃One　who　got　hit　by　that　train；〃　they　went　on；　both　talking　at　once。　〃Can't　imagine　that。　Not　the　way　I　want　to　go。　You　have　a　nice　day。〃
　　I　used　my　card　to　unlock　a　side　door　and　entered　the　well…lit　corridor；　where　the　floor　was　finished　in　biohazard　epoxy　and　all　activity　was　monitored　by　。closed…circuit　television　cameras　mounted　on　the　walls。　Rose　was　irritably　pushing　the　Diet　Coke　button　on　the　drink　machine　when　I　walked　into　the　break　room　in　search　of　coffee。
　　〃Damnation；〃　she　blurted　out。　〃I　thought　we'd　gotten　it　fixed。〃
　　She　worked　the　change　return　in　vain。
　　〃Well；　it's　doing　the　same　damn　thing。　Doesn't　anybody　do　anything　right　anymore？〃　she　plained　away。　〃Do　this；　do　that　and　still　nothing　works；　just　like　state　employees。〃
　　She　exhaled　a　loud；　frustrated　breath。
　　〃Everything's　going　to　be　all　right；〃　I　said　with　no　conviction。　〃It's　okay；　Rose。〃
　　〃I　wish　you　could　get　some　rest；〃　Rose　sighed。
　　〃I　wish　we　all　could。〃
　　Staff　mugs　were　hung　on　a　peg　board　next　to　the　coffee　machine；　and　I　looked　for　mine　with　no　success。
　　〃Try　your　bathroom；　on　the　sink；　that's　where　you　usually　leave　it；〃　Rose　said。　The　reminder　of　the　mundane　minutiae　of　our　normal　。　worlds　was　a　wele　relief；　no　matter　how　brief　it　might　be。
　　〃Chuck　won't　be　back；〃　I　said。　〃He's　going　to　be　arrested；　if　he　hasn't　already　been。〃
　　〃The　police　have　already　been　here。　I　won't　be　shedding　any　tears。〃
　　〃I'll　be　in　the　morgue。　You　know　what　I'll　be　doing；　so　no　phone　calls　unless　it's　urgent；〃　I　told　her。
　　〃Lucy　called。　She's　picking　up　Jo　tonight。〃
　　〃I　wish　you'd　e　stay　with　me；　Rose。〃
　　〃Thank　you。　I　need　to　stay　put。〃
　　〃It　would　make　me　feel　better　if　you　came　home　with　me：　〃
　　'Dr。　Scarpetta；　if　it's　not　him；　it's　always　someone；　isn't　it？　Always　someone　evil　out　there。　I　have　to　live　my　life。　I　can't　be　held　hostage　by　fear　and　old　age。〃
　　In　the　locker　room；　I　changed　into　a　plastic　apron　and　surgical　gown。　My　fingers　were　clumsy　with　ties　and　I　kept　dropping　things。　I　felt　chilled　and　achy；　as　if　I　were　ing　down　with　the　flu。　I　was　grateful　I　could　suit　up　in　a　face　shield；　mask；　cap；　booties；　layers　of　gloves；　and　all　that　protected　me　from　biological　hazards　and　my　emotions。　I　wanted　no　one　to　see　me　now。　It　was　bad　enough　that　Rose　had。
　　Fielding　was　photographing　Bray's　body　when　I　walked　into　the　autopsy　room；　where　my　two　assistant　chiefs　and　three　residents　were　working　on　new　cases　because　the　day　kept　bringing　in　the　dead。　There　was　then　the　noise　of　running　water　and　steel　instruments　against　steel；　muted　voices　and　sounds。　The　telephones　wouldn't　stop　ringing。
　　There　was　no　color　in　this　steel　place　except　the　hues　of　death。　Contusions　and　suffusion　were　purple…blue　and　livor　mortis　was　pink。　Blood　was　bright　against　the　yellow　of　fat。　Chest　cavities　were　open　like　tulips　and　organs　were　in　scales　and　on　cutting　boards；　the　smell　of　decay　strong　this　day。
　　Two　other　cases　were　juveniles；　one　Hispanic；　one　white；　both　of　them　etched　with　crude　tattoos　and　stabbed　multiple　times。　Their　faces　of　hate　and　anger　were　relaxed　into　those　of　the　boys　they　might　have　been　had　life　landed　them　on　a　different　doorstep；　perhaps　with　different　genes。　A　gang　had　been　their　family；　the　street　their　home。　They　had　died　the　way　they　lived。
　　〃。　。　。　deep　penetration。　Four　inches　over　the　left　lateral　back；　through　twelfth　rib　and…　aorta；　over　a　liter　of　blood　in　left　and　right　chest　cavity；〃　Dan　Chong　was　dictating　into　the　microphone　clipped　to　his　scrubs　as　Amy　Forbes　worked　across　the　table　from　him。
　　〃Did　he　hemoaspirate？〃
　　〃Very　minimally。〃
　　〃And　an　abrasion　on　the　left　arm。　Maybe　from　the　terminal　fall？　Did　I　tell　you　I'm　learning　to　scuba　dive？〃
