〃Tell me how to get there；〃 I said to my deputy chief。
〃I guess you're not going to accept my pro bono advice。〃
〃If I'm ing from my house； Downtown Expressway； and then what？〃 I said。
He gave me directions。 I got off the phone and hurried to my bedroom； Benton's letter in hand。 I couldn't think of a place to keep it。 I couldn't just leave it in a drawer or file cabinet。 God forbid I should lose it or the housekeeper should discover it； and I didn't want it in a place where I might run across it unawares and be undone again。 Thoughts spun wildly； my heart racing； adrenaline screaming through my blood as I stared at the stiff； creamy envelope； at 〃Kay〃 written in Benton's modest； careful hand。
I finally focused on the small fireproof safe bolted to the floor in my closet。 I frantically tried to remember where I had' written down the bination。
〃I'm losing my goddamn mind；〃 I exclaimed out loud。
The bination was where I always kept it； between pages 670 and 671 of the seventh edition of Hunter's Tropical Medicine。 I locked the letter in the safe and walked into the bathroom and repeatedly splashed cold water on my face。 I called Rose； my secretary； and instructed her to arrange for a removal service to meet me at the Port of Richmond in about an hour and a half。
〃Let them know the body's in very sorry shape；〃 I emphasized。
〃How are you going to get there？〃 Rose asked。 〃I'd tell you to stop here first and get the Suburban； but Chuck's taken it in for an oil change。〃
〃I thought he was sick。〃
〃He showed up fifteen minutes ago and left with the Suburban。〃
〃Okay； I'll have to use my own car。 Rose； I'm going to need the Ltuna…Lite and a hundréd…foot extension cord。 Have someone meet me in the parking lot with them。 I'll call when I'm close。〃
〃You need to know that Jean's in a bit of an uproar。〃
〃What's the problem？〃 I asked； surprised。
Jean Adams was the office administrator and she rarely showed emotion； much less got upset。
〃Apparently all the coffee money disappeared。 You know this isn't the first time。 。 。〃
〃Damn！〃 I said。 〃Where was it kept？〃
〃Locked up in Jean's desk drawer； like always。 Doesn't look like the lock was pried open or anything； but she went into the drawer this morning； no money。 A hundred and eleven dollars and thirty…five cents。〃
〃This has got to stop；〃 I said。
〃I don't know if you're aware of the latest；〃 Rose went on。 〃Lunches have started disappearing from the break room。 Last week Cleta accidentally left her portable phone on her desk overnight and the next morning it was gone。 Same thing happened to Dr。 Riley。 He left a nice pen in the pocket of his lab coat。 Next morning； no pen〃
〃The crew that cleans up after hours？〃
〃Maybe；〃 Rose said。 〃But I will tell you； Dr。 Scarpettaand I'm not trying to accuse anyone…I'm afraid it might be an inside job：'
〃You're right。 We shouldn't accuse anyone。 Is there any good news today？〃
〃Not so far；〃 Rose matter…of…factly replied。
Rose had worked for me since I had been appointed chief medical examiner； which meant she had been running my life for most of my career。 She had the remarkable ability to know virtually everything going on around her without getting caught up in it herself。 My secretary remained untainted； and although the staff was somewhat afraid of her； she was the first one they ran to when there was a problem。 。
〃Now you take care of yourself； Dr。 Scarpetta；〃 she went on。 〃You sound awful。 Why don't you let Jack go to the scene and you stay in for once？〃
〃I'll just take my car；〃 I said as a wave of grief rolled over me and sounded in my voice。
Rose caught it and rode it out in silence。 I could hear her shuffling through papers on her desk。 I knew she wanted to somehow fort me； but I had never allowed that。
〃Well； make sure you change before you get back in it；〃 she finally said。
〃Change what？〃
〃Your clothes。 Before you get back into your car；〃 she said as if rd never dealt with a deposed body before。
〃Thank you； Rose；〃 I said。
3
I set the burglar alarm and locked the house； turning on the light in the garage； where I opened a spacious locker built of cedar； with vents along the top and bottom。 Inside were hiking boots； waders； heavy leather gloves and a Barbour coat with its special waterproofing that reminded me of wax。
Out here I kept socks； long underwear； jumpsuits and other gear that would never see the inside of my house。 Their end of tour landed them in the industrial…size stainless steel sink and washer and dryer not meant for my normal clothes。
