cpatricia.unnaturalexposure-第22节

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　his　only　mission　was　to　convey　the　truth　without　drawing　undue　attention　to　himself。　Ring　was　a　superb　con　man；　and　what　he　said　next　in　front　of　my　colleagues　incensed　me　beyond　belief。
　'For　example；　and　I　have　to　be　honest　about　this；'　he　said　to　me；　'I　just　don't　think　it　was　a　good　idea　to　give　out　the　race；　age　and　all　about　the　victim。　Now　maybe　I'm　wrong。'　He　looked　around　the　room。　'But　it　seems　like　the　less　said；　the　better　right　now。'
　'I　had　no　choice；'　I　said；　and　I　could　not　keep　the　edge　out　of　my　voice。　'Since　someone　had　already　leaked　misinformation。'
　'But　that's　always　going　to　happen；　and　I　don't　think　it　should　force　us　to　give　out　details　before　we're　ready；'　he　said　in　his　same　earnest　tone。
　'It　is　not　going　to　help　us　if　the　public　is　focused　on　a　missing　prepubescent　Asian　female。'　I　stared　at　him；　eye　to　eye；　while　everyone　else　looked　on。
　'I　agree。'　Frankel；　from　VICAP；　spoke。　'We'd　be　getting　missing　person　files　from　all　over　the　country。　An　error　like　that　has　to　be　straightened　out。'
　'An　error　like　that　never　should　have　happened　to　begin　with；'　Wesley　said；　peering　around　the　room　over　the　top　of　his　glasses；　the　way　he　did　when　he　was　in　a　humorless　mood。　'With　us　this　morning　is　Detective　Grigg　of　Sussex；　and　Special　Agent　Farinelli。'　He　looked　at　Lucy。　'She's　the　technical　analyst　for　HRT；　manages　the　Criminal　Artificial　Intelligence　Network　all　of　us　know　as　CAIN；　and　is　here　to　help　us　with　a　puter　situation。'
　My　niece　did　not　look　up　as　she　hit　more　keys；　her　face　intense。　Ring　had　her　in　his　sights；　staring　as　if　he　wanted　to　eat　her　flesh。
　'What　puter　situation？'　he　asked；　as　his　eyes　continued　to　devour　her。
　'We'll　get　to　that；'　Wesley　said；　and　briskly　moved　on。　'Let　me　summarize；　then　we'll　move　on　to　specifics。　The　victimology　in　this　most　recent　landfill　case　is　so　different　from　the　previous　four　　or　nine；　if　we　include　Ireland　　as　for　me　to　conclude　that　we　are　dealing　with　a　different　killer。　Dr　Scarpetta　is　going　to　review　her　medical　findings　which　I　think　will　make　it　abundantly　clear　that　this　M。O。　is　profoundly　atypical。'
　He　went　on；　and　we　spent　until　midday　going　over　my　reports；　diagrams　and　photographs。　I　was　asked　many　questions；　mostly　by　Grigg；　who　wanted　very　much　to　understand　every　facet　and　nuance　of　the　serial　dismemberments　so　he　could　better　discern　that　the　one　in　his　jurisdiction　was　unlike　the　rest。
　'What's　the　difference　between　someone　cutting　through　joints　and　cutting　through　the　bones？'　he　asked　me。
　'Cutting　through　joints　is　more　difficult；'　I　said。　'It　requires　knowledge　of　anatomy；　perhaps　some　previous　experience。'
　'Like　if　someone　was　a　butcher　or　maybe　worked　in　a　meat…packing　plant。'
　'Yes；'　I　replied。
　'Well；　I　guess　that　sure　would　fit　with　a　meat　saw；'　he　added。
　'Yes。　Which　is　very　different　from　an　autopsy　saw。'
　'Exactly　how？'　It　was　Ring　who　spoke。
