cpatricia.unnaturalexposure-第23部分

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　'Hi；'　Wesley　said。　'Just　making　sure　you　got　in　okay。'
　'There's　more　mail；'　I　said；　and　I　told　him　what　it　was。
　'Save　it　and　go　to　bed。'
　'It's　hard　not　to　think　about。'
　'He　wants　you　to　stay　up　all　night　thinking。　That's　his　power。　That's　his　game。'
　'Why　me？'　I　was　out　of　sorts　and　still　felt　queasy。
　'Because　you're　the　challenge；　Kay。　Even　for　nice　people　like　me。　Go　to　sleep。　We'll　talk　tomorrow。　I　love　you。'
　But　I　did　not　get　to　sleep　long。　At　several　minutes　past　four　A。M。；　my　phone　rang　again。　It　was　Dr　Hoyt　this　time；　a　family　practitioner　in　Norfolk；　where　he　had　served　as　a　state…appointed　medical　examiner　for　the　last　twenty　years。　He　was　pushing　seventy；　but　spry　and　as　lucid　as　new　glass。　I'd　never　known　him　to　be　alarmed　by　anything；　and　I　was　instantly　unnerved　by　his　tone。
　'Dr　Scarpetta；　I'm　sorry；'　he　said；　and　he　was　talking　very　fast。　'I'm　on　Tangier　Island。'
　All　I　could　think　of；　oddly；　were　crab　cakes。　'What　in　the　world　are　you　doing　there？'
　I　arranged　pillows　behind　me；　reaching　for　call　sheets　and　pen。
　'I　got　called　late　yesterday；　been　out　here　half　the　night。　The　Coast　Guard　had　to　bring　me　in　one　of　their　cutters；　and　I　don't　like　boats　worth　a　damn；　beaten　and　whipped　around　worse　than　eggs。　Plus　it　was　cold　as　hell。'
　I　had　no　idea　what　he　was　talking　about。
　'The　last　time　I　saw　anything　like　this　was　Texas；　1949；'　he　went　on；　talking　fast；　'when　I　was　doing　my　residency　and　about　to　get　married　。　。　。'
　I　had　to　cut　him　off。　'Slow　down；　Fred；'　I　said。　'Tell　me　what's　happened。'
　'A　fifty…two…year…old　Tangier　lady。　Probably　been　dead　at　least　twenty…four　hours　in　her　bedroom。　She's　got　severe　skin　eruptions　in　crops；　just　covered　with　them；　including　the　palms　of　her　hands　and　the　bottoms　of　her　feet。　Crazy　as　it　sounds；　it　looks　like　smallpox。'
　'You're　right。　That's　crazy；'　I　said　as　my　mouth　got　dry。　'What　about　chicken　pox？　Any　way　this　woman　was　immunosuppressed？'
　'I　don't　know　anything　about　her；　but　I've　never　seen　chicken　pox　look　like　this。　These　eruptions　follow　the　small…pox　pattern。　They're　in　crops；　like　I　said；　all　about　the　same　age；　and　the　farther　away　from　the　center　of　the　body；　the　denser　they　get。　So　they're　confluent；　on　the　face；　the　extremities。'
　I　was　thinking　of　the　torso；　of　the　small　area　of　eruptions　that　I　had　assumed　were　shingles；　my　heart　filled　with　dread。　I　did　not　know　where　that　victim　had　died；　but　I　believed　it　was　somewhere　in　Virginia。　Tangier　Island　was　also　in　Virginia；　a　tiny　barrier　island　in　the　Chesapeake　Bay　where　the　economy　was　based　on　crabbing。
　'There　are　a　lot　of　strange　viruses　out　there　these　days；'　he　was　saying。
　'Yes；　there　are；'　I　agreed。　'But　Hanta；　Ebola；　HIV；　dengue；　et　al。；　do　not　cause　the　symptoms　you　have　described。　That　doesn't　mean　there　isn't　something　else　we　don't　know　about。'
　'I　know　smallpox。　I'm　old　enough　to　have　seen　it　with　my　own　two　eyes。　But　I'm　not　an　expert　in　infectious　diseases；　Kay。　And　I　sure　as　hell　don't　know　the　things　that　you　do。　But　whatever　it　might　be　in　this　case；　the　fact　is；　the　woman's　dead　and　some　type　of　poxvirus　killed　her。'
　'Obviously；　she　lived　alone。'
　'Yes。'
　'And　she　was　last　seen　alive　when？'
　'The　chief's　working　on　that。'
　'What　chief？'　I　said。
　'The　Tangier　police　department　has　one　officer。　He's　the　chief。　I'm　in　his　trailer　now；　using　the　phone。'