I tossed a jumpsuit； a pair of black leather Reeboks and an Office of Chief Medical Examiner； or OCME； baseball cap inside the trunk。 I checked my large Halliburton aluminum scene case to make sure I had plenty of latex gloves； heavy…duty trash bags； disposable sheets； camera and film。 I set out with a heavy heart ss Benton's words drifted through my mind again。 I tried to block out his voice； his eyes and smile and the feel of his skin。 I wanted to forget him and more than anything； I didn't。
I turned on the radio as I followed the Downtown Expressway to 1…95； the Richmond skyline sparkling in the sun。 I was slowing at the Lombardy Toll Plaza when my car phone rang。 It was Marino。
Thought I'd let you know I'm going to drop by；〃 he said。
A horn blared when I changed lanes and almost clipped a silver Toyota in my blind spot。 The driver swooped around me； yelling obscenities I couldn't hear。
〃Go to hell；〃 I angrily said in his wake。
〃What？〃 Marino said loudly in my ear。
〃Some goddamn idiot driver。〃
〃Oh； good。 You ever heard of road rage； Doc？〃
〃Yes； and I've e down with it〃
I took the Ninth Street exit； heading to my office； and let Rose know I was two minutes away。 When I pulled into the parking lot； Fielding was waiting with the hard case and extension cord。
〃I don't guess the Suburban's back yet；〃 I said。
〃Nope；〃 he replied； loading the equipment in my trunk。 〃Gonna be something when you show up in this thing。 I can just see all those dockworkers staring at this goodlooking blond woman in a black Mercedes。 Maybe you should borrow my car。〃
My bodybuilding deputy chief had just finalized a divorce and celebrated by trading in his Mustang for a red Corvette。
〃Actually； that's a good idea；〃 I dryly said。 〃If you don't mind。 As long as it's a V…eight〃
Yeah； yeah。 I hear ya。 Call me if you need me。 You know the way； right？〃
〃I do。〃
His directions led me south； and I was almost to Petersburg when I turned off and drove past the back of the Philip Morris manufacturing plant and over railroad tracks。 The narrow road led me through a vacant land of weeds and woods that ended abruptly at a security checkpoint。 I felt as if I were crossing the border into an unfriendly country。Beyond was a train yard and hundreds of boxcar…size orange containers stacked three and four high。 A guard who took his job very seriously stepped outside his booth。 I rolled down my window。
〃May I help you； ma'am？〃 he asked in a flat military tone。
〃I'm Dr。 Kay Scarpetta；〃 I replied。
〃And who are you here to see？〃
〃I'm here because there's been a death；〃 I explained。 〃I'm the medical examiner。〃
I showed him my credentials。 He took them from me and studied them carefully。 I had a feeling he didn't know what a medical examiner was and wasn't about to ask。
〃So you're the chief；〃 he said； handing the worn black wallet back to me。 〃The chief of what？〃
〃I'm the chief medical examiner of Virginia；〃 I replied。 〃The police are waiting for me。〃
He stepped back inside his booth and got on the phone as my impatience grew。 It seemed every time I needed to enter a secured area； I went through this。 I used to assume my being a woman was the reason； and in earlier days this was probably true…at least some of the time。 Now I believed the threats of terrorism； crime and lawsuits were the explanation。 The guard wrote down a description of my car arid the plate number。 He handed me a clipboard so I could sign in and gave me a visitor's pass； which I didn't clip on。
〃See that pine tree down there？〃 he said； pointing。
〃I see quite a few pine trees。〃
〃The little bent one。 Take a left at it and just head on towards the water； ma'am；〃 he said。 〃Have a nice day。〃
I moved on； passing huge tires parked here and there and several red brick buildings with signs out front to identify the U。S。 Customs Service and Federal Marine Terminal。 The port itself was rows of huge warehouses with orange containers lined up at loading docks like animals feeding from troughs。
Moored off the wharf in the James River were two container ships； the Euroclip and the Sirius； each almost twice as long as a football field。 Cranes hundreds of feet high were poised above open hatches the size of swimming pools。
Yellow crime…scene tape anchtired by traffic cones circled a container that was mounted on a chassis。 No one was nearby。 In fact； I saw no sign of police except for an unmarked blue Caprice at the edge of the dock apron； the driver； apparently； behind the wheel talking through the