PATRICIA CORNWELL. Unnatural Exposure

‘Lucy tells me you’ve been communicating with deadoc.’ The playful light vanished from his eyes.

‘To no great extent and with not much luck,’ I angrily said.

To communicate with this killer was infuriating for it was exactly what he wanted. I had made it my mission in life not to reward people like him.

‘Don’t give up,’ Wesley said.

‘He makes allusions to medical matters, such as diseases and germs,’ I said. ‘Doesn’t this concern you in light of what is going on?’

‘He no doubt follows the news.’ He made the same point Janet had.

‘But what if it’s more than that?’ I asked. ‘The woman he dismembered seems to have the same disease that the victim from Tangier does.’

‘And you can’t verify that yet.’

‘You know, I didn’t get where I am by making assumptions and leaping to conclusions.’ I was getting very out of sorts. ‘I will verify this disease as soon as I can, but I think we should be guided by common sense in the meantime.’

‘I’m not certain I understand what you’re saying.’ His eyes never left mine.

‘I’m saying that we might be dealing with biological warfare. A Unabomber who uses a disease.’

‘I hope to God we’re not.’

‘But the thought has crossed your mind too. Don’t tell me you think that a fatal disease somehow linked with a dismemberment is coincidental.’

I studied his face, and I knew he had a headache. The same vein on his forehead always stood out like a bluish rope.

‘And you’re sure you’re feeling all right,’ he said.

‘Yes. I’m more worried about you.’

‘What about this disease? What about the risk to you?’ He was getting irritated with me, the way he always did when he thought I was in danger.

‘I’ve been revaccinated.’

‘You’ve been vaccinated for smallpox,’ he said. ‘What if that’s not what it is?’

‘Then we’re in a world of trouble. Janet came by.’

‘I know,’ he said into his phone. ‘I’m sorry. The last thing you needed right now . . .’

‘No, Benton,’ I interrupted him. ‘I had to be told. There’s never a good time for news like that. What do you think will happen?’

But he did not want to say.

‘Then you think it will ruin her, too,’ I said in despair.

‘I doubt she’ll be terminated. What usually happens is you stop getting promoted, get lousy assignments, field offices out in the middle of nowhere. She and Janet will end up three thousand miles apart. One or both will quit.’

‘How’s that better than being fired?’ I said in pained outrage.

‘We’ll take it as it comes, Kay.’ He looked at me. ‘I’m dismissing Ring from CASKU.’

‘Be careful what you do because of me.’

‘It’s done,’ he said.

Fujitsubo did not stop by my room again until early the next morning, and then he was smiling and opening blinds to let in sunlight so dazzling it hurt my eyes.

‘Good morning, and so far, so good,’ he said. ‘I’m very pleased that you do not seem to be getting sick on us, Kay.’

‘Then I can go,’ I said, ready to leap out of bed right then.

‘Not so fast.’ He was reviewing my chart. ‘I know how hard this is for you, but I’m not comfortable letting you go quite so soon. Stick it out a little longer, and you can leave the day after tomorrow, if all goes well.’

I felt like crying when he left because I did not see how I could endure one more hour of quarantine. Miserable, I sat up under the covers and looked out at the day. The sky was bright blue with wisps of clouds beneath the pale shadow of a morning moon. Trees beyond my window were bare and rocking in a gentle wind. I thought of my home in Richmond, of plants to be potted and work piling up on my desk. I wanted to take a walk in the cold, to cook broccoli and homemade barley soup. I wanted spaghetti with ricotta or stuffed frittata, and music and wine.

For half the day, I simply felt sorry for myself and did not do a thing except stare at television and doze. Then the nurse for the next shift came in with the phone and said there was a call for me. I waited until it was transferred and snatched up the receiver as if this were the most exciting thing that had ever happened in my life.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122

Leave a Reply 0

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *