Five Scarpetta Novels Read Free Page B

determined. He blinked several times, and I could feel his hate.
    â€œThis is the last time I’m going to ask you to allow me to do my job,” I went on. “We have an unnatural deathhere that is in my jurisdiction. If you would rather not cooperate, I will be happy to call the state police, the U.S. Marshal, FBI. Your choice. I can probably get somebody here in twenty minutes. I’ve got my portable phone right here in my pocket.” I patted it.
    â€œYou want to dive”—he shrugged—“then go right ahead. But you’ll have to sign a waiver relieving the shipyard of any responsibility, should something unfortunate happen. And I seriously doubt there are any forms like that here.”
    â€œI see. Now I need to sign something you don’t have.”
    â€œThat’s correct.”
    â€œFine,” I said. “Then I’ll just draft a waiver for you.”
    â€œA lawyer would have to do that, and it’s a holiday.”
    â€œI am a lawyer and I work on holidays.”
    His jaw muscles knotted, and I knew he wasn’t going to bother with any forms now that it was possible to have one. We started walking back, and my stomach tightened with dread. I did not want to make this dive and I did not like the people I had encountered this day. Certainly, I had gotten entangled in bureaucratic barbed wire before when cases involved government or big business. But this was different.
    â€œTell me something,” Green spoke again in his scornful tone, “do chief medical examiners always personally go in after bodies?”
    â€œRarely.”
    â€œExplain why you think it is necessary this time.”
    â€œThe scene of death will be gone the moment the body is moved. I think the circumstances are unusual enough to merit my taking a look while I can. And I’m temporarily covering my Tidewater District, so I happened to be here when the call came in.”
    He paused, then unnerved me by saying, “I certainly wassorry to hear about Dr. Mant’s mother. When will he be back to work?”
    I tried to remember this morning’s phone call and the man called Young with his exaggerated Southern accent. Green did not sound native to the South, but then neither did I, and that didn’t mean either of us couldn’t imitate a drawl.
    â€œI’m not certain when he’ll return,” I warily replied. “But I’m wondering how you know him.”
    â€œSometimes cases overlap, whether they should or not.”
    I was not sure what he was implying.
    â€œDr. Mant understands the importance of not interfering,” Green went on. “People like that are good to work with.”
    â€œThe importance of not interfering with what, Captain Green?”
    â€œIf a case is the Navy’s, for example, or this jurisdiction or that. There are many different ways that people can interfere. All are a problem and can be harmful. That diver, for example. He went where he didn’t belong and look what happened.”
    I had stopped walking and was staring at him in disbelief. “It must be my imagination,” I said, “but I think you’re threatening me.”
    â€œGo get your gear. You can park closer in, by the fence over there,” he said, walking off.

chapter
2
    L ONG AFTER HE had disappeared inside the building with the anchor in front, I was sitting on the pier, struggling to pull a thick wet suit over my dive skin. Not far from me, several rescuers prepared a flat-bottomed boat they had moored to a piling. Shipyard workers wandered about curiously, and on the dive platform, two men in royal blue neoprene tested buddy phones and seemed very thorough in their inspection of scuba gear, which included mine.
    I watched the divers talk to each other, but I could not make out a word they said as they unscrewed hoses and fitted belts with weights. Occasionally, they glanced my way, and I was surprised when one of them decided to