　'He's　not　overhearing　this。'
　'No；　no。　He's　out　talking　to　neighbors。　I　did　my　best　to　get　information；　without　a　whole　lot　of　luck。　You　ever　been　out　here？'
　'No；　I　haven't。'
　'Let's　just　say　they　don't　exactly　rotate　their　crops。　There　are　maybe　three　family　names　on　the　whole　island。　Most　folks　grow　up　here；　never　leave。　It's　mighty　hard　to　understand　a　word　they're　saying。　Now　that's　a　dialect　you　won't　hear　in　any　other　corner　of　the　world。'
　'Nobody　touches　her　until　I　have　a　better　idea　what　we're　dealing　with；'　I　said；　unbuttoning　my　pajamas。
　'What　do　you　want　me　to　do？'　he　asked。
　'Get　the　police　chief　to　guard　the　house。　No　one　goes　in　or　near　it　until　I　say。　Go　home。　I'll　call　you　later　in　the　day。'
　The　labs　had　not　pleted　microbiology　on　the　torso；　and　now　I　could　not　wait。　I　dressed　in　a　hurry；　fumbling　with　everything　I　touched；　as　if　my　motor　skills　had　pletely　left　me。　I　sped　downtown　on　streets　that　were　deserted；　and　at　close　to　five　was　parking　in　my　space　behind　the　morgue。　As　I　let　myself　into　the　bay；　I　startled　the　night　security　guard　and　he　startled　me。
　'Lord　have　mercy；　Dr　Scarpetta；'　said　Evans；　who　had　watched　over　the　building　for　as　long　as　I　had　been　here。
　'Sorry；'　I　said；　my　heart　thudding。　'I　didn't　mean　to　frighten　you。'
　'Just　making　my　rounds。　Is　everything　all　right？'
　'I　sure　hope　so。'　I　went　past　him。
　'Is　something　ing　in？'
　He　followed　me　up　the　ramp。　I　opened　the　door　leading　inside；　and　looked　at　him。
　'Nothing　I　know　of；'　I　replied。
　Now　he　was　pletely　confused；　for　he　did　not　understand　why　I　was　here　at　this　hour　if　no　case　was　ing　in。　He　started　shaking　his　head　as　he　headed　back　toward　the　door　leading　out　into　the　parking　lot。　From　there；　he　would　go　next　door　to　the　lobby　of　the　Consolidated　Labs；　where　he　would　sit　watching　a　small；　flickering　TV　until　it　was　time　to　make　his　rounds　again。　Evans　would　not　step　foot　into　the　morgue。　He　did　not　understand　how　anyone　could；　and　I　knew　he　was　scared　of　me。
　'I　won't　be　down　here　long；'　I　told　him。　'Then　I'll　be　upstairs。'
　'Yes；　ma'am；'　he　said；　still　shaking　his　head。　'You　know　where　I'll　be。'
　Midway　along　the　corridor　in　the　autopsy　suite　was　a　room　not　often　entered；　and　I　stopped　there　first；　unlocking　the　door。　Inside　were　three　freezers　unlike　any　normally　seen。　They　were　stainless　steel　and　oversized；　with　temperatures　digitally　displayed　on　doors。　On　each　was　a　list　of　case　numbers；　indicating　the　unidentified　people　inside。
　I　opened　a　door　and　thick　fog　rolled　out　as　frigid　air　bit　my　face。　She　was　in　a　pouch；　and　on　a　tray；　and　I　put　on　gown；　gloves；　face　shield；　every　layer　of　protection　we　had。　I　knew　I　might　already　be　in　trouble；　and　the　thought　of　Wingo　and　his　vulnerable　condition　thrilled　me　with　fear　as　I　slid　out　the　pouch　and　lifted　it　onto　a　stainless　steel　table　in　the　middle　of　the　room。　Unzipping　black　vinyl；　I　exposed　the　torso　to　ambient　air；　and　I　went　out　and　unlocked　the　autopsy　suite。
　Collecting　a　scalpel　and　clean　glass　slides；　I　pulled　the　surgical　mask　back　down　over　my　nose　and　mouth；　and　returned　to　the　freezer　room；　shutting　the　door。　The　torso's　outer　layer　of　skin　was　moist　as　thawing　began；　and　I　used　warm；　wet　towels　to　speed　that　along　before　unroofing　vesicles；　or　the　eruptions　clustered　over　her　hip　and　at　the　ragged　margins　of　the　amputations。
