cpatricia.unnaturalexposure-第40章

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to　them　that　the　kingdom　of　heaven　was　at　hand。　He　directed　his　disciples　to　heal　the　sick；　cleanse　the　lepers；　raise　the　dead；　cast　out　devils。　As　I　read；　I　did　not　know　if　this　killer　who　called　himself　deadoc　had　a　message　he　believed；　if　twelve　referred　to　the　disciples；　or　if　he　was　simply　playing　games。
　I　got　up　and　paced；　looking　out　the　window　as　light　waned。　Night　came　early　now；　and　it　had　bee　a　habit　for　me　to　watch　people　walk　out　to　their　cars。　Their　breath　was　frosted；　and　the　lot　was　almost　empty　because　of　the　furlough。　Two　women　chatted　while　one　held　open　the　door　to　a　Honda；　and　they　shrugged　and　gestured　with　intensity；　as　if　trying　to　resolve　life's　big　problems。　I　stood　looking　through　blinds　until　they　drove　away。
　I　tried　to　go　to　sleep　early　to　escape。　But　I　was　fitful　again；　rearranging　myself　and　the　covers　every　few　hours。　Images　floated　past　the　inside　of　my　eyelids；　projected　like　old　movies；　unedited　and　illogically　arranged。　I　saw　two　women　talking　by　a　mailbox。　One　had　a　mole　on　her　cheek　that　became　eruptions　all　over　her　face　as　she　shielded　her　eyes　with　a　hand。　Then　palm　trees　were　writhing　in　fierce　winds　as　a　hurricane　roared　in　from　the　sea；　fronds　ripped　off　and　flying。　A　trunk　stripped　bare；　a　bloody　table　lined　with　severed　hands　and　feet。
　I　sat　up　sweating；　and　waited　for　my　muscles　to　stop　twitching。　It　was　as　if　there　were　an　electrical　disturbance　in　my　entire　system；　and　I　might　have　a　heart　attack　or　a　stroke。　Taking　deep；　slow　breaths；　I　blanked　out　my　mind。　I　did　not　move。　When　the　vision　had　passed；　I　rang　for　the　nurse。
　When　she　saw　the　look　on　my　face；　she　did　not　argue　about　the　phone。　She　brought　it　right　away　and　I　called　Marino　after　she　left。
　'You　still　in　jail？'　he　said　over　the　line。
　'I　think　he　killed　his　guinea　pig；'　I　said。
　'Whoa。　How　'bout　starting　over　again。'
　'Deadoc。　The　woman　he　shot　and　dismembered　may　have　been　his　guinea　pig。　Someone　he　knew　and　had　easy　access　to。'
　'I　gotta　confess；　Doc；　I　got　no　idea　what　the　hell　you're　talking　about。'　I　could　tell　by　his　tone　he　was　worried　about　my　state　of　mind。
　'It　makes　sense　that　he　couldn't　look　at　her。　The　M。O。　makes　a　lot　of　sense。'
　'Now　you　really　got　me　confused。'
　'If　you　wanted　to　find　a　way　to　murder　people　through　a　virus；'　I　explained；　'first　you　would　have　to　figure　out　a　way。　The　route　of　transmission；　for　example。　Is　it　a　food；　a　drink；　dust？　With　smallpox；　transmission　is　airborne；　spread　by　droplets　or　by　fluid　from　the　lesions。　The　disease　can　be　carried　on　a　person　or　his　clothes。'
　'Start　with　this；'　he　said。　'Where　did　this　person　get　the　virus　to　begin　with？　Not　exactly　something　you　order　through　the　mail。'
　'I　don't　know。　To　my　knowledge　there　are　only　two　places　in　the　world　that　keep　archival　smallpox。　CDC　and　a　laboratory　in　Moscow。'
　'So　maybe　this　is　all　a　Russian　plot；'　he　said；　sardonically。
　'Let　me　give　you　a　scenario；'　I　said。　'The　killer　has　a　grudge；　maybe　even　some　delusion　that　he　has　a　religious　calling　to　bring　back　one　of　the　worst　diseases　this　planet　has　ever　known。　He's　got　to　figure　out　a　way　to　randomly　infect　people　and　be　sure　that　it　can　work。'
　'So　he　needs　a　guinea　pig；'　Marino　said。
　'Yes。　And　let's　suppose　he　has　a　neighbor；　a　relative；　someone　elderly　and　not　well。　Maybe　he　even　takes　care　of　her。　What　better　way　to　test　the　virus　than　on　that　person？　And　if　it　works；　you　kill　her　and　stage　her　death　to　look　like　something　else。　After　all；　he　certainly　can't　have　her　die　of　smallpox。　Not　if　there　is　a　connection　between　him　and　her。　We　might　figure　out　who　he　is。　So　he　shoots　her　in　the　head；　dismembers　her　so　we'll　think　it's　the　serial　killings　again。'
　'Then　how　do　you　get　from　that　to　the　lady　on　Tangier？'
　'She　was　exposed；'　I　simply　said。
　'How？　Was　something　delivered　to　her？　Did　she　get　something　in　the　mail？　Was　it　carried　on　the　air？　Was　she　pricked　in　her　sleep？'
　'I　don't　know　how。'
　'You　think　deadoc　lives　on　Tangier？'　Marino　then　asked。
