cpatricia.unnaturalexposure-第28部分

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　'This　isn't　where　it　happened；'　I　said　as　my　heart　beat　harder。
　Lucy　was　silent。
　'She　was　brought　in　here　after　the　fact　to　be　photographed。　This　is　not　where　the　killing　and　dismemberment　took　place。'
　'What　are　you　seeing？'　she　asked。
　I　moved　my　hand　and　walked　closer　to　the　virtual　table。　I　pointed　at　the　virtual　walls；　to　show　Lucy　what　I　saw。　'Where　did　he　plug　in　the　autopsy　saw？'　I　said。
　I　could　find　but　one　electrical　outlet；　and　it　was　at　the　base　of　a　wall。
　'And　the　drop　cloth　is　from　here；　too？'　I　went　on。　'It　doesn't　fit　with　everything　else。　No　paint；　no　tools。'　I　kept　looking　around。　'And　look　at　the　floor。　The　wood's　lighter　at　the　border　as　if　there　once　was　a　rug。　Who　puts　rugs　in　workshops？　Who　has　wallpaper　and　drapes？　Where　are　the　outlets　for　power　tools？'
　'What　do　you　feel？'　she　asked。
　'I　feel　this　is　a　room　in　someone's　house　where　the　furniture　has　been　removed。　Except　there　is　some　sort　of　table；　which　has　been　covered　with　something。　Maybe　a　shower　curtain。　I　don't　know。　The　room　feels　domestic。'
　I　reached　out　my　hand　and　tried　to　touch　the　edge　of　the　table　cover；　as　if　I　could　lift　it　and　reveal　what　was　underneath；　and　as　I　looked　around；　details　became　so　clear　to　me；　I　wondered　how　I　could　have　missed　them　before。　Wiring　was　exposed　in　the　ceiling　directly　above　the　table；　as　if　a　chandelier　or　other　type　of　light　fixture　had　once　hung　there。
　'What　about　my　color　perception　right　now？'　I　asked。
　'Should　be　the　same。'
　'Then　there's　something　else。　These　walls。'　I　touched　them。　'The　color　lightens　in　this　direction。　There's　an　opening。　Maybe　a　doorway；　with　light　ing　through　it。'
　'There's　no　doorway　in　the　photo。'　Lucy　reminded　me。　'You　can　only　see　what's　there。'
　It　was　odd；　but　for　a　moment　I　thought　I　could　smell　her　blood；　the　pungency　of　old　flesh　that　has　been　dead　for　days。　I　remembered　the　doughy　texture　of　her　skin；　and　the　peculiar　eruptions　that　made　me　wonder　if　she　had　shingles。
　'She　wasn't　random；'　I　said。
　'And　the　others　were。'
　'The　other　cases　are　nothing　like　this　one。　I'm　getting　double　imagery。　Can　you　adjust　that？'
　'Vertical　retinal　image　disparity。'
　Then　I　felt　her　hand　on　my　arm。
　'Usually　goes　away　after　fifteen　or　twenty　minutes；'　she　said。　'It's　time　to　take　a　break。'
　'I　don't　feel　too　good。'
　'Image　rotation　misalignment。　Visual　fatigue；　simulation　sickness；　cybersick；　whatever　you　want　to　call　it；'　she　said。　'Causing　image　blurring；　tears；　even　queasiness。'
　I　couldn't　wait　to　remove　the　helmet　and　I　was　on　the　table　again；　facedown　in　blood　before　I　could　get　the　LCDs　away　from　my　eyes。
　My　hands　were　shaking　as　Lucy　helped　me　take　off　the　glove。　I　sat　down　on　the　floor。
　'Are　you　all　right？'　she　asked；　kindly。
　'That　was　awful；'　I　said。
　'Then　it　was　good。'　She　returned　the　helmet　and　glove　to　a　counter。　'You　were　immersed　in　the　environment。　That's　what　should　happen。'
　She　handed　me　several　tissues；　and　I　wiped　my　face。
　'What　about　the　other　photograph？　Do　you　want　to　do　that　one；　too？'　she　asked。　'The　one　with　the　hands　and　feet？'
　'I've　been　in　that　room　quite　enough；'　I　said。
　
　
　8
　
　I　DROVE　HOME　haunted。　I　had　been　going　to　crime　scenes　most　of　my　professional　life；　but　had　never　had　one　e　to　me。　The　sensation　of　being　inside　that　photograph；　of　imagining　I　could　smell　and　feel　what　was　left　of　that　body；　had　shaken　me　badly。　It　was　almost　midnight　by　the　time　I　pulled　into　my　garage；　and　I　couldn't　unlock　my　door　fast　enough。　Inside　my　house；　I　turned　the　alarm　off；　then　back　on　the　instant　I　shut　and　locked　the　door。　I　looked　around　to　make　sure　nothing　was　out　of　place。
　Lighting　a　fire；　I　fixed　a　drink　and　missed　cigarettes　again。　I　turned　on　music　to　keep　me　pany；　then　went　inside　my　office　to　see　what　might　await　me　there。　I　had　various　faxes　and　phone　messages；　and　another　munication　in　e…mail。　This　time；　all　deadoc　had　for　me　was　to　repeat；　you　think　you　re　so　smart。　I　was　printing　this　and　wondering　if　Squad　19　had　seen　it；　too；　when　the　telephone　rang；　startling　me。
　'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　mic