She left and I sat up straighter, energetic and alert. I got out of bed and was in the closet when I heard my door open. I walked out, expecting Lucy. Instead, Paul Tucker was inside my room. I was too surprised to be embarrassed as I stood barefoot with nothing on but a gown that barely covered anything.
He averted his gaze as I returned to bed and pulled up the covers.
‘I apologize. Captain Marino said it was all right to come in,’ said Richmond’s chief of police, who did not seem particularly sorry, no matter what he claimed.
‘He should have told me first,’ I stated, looking him straight in the eye.
‘Well, we all know about Captain Marino’s manners. Do you mind?’ He nodded at the chair.
‘Please. I’m clearly a captive audience.’
‘You are a captive audience because I have half my police department looking out for you right now.’ His face was hard.
I watched him carefully.
‘I’m very aware of what happened in your morgue this morning.’ Anger glinted in his eyes. ‘You are in grave danger, Dr. Scarpetta. I’m here to plead with you. I want you to take this seriously.’
‘How could you possibly assume I’m not taking this seriously?’ I said with indignation.
‘We’ll start with this. You should not have returned to your office this afternoon. Two law enforcement officers were just murdered, one of them there while you were in the building.’
‘I had no choice but to return to my office, Colonel Tucker. Just who do you think did those officers’ autopsies?’
He was silent. Then he asked, ‘Do you think Gault has left town?’
‘No.’
‘Why?’
‘I don’t know why, but I don’t think he has.’
‘How are you feeling?’
I could tell he was fishing for something, but I could not imagine what.
‘I’m feeling fine. In fact, as soon as you leave, I’m going to get dressed and then I’m going to leave,’ I replied.
He started to speak but didn’t.
I watched him for a moment. He was dressed in dark blue FBI National Academy sweats and high-top leather cross-training shoes. I wondered if he had been working out in the gym when someone had called him about me. It suddenly struck me that we were neighbors. He and his wife lived in Windsor Farms just a few blocks from me.
‘Marino’s told me to evacuate my house,’ I said in an almost accusatory tone. ‘Are you aware of that?’
‘I’m aware.’
‘How much of a hand have you had in his suggestion to me?’
‘Why would you think I’ve had anything to do with what Marino suggests to you?’ he asked calmly.
‘You and I are neighbors. You probably drive past my house every day.’
‘I don’t. But I know where you live, Kay.’
‘Please don’t call me Kay.’
‘If I were white would you let me call you Kay?’ he said with ease.
‘No, I would not.’
He did not seem offended. He knew I did not trust him. He knew I was slightly afraid of him and probably of most people right now. I was getting paranoid.
‘Dr. Scarpetta.’ He got up. ‘I’ve had your house under surveillance for weeks.’ He paused, looking down at me.
‘Why?’ I asked.
‘Sheriff Brown.’
‘What are you talking about?’ My mouth was getting dry.
‘He was very involved in an intricate drug network that stretches from New York to Miami. Some of your patients were involved in it. At least eight that we know of at this time.’
‘Drug shootings.’
He nodded, staring toward the window. ‘Brown hated you.’
‘That was clear. The reason was not.’
‘Let’s just say that you did your job too well. Several of his comrades were locked up for a very long time because of you.’ He paused. ‘We had reason to fear he planned to have you taken care of.’
I stared at him, stunned. ‘What? What reason?’
‘Snitches.’
‘More than one?’
Tucker said, ‘Brown had already offered money to somebody we had-to take very seriously.’
I reached for my water glass.
‘This was earlier in the month. Maybe three weeks ago.’ His eyes wandered around the room.