cpatricia.unnaturalexposure-第10章

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　'I　don't　know；'　I　said；　reaching　for　a　syringe。　'I'm　guessing　herpes　zoster　virus。'
　'Whoa！'　Wingo　jumped　back　from　the　table。　'I　wish　you'd　told　me　that　earlier。'　He　was　scared。
　'Shingles。'　I　began　labeling　a　test　tube。　'Maybe。　I　must　confess；　it's　a　little　weird。'
　'What　do　you　mean？'　He　was　getting　more　unnerved。
　'With　shingles；'　I　replied；　'the　virus　attacks　sensory　nerves。　When　the　vesicles　erupt；　they　do　so　in　a　swath　along　nerve　distributions。　Under　a　rib；　for　example。　And　the　vesicles　will　be　of　varying　ages。　But　this　is　a　crop；　and　they　all　look　the　same　age。'
　'What　else　could　it　be？'　he　asked。　'Chicken　pox？'
　'Same　virus。　Children　get　chicken　pox。　Adults　get　shingles。'
　'What　if　I　get　it？'　Wingo　said。
　'Did　you　have　chicken　pox　as　a　kid？'
　'Got　no　idea。'
　'What　about　the　VZV　vaccine？'　I　asked。　'Have　you　had　that？'
　'No。'
　'Well；　if　you　have　no　antibody　to　VZV；　you　should　be　vaccinated。'　I　glanced　up　at　him。　'Are　you　immunosuppressed？'
　He　did　not　say　anything　as　he　went　to　a　cart；　snatching　off　his　latex　gloves　and　slamming　them　into　the　red　can　for　biologically　hazardous　trash。　Upset；　he　snatched　a　new　pair　made　of　heavier　blue　Nitrile。　I　stopped　what　I　was　doing；　watching　him　until　he　returned　to　the　table。
　'I　just　think　you　could　have　warned　me　before　now；'　he　said；　and　he　sounded　on　the　verge　of　tears。　'I　mean；　it's　not　like　you　can　take　any　precautions　in　this　place；　like　vaccinations；　except　for　hepatitis　B。　So　I　depend　on　you　to　let　me　know　what's　ing　in。'
　'Calm　down。'
　I　was　gentle　with　him。　Wingo　was　too　sensitive　for　his　own　good；　and　that　was　really　the　only　problem　I　ever　had　with　him。
　'You　can't　possibly　get　chicken　pox　or　shingles　from　this　lady　unless　you　have　an　exchange　of　body　fluids；'　I　said。　'So　as　long　as　you're　wearing　gloves　and　going　about　business　in　the　usual　way；　and　don't　cut　yourself　or　get　a　needle　stick；　you　will　not　be　exposed　to　the　virus。'
　For　an　instant；　his　eyes　were　bright；　and　he　quickly　looked　away。
　'I'll　start　taking　pictures；'　he　said。
　
　
　4
　
　MARINO　AND　BENTON　WESLEY　appeared　midafternoon；　when　the　autopsy　was　well　under　way。　There　was　nothing　further　I　could　do　with　the　external　examination；　and　Wingo　had　taken　a　late　lunch；　so　I　was　alone。　Wesley's　eyes　were　on　me　as　he　walked　through　the　door；　and　I　could　tell　by　his　coat　that　it　was　still　raining。
　'Just　so　you　know；'　Marino　said　right　off；　'there's　a　flood　warning。'
　Since　there　were　no　windows　in　the　morgue；　I　never　knew　the　weather。
　'How　serious　a　warning？'　I　asked；　and　Wesley　had　e　close　to　the　torso；　and　was　looking　at　it。
　'Serious　enough　that　if　this　keeps　up；　somebody'd　better　start　piling　up　sandbags；'　Marino　replied　as　he　parked　his　umbrella　in　a　corner。
　My　building　was　blocks　from　the　James。　Years　ago；　the　lower　level　had　flooded；　bodies　donated　to　science　rising　in　overflowing　vats；　water　poisoned　pink　with　formalin　seeping　into　the　morgue　and　the　parking　lot　in　back。
　'How　worried　should　I　be？'　I　asked　with　concern。
　'It's　going　to　stop；'　Wesley　said；　as　if　he　could　profile　the　weather；　too。
　He　took　off　his　raincoat；　and　the　suit　beneath　it　was　a　dark　blue　that　was　almost　black。　He　wore　a　starched　white　shirt　and　conservative　silk　tie；　his　silver　hair　a　little　longer　than　usual；　but　neat。　His　sharp　features　made　him　seem　even　keener　and　more　intimidating　than　he　was；　but　today　his　face　was　grim；　and　not　just　because　of　me。　He　and　Marino　went　to　a　cart　to　put　on　gloves　and　masks。
　'I'm　sorry　we're　late；'　Wesley　said　to　me　as　I　continued　working。　'Every　time　I　tried　to　get　away　from　the　house；　the　phone　rang。　This　thing's　a　real　problem。'
　'Certainly　for　her　it　is；'　I　said。
　'Shit。'　Marino　stared　at　what　was　left　of　a　human　being。　'How　the　hell　does　anybody　do　something　like　that？'
　'I'll　tell　you　how；'　I　said；　cutting　sections　of　spleen。　'First　you　pick　an　old　woman　and　make　sure　she　isn't　properly　watered　or　fed；　and　when　she　gets　sick；　forget　medical　care。　Then　you　shoot　or　beat　her　in　the　head。'　I　glanced　up　at　them。　'My　bet　is　that　she　has　a　basilar　skull　fracture。　Maybe　some　other　type　of　trauma。'
　Marino　looked　baffled。　'She　doesn't　have　a　head。　How　can　you　say　that？'
　'I　can　say　it　because　there's　blood　in　her　airway。'
　They　got　closer　to　see　what　I　was　talking　about。
　'One　way　that　could　have　happened；'　I　went　on；　'is　if　she　had　a　basilar　skull　fracture　and　blood　dripped　down　the　back　of　her　throat；　and　she　aspirated　it　into　her　airway。'
　Wesley　looked　carefully　at　the　body　with　the　demeanor　of　one　who　has　seen　mutilation　and　death　a　million　times。　He　stared　at　the　space　where　the　head　should　be；　as　if　he　could　imagine　it。
　'She　has　hemorrhage　in　muscle　tissue。'　I　paused　to　let　this　sink　in。　'She　was　still　alive　when　the　dismemberment　began。'
　'Jesus　Christ；'　Marino　exclaimed　in　disgust　as　he　lit　a　cigarette。　'Don't　tell　me　that。'
　'I'm　not　saying　she　was　conscious；'　I　added。　'Most　likely　this　was　at　or　about　the　time　of　death。　But　she　still　had　a　blood　pressure；　feeble　as　it　might　have　been。　This　was　true　around　the　neck；　anyway。　But　not　the　arms　and　legs。'
　'Then　he　severed　her　head　first；'　Wesley　said　to　me。
　'Yes。'
　He　was　scanning　X…rays　on　the　walls。
　'This　doesn't　fit　with　his　victimology；'　he　said。　'Not　at　all。'
　'Everything　about　this　case　doesn't　fit；'　I　replied。　'Except　that　once　again；　a　saw　was　used。　I've　also　found　some　cuts　on　bone　that　are　consistent　with　a　knife。'
　'What　else　can　you　tell　us　about　her？'　Wesley　said；　and　I　could　feel　his　eyes　on　me　as　I　dropped　another　section　of　organ　into　the　stock　jar　of　formalin。
　'She　has　some　sort　of　eruptions　that　might　be　shingles；　and　two　scars　of　the　right　kidney　that　would　indicate　pyelonephritis；　or　kidney　infection。　Cervix　is　elongated　and　stellate；　which　could　suggest　she's　had　children。　Her　myocardium；　or　heart　muscle；　is　soft。'
　'Meaning？'
　'Toxins　do　that。　Toxins　produced　by　microorganisms。'　I　looked　up　at　him。　'As　I've　mentioned；　she　was　sick。'
　Marino　was　walking　around；　looking　at　the　torso　from　different　angles。　'Do　you　have　any　idea　with　what？'
　'Based　on　secretions　in　her　lungs；　I　know　she　had　bronchitis。　At　the　moment；　I　don't　know　what　else；　except　her　liver's　in　pretty　grim　shape。'
　'From　drinking；'　Wesley　said。
　'Yellowish；　nodular。　Yes；'　I　said。　'And　I　would　say　that　at　one　time　she　smoked。'
　'She's　skin　and　bones；'　Marino　said。
　'She　wasn't　eating；'　I　said。　'Her　stomach　is　tubular；　empty　and　clean。'　I　showed　them。
　Wesley　moved　to　a　nearby　desk　and　pulled　out　a　chair。　He　stared　off　in　thought　as　I　yanked　a　cord　down　from　an　overhead　reel　and　plugged　in　the　Stryker　saw。　Marino；　who　liked　this　part　of　the　procedure　the　least　stepped　back　from　the　table。　No　one　spoke　as　I　sawed　off　the　ends　of　arms　and　legs；　a　bony　dust　drifting　on　the　air；　the　electric　whir　louder　than　a　dentist's　drill。　I　placed　each　section　into　a　labeled　carton；　and　said　what　I　thought。
　'I　don't　think　we're　dealing　with　the　same　killer　this　time。'
　'I　don't　know　what　to　think；'　Marino　said。　'But　we　got　two　big　things　in　mon。　A　torso；　and　it　was　dumped　in　central　Virginia。
　'He's　had　a　varied　victimology　all　along；'　said　Wesley；　wearing　his　surgical　mask　loose　around　his　neck。　'One　black；　two　whites；　all　female；　and　one　black　male。　The　five　in　Dublin　were　mixed；　as　well。　But　again；　all　were　young。'
　'So　would　you　now　expect　him　to　choose　an　old　woman？'　I　asked　him。
　'Frankly；　I　wouldn't。　But　these　people　aren't　an　exact　science；　Kay。　This　is　somebody　who　does　whatever　the　hell　he　feels　like　whenever　he　feels　like　it。'
　'The　dismemberment　isn't　the　same；　it's　not　through　the　joints；'　I　reminded　them。　'And　I　think　she　was　clothed　or　wrapped　in　something。'
　'This　one　may　have　bothered　him　more；'　Wesley　said；　taking　the　mask　off　altogether　and　dropping　it　on　top　of　the　desk。　'His　urge　to　kill　again　may　have　been　overwhelming；　and　she　may　have　been　easy。'　He　looked　at　the　torso。　'So　he　strikes；　but　his　M。O。　shifts　because　the　victimology　has　suddenly　shifted；　and　he　doesn't　really　like　it。　He　leaves　her　at　least　partially　dressed　or　covered　because　raping　and　killing　an　old　woman　aren't　what　turn　him　on。　And　he　cuts　off　her