　'A　meat　saw　is　a　hand　saw　designed　to　cut　meat；　gristle；　bone；'　I　went　on；　looking　around　at　everyone。　'Usually　about　fourteen　inches　long　with　a　very　thin　blade；　ten　chisel…type　teeth　per　inch。　It's　push　action；　requiring　some　degree　of　strength　on　the　part　of　the　user。　The　autopsy　saw；　in　contrast；　won't　cut　through　tissue；　which　must　first　be　reflected　back　with　something　like　a　knife。'
　'Which　was　what　was　used　in　this　case；'　Wesley　said　to　me。
　'There　are　cuts　to　bone　that　fit　the　class　characteristics　of　a　knife。　An　autopsy　saw；'　I　went　on　to　explain；　'was　designed　to　work　only　on　hard　surfaces　by　using　a　reciprocating　action　that　is　basically　push…pull；　going　in　only　a　little　bit　at　a　time。　I　know　everyone　here　is　familiar　with　it；　but　I've　got　photos。'
　Opening　an　envelope；　I　pulled　out　eight…by…tens　of　the　saw　marks　the　killer　had　left　on　the　bone　ends　I　had　carried　to　Memphis。　I　slid　one　to　each　person。
　'As　you　can　see；'　I　went　on；　'the　saw　pattern　here　is　multidirectional　with　a　high　polish。'
　'Now　let　me　get　this　straight；'　said　Grigg。　'This　is　the　exact　same　saw　you　use　in　the　morgue。'
　'No。　Not　exactly　the　same；'　I　said。　'I　generally　use　a　larger　sectioning　blade　than　was　used　here。'
　'But　this　is　from　a　medical　sort　of　saw。'　He　held　up　the　photograph。
　'　Correct。'
　'Where　would　your　average　person　get　something　like　that？'
　'Doctor's　office；　hospital；　morgue；　medical　supply　pany；'　I　replied。　'Any　number　of　places。　The　sale　of　them　is　not　restricted。'
　'So　he　could　have　ordered　it　without　being　in　the　medical　profession。'
　'Easily；'　I　said。
　Ring　said；　'Or　he　could　have　stolen　it。　He　could　have　decided　to　do　something　different　this　time　to　throw　us　off。'
　Lucy　was　looking　at　him；　and　I　had　seen　the　expression　in　her　eyes　before。　She　thought　Ring　was　a　fool。
　'If　we're　dealing　with　the　same　killer；'　she　said；　'then　why　is　he　suddenly　sending　files　through　the　Internet　when　he's　never　done　that　before；　either？'
　'Good　point。'　Frankel　nodded。
　'What　files？'　Ring　said　to　her。
　'We're　getting　to　that。'　Wesley　restored　order。　'We've　got　an　M。O。　that's　different。　We've　got　a　tool　that's　different。'
　'We　suspect　she　has　a　head　injury；'　I　said；　sliding　autopsy　diagrams　and　the　e…mail　photos　around　the　table；　'because　of　blood　in　her　airway。　This　may　or　may　not　be　different　from　the　other　cases；　since　we　don't　know　their　causes　of　death。　However；　radiologic　and　anthropologic　findings　indicate　that　this　victim　is　profoundly　older　than　the　others。　We　also　recovered　fibers　indicating　she　was　covered　in　something　consistent　with　a　drop　cloth　when　she　was　dismembered；　again；　inconsistent　with　the　other　cases。'
　I　explained　in　more　detail　about　the　fibers　and　paint；　all　the　while　vividly　aware　of　Ring　watching　my　niece　and　taking　notes。
　'So　she　was　probably　cut　up　in　someone's　workshop　or　garage；'　Grigg　said。
　'I　don't　know；'　I　answered。　'And　as　you've　seen　from　the　photos　sent　to　me　through　e…mail；　we　can　only　know　that　she's　in　a　room　with　putty…colored　walls；　and　a　table。'