　'No；　I　don't；'　I　said。　'I　think　he　picked　it　because　the　island　is　the　perfect　place　to　start　an　epidemic。　Small；　self…contained。　Also　easy　to　quarantine；　meaning　the　killer　doesn't　intend　to　annihilate　all　of　society　with　one　blow。　He's　trying　a　little　bit　at　a　time；　cutting　us　up　in　small　pieces。'
　'Yeah。　Like　he　did　the　old　lady；　if　you're　right。'
　'He　wants　something；'　I　said。　'Tangier　is　an　attention…getter。'
　'No　offense；　Doc；　but　I　hope　you're　wrong　about　all　of　this。'
　'I'm　heading　to　Atlanta　in　the　morning。　How　about　checking　with　Vander；　see　if　he's　had　any　luck　with　the　thumbprint。'
　'So　far　he　hasn't。　It's　looking　like　the　victim　doesn't　have　any　prints　on　file。　Anything　es　up；　I'll　call　your　pager。'
　'Damn；'　I　muttered；　for　the　nurse　had　taken　that；　too。
　The　rest　of　the　day　moved　interminably　slowly；　and　it　wasn't　until　after　supper　that　Fujitsubo　came　to　say　goodbye。　Although　the　act　of　releasing　me　implied　I　was　neither　infected　nor　infectious；　he　was　in　a　blue　suit；　which　he　plugged　into　an　air　line。
　'I　should　keep　you　longer；'　he　said　right　off；　filling　my　heart　with　dread。　'Incubation；　on　average；　is　twelve　to　thirteen　days。　But　it　can　be　as　long　as　twenty…one。　What　I'm　saying　to　you　is　that　you　could　still　get　sick。'
　'I　understand　that；'　I　said；　reaching　for　my　water。
　'The　revaccination　may　or　may　not　help　depending　on　what　stage　you　were　in　when　I　gave　it　to　you。'
　I　nodded。　'And　I　wouldn't　be　in　such　a　hurry　to　leave　if　you　would　just　take　this　on　instead　of　sending　me　to　CDC。'
　'Kay；　I　can't。'　His　voice　was　muffled　through　plastic。　'You　know　it　has　nothing　to　do　with　what　I　feel　like　doing。　But　I　can　no　more　pull　something　out　from　under　CDC　than　you　can　grab　a　case　that　isn't　your　jurisdiction。　I've　talked　to　them。　They　are　most　concerned　over　a　possible　outbreak　and　will　begin　testing　the　moment　you　arrive　with　the　samples。'
　'I　fear　terrorism　may　be　involved。'　I　refused　to　back　down。
　'Until　there　is　evidence　of　it　　and　I　hope　there　won't　be　　we　can　do　nothing　more　for　you　here。'　His　regret　was　sincere。　'Go　to　Atlanta　and　see　what　they　have　to　say。　They're　operating　with　a　skeleton　crew；　too。　The　timing　couldn't　be　worse。'
　'Or　perhaps　more　deliberate；'　I　said。　'If　you　were　a　bad　person　planning　to　mit　serial　crimes　with　a　virus；　what　better　time　than　when　the　significant　federal　health　agencies　are　in　extremis？　And　this　furlough's　been　going　on　for　a　while　and　not　predicted　to　end　anytime　soon。'
　He　was　silent。
　'John；'　I　went　on；　'you　helped　with　the　autopsy。　Have　you　ever　seen　a　disease　like　this？'
　'Only　in　textbooks；'　he　grimly　replied。
　'How　does　smallpox　suddenly　just　reappear　on　its　own？'
　'If　that's　what　it　is。'
　'Whatever　it　is；　it's　virulent　and　it　kills；'　I　tried　to　reason　with　him。
　But　he　could　do　nothing　more；　and　the　rest　of　the　night　I　wandered　from　room　to　room　in　AOL。　Every　hour；　I　checked　my　e…mail。　Deadoc　remained　silent　until　six　o'clock　the　next　morning　when　he　walked　into　the　M。E。　room。　My　heart　jumped　as　his　name　appeared　on　screen。　My　adrenaline　began　to　pump　the　way　it　always　did　when　he　talked　to　me。　He　was　on　the　line；　it　was　up　to　me。　I　could　catch　him；　if　only　I　could　trip　him。
　
　DEADOC： Sunday　I　went　to　church　　　bet　you　didn't
　SCARPETTA： What　was　the　homily　about？
　DEADOC： sermon
　SCARPETTA： You　are　not　Catholic。
　DEADOC： beware　of　men
　SCARPETTA： Matthew　10。　Tell　me　what　you　mean。
　DEADOC： to　say　he　s　sorry
　SCARPETTA： Who　is　he？　And　what　did　he　do？
　DEADOC： ye　shall　indeed　drink　of　the　cup　that　I　drink　of
　
　Before　I　could　answer；　he　was　gone；　and　I　began　flipping　through　the　Bible。　The　verse　he　quoted　this　time　was　from　Mark；　and　again；　it　was　Jesus　speaking；　which　hinted　to　me；　if　nothing　else；　that　deadoc　wasn't　Jewish。　Nor　was　he　Catholic；　based　on　his　ments　about　church。　I　was　no　theologian；　but　drinking　of　the　cup　seemed　to　refer　to　Christ's　eventual　crucifixion。　So　deadoc　had　been　crucified　and　I　would　be；　too？
　It　was　my　last　few　hours　here　and　my　nurse；　Sally；　was　more　liberal　with　the　phone。　I　paged　Lucy；　who　called　me　back　almost　instantly。
　'I'm　talking　to　him；'　I　said。　'Are　you　guys　there？'
　'We're　there。　He's　got　to