　　〃Huh。　Good　luck　around　here。　Wait　until　you　do　your　open　water　dive　in　the　quarry。　That's　real　fun。　Especially　in　winter。〃
　　〃God；〃　Fielding　said。　〃Je…sus　Christ。〃
　　He　was　spreading　open　the　body　bag　and　bloody　sheet　inside　it。　I　went　to　him　and　felt　the　shock　all　over　again　as　we　freed　her　from　her　wrappings：
　　〃Jesus　Christ；〃　Fielding　kept　saying　under　his　breath。
　　We　lifted　her　onto　the　table　and　she　stubbornly　resumed　the　same　position　she'd　had　on　the　bed。　We　broke　the　rigor　mortis　in　her　arms　and　legs；　relaxing　those　rigid　muscles。
　　〃What　the　fuck's　wrong　with　people？〃　Fielding　loaded　film　into　a　camera。
　　〃Same　thing　that's　always　been　wrong　with　them：'　l　said。
　　We　lock…attached　her　transportable　autopsy　table　to　one　of　the　wall…mounted　dissecting　sinks。　For　a　moment；　all　work　in　the　room　stopped　as　the　other　doctors　came　over　to　look。　They　couldn't　help　themselves。
　　〃Oh；　my　God；〃　Chong　muttered。
　　Forbes　could　not　speak　as　she　stared　in　shock。
　　〃Please；〃　I　said；　searching　their　faces。　〃This　is　not　a　demo　autopsy　and　Fielding　and　I　will　handle　it。〃
　　I　began　going　over　the　body　with　a　lens；　collecting　more　of　that　long；　fine　hellish　hair。
　　〃He　doesn't　care；〃　I　said。　〃He　doesn't　care　if　we　know　all　about　him。〃
　　〃You　think　he　knows　you　went　to　Paris？〃
　　〃I　don't　know　how；〃　I　said。　〃But　I　suppose　he　could　be　in　touch　with　his　family。　Hell；　they　probably　know　everything。〃
　　I　envisioned　their　big　house　and　its　chandeliers　and　myself　scooping　water　out　of　the　Seine　in　possibly　the　very　spot　where　the　killer　waded　in　to　cure　his　affliction。　I　thought　of　Dr。　Stvan　and　hoped　she　was　safe。
　　〃He's　got　a　dusky　brain；　too。〃　Chong　had　gotten　back　tohis　own　work　in　progress。
　　〃Yeah；　so　does　the　other　one。　Heroin　again；　maybe。　'Fourth　case　in　six　weeks；　all　in　the　city。〃
　　〃Must　be　some　good　stuff　going　around。　Dr。　Scarpetta？〃　Chong　called　over　to　me　as　if　this　were　any　other　afternoon；　and　I　was　working　any　other　case。　〃Same　tattoo；　tike　a　homemade　rectangle。　In　the　web　of　the　left　hand；　must　of　hurt　like　hell。　Same　gang？〃
　　〃Photograph　it；〃　I　said。
　　There　were　distinctive　pattern　injuries；　especially　on　Bray's　forehead　and　left　cheek；　where　the　crushing　force　of　the　blows　had　lacerated　the　skin　and。　left　striated　impact　abrasions　that　I　had　seen　before。
　　〃Possibly　the　threads　of　a　pipe？〃　Fielding　ventured。
　　〃It　doesn't　quite　fit　a　pipe；〃　I　answered。
　　The　external　examination　of　Bray　took　two　more　hours　as　Fielding　and　I　meticulously；　measured；　drew　and　photographed　every　wound。　Her　facial　bones　were　crushed；　the　flesh　lacerated　over　bony　prominences。　Her　teeth　were　broken。　Some　were　knocked　out　with　such　force　they　were　halfway　down　her　throat。　Her　lips；　ears　and　the　flesh　of　her　chin　were　avulsed　off　the　bone；　and　X　rays　revealed　hundreds　of　fractures　and　punched…out　areas　in　bone；　especially　the　bone　table　of　the　skull。
　　I　was　taking　a…　shower　at　7：00　P。m。；　and　the　water　running　off　of　me　was　pale　red　because　I　had　gotten　so　bloody。　I　felt　weak　and　light…headed；　because　I　hadn't　eaten　since　early　morning。　There　was　no　one　left　in　the　office　but　me。　I　walked　out　of　the　locker　room　drying　my　hair　with　a　towel；　and　Marino　suddenly　emerged　from　my　office。　I　almost　screamed。　I　placed　a　hand　on　my　chest　as　adrenaline　shocked　me。
　　〃Don't　startle　me　like　that！〃　I　exclaimed。
　　〃Didn't　mean　to。〃　He　looked　grim。
　　〃How'd　you　get　in？〃
　　〃Night　security。　We're　pals。　I　didn't　want　you　walking　out　to　your　car　by　yourself。　I　knew　you'd　still　be　here。〃
　　I　ran　my　fingers　through　my　damp　hair；　and　he　followed　me　into　my　office。　I　draped　the　towel　over　my　chair　and　began　collect