　With　the　scalpel；　I　scraped　vesicular　beds；　and　made　smears　on　the　slides。　I　zipped　up　the　pouch；　marking　it　with　blaze　orange　biological　hazard　tags；　almost　could　not　lift　the　body　back　up　to　its　frigid　shelf；　my　arms　trembling　under　the　strain。　There　was　no　one　to　call　for　help　but　Evans；　so　I　managed　on　my　own；　and　placed　more　warnings　on　the　door。
　I　headed　upstairs　to　the　third　floor；　and　unlocked　a　small　lab　that　would　have　looked　like　most　were　it　not　for　various　instruments　used　only　in　the　microscopic　study　of　tissue；　or　histology。　On　a　counter　was　a　tissue　processor；　which　fixed　and　dehydrated　samples　such　as　liver；　kidney；　spleen；　and　then　infiltrated　them　with　paraffin。　From　there　the　blocks　went　to　the　embedding　center；　and　on　to　the　microtome　where　they　were　shaved　into　thin　ribbons。　The　end　product　was　what　kept　me　bent　over　my　microscope　downstairs。
　While　slides　air…dried；　I　rooted　around　shelves；　moving　aside　stains　of　bright　orange；　blue　and　pink　in　coplin　jars；　pulling　out　Gram's　iodine　for　bacteria。　Oil　Red　for　fat　in　liver；　silver　nitrate；　Biebrach　Scarlet　and　Acridine　Orange；　as　I　thought　about　Tangier　Island；　where　I'd　never　had　a　case　before。　Nor　was　there　much　crime；　so　I　had　been　told；　only　drunkenness；　which　was　mon　with　men　alone　at　sea。　I　thought　of　blue　crab　again；　and　irrationally　wished　Bev　had　sold　me　rock　fish　or　tuna。
　Finding　the　bottle　of　Nicolaou　stain；　I　dipped　in　an　eye　dropper　and　carefully　dripped　a　tiny　amount　of　the　red　fluid　on　each　slide；　then　finished　with　cover　slips。　These　I　secured　in　a　sturdy　cardboard　folder；　and　I　headed　downstairs　to　my　floor。　By　now；　people　were　beginning　to　arrive　for　work；　and　they　gave　me　odd　looks　as　I　came　down　the　hall　and　boarded　the　elevator　in　scrubs；　mask　and　gloves。　In　my　office；　Rose　was　collecting　dirty　coffee　mugs　off　my　desk。　She　froze　at　the　sight　of　me。
　'Dr　Scarpetta？'　she　said。　'What　in　the　world　is　going　on？'
　'I'm　not　sure；　but　I　hope　nothing；'　I　replied　as　I　sat　at　my　desk　and　took　the　cover　off　my　microscope。
　She　stood　in　the　doorway；　watching　as　I　placed　a　slide　on　the　stage。　She　knew　by　my　mood；　if　by　nothing　else；　that　something　was　very　wrong。
　'What　can　I　do　to　help；'　she　said　in　a　grim；　quiet　way。
　The　smear　on　the　slide　came　into　focus；　magnified　four　hundred　and　fifty　times；　and　then　I　applied　a　drop　of　oil。　I　stared　at　waves　of　bright　red　eosinophilic　inclusions　within　infected　epithelial　cells；　or　the　cytoplasmic　Guarnieri　bodies　indicative　of　a　pox…type　virus。　I　fitted　a　Polaroid　MicroCam　to　the　microscope；　and　took　instant　high…resolution　color　photographs　of　what　I　suspected　would　have　cruelly　killed　the　old　woman　anyway。　Death　had　given　her　no　humane　choice；　but　had　it　been　me；　I　would　have　chosen　a　gun　or　a　blade。
　'Check　MCV；　see　if　Phyllis　has　gotten　in；'　I　said　to　Rose。　'Tell　her　the　sample　I　sent　on　Saturday　can't　wait。'
　Within　the　hour；　Rose　had　dropped　me　off　at　Eleventh　and　Marshall　Streets；　at　the　Medical　College　of　Virginia；　or　MCV；　where　I　had　done　my　forensic　pathology　residency　when　I　wasn't　much　older　than　the　students　I　now　advised　and　presented　gross　conferences　to　throughout　the　year。　Sanger　Hall　was　sixties　architecture；　with　a　facade　of　garish　bright　blue　tiles　that　could　be　spotted　for　miles。　I　got　on　an　elevator　packed　with　other　doctors　I　knew；　and　students　who　feared　them。
　'Good　morning。'
　'You；　too。　Teaching　a　class？'
　I　shook　my　head；　surrounded　by　lab　coats。　'Need　to　borrow　your　TEM。'
　'You　hear　ab