　'Let　me　again　point　out　that　Keith　Pleasants　has　an　area　behind　his　house　that　he　uses　for　a　workshop；'　Ring　reminded　us。　'It　has　a　big　workbench　in　it　and　the　walls　are　unpainted　wood。'　He　looked　at　me。　'Which　could　pass　for　putty…colored。'
　'Seems　like　it　would　be　awfully　hard　to　get　rid　of　all　the　blood；'　Grigg　dubiously　mused。
　'A　drop　cloth　with　a　rubber　backing　might　explain　the　absence　of　blood；'　Ring　said。　'That's　the　whole　point。　So　nothing　leaks　through。'
　Everyone　looked　at　me　to　see　what　I　would　say。
　'It　would　have　been　very　unusual　not　to　get　things　bloody　in　a　case　like　this；'　I　replied。　'Especially　since　she　still　had　a　blood　pressure　when　she　was　decapitated。　If　nothing　else；　I　would　expect　blood　in　wood　grain；　in　cracks　of　the　table。'
　'We　could　try　some　chemical　testing　for　that。'　Ring　was　a　forensic　scientist　now。　'Like　luminol。　Any　blood　at　all；　it's　going　to　react　to　it　and　glow　in　the　dark。'
　'The　problem　with　luminol　is　it's　destructive；'　I　replied。　'And　we're　going　to　want　to　do　DNA；　to　see　if　we　can　get　a　match。　So　we　certainly　don't　want　to　ruin　what　little　blood　we　might　find。'
　'It's　not　like　we　got　probable　cause　to　go　in　Pleasants'　workshop　and　start　any　kind　of　testing　anyway。'　Grigg's　stare　across　the　table　at　Ring　was　confrontational。
　'I　think　we　do。'　He　stared　back　at　him。
　'Not　unless　they　changed　the　rules　on　me。'　Grigg　spoke　slowly。
　Wesley　was　watching　all　this；　evaluating　everyone　and　every　word　the　way　he　always　did。　He　had　his　opinion；　and　more　than　likely　it　was　right。　But　he　remained　silent　as　the　arguing　went　on。
　'I　thought　。　。　。'　Lucy　tried　to　speak。
　'A　very　viable　possibility　is　that　this　is　a　copycat；'　Ring　said。
　'Oh；　I　think　it　is；'　said　Grigg。　'I　just　don't　buy　your　theory　about　Pleasants。'
　'Let　me　finish。'　Lucy's　penetrating　gaze　scanned　the　faces　of　the　men。　'I　thought　I　would　give　you　a　briefing　on　how　the　two　files　were　sent　via　America　Online　to　Dr　Scarpetta's　e…mail　address。'
　It　always　sounded　odd　when　she　called　me　by　my　professional　name。
　'I　know　I'm　curious。'　Ring　had　his　chin　propped　on　a　hand　now；　studying　her。
　'First；　you　would　need　a　scanner；'　she　went　on。　'That's　not　hard。　Something　with　color　capabilities　and　decent　resolution；　as　low　as　seventy…two　dots　per　inch。　But　this　looks　like　higher　resolution　to　me；　maybe　three　hundred　dpi。　We　could　be　talking　about　something　as　simple　as　a　hand…held　scanner　for　three　hundred　and　ninety…nine　dollars；　to　a　thirty…five…millimeter　slide　scanner　that　can　run　into　the　thousands　。　。　。'
　'And　what　kind　of　puter　would　you　hook　this　up　to；'　Ring　said。
　'I　was　getting　to　that。'　Lucy　was　tired　of　being　interrupted　by　him。　'System　requirements：　Minimum　of　eight　megs　RAM；　a　color　monitor；　software　like　FotoTouch　or　ScanMan；　a　modem。　Could　be　a　Macintosh；　a　Performa　6116CD　or　even　something　older。　The　point　is；　scanning　files　into　your　puter　and　sending　them　through　the　Internet　is　very　accessible　to　your　average　person；　which　is　why　telemunications　crimes　are　keeping　us　so　busy　these　days。'
　'Like　that　big　child　pornography；　pedophile　case　you　all　just　cracked；'　Grigg　said。
　'Yes；　photos　sent　as　files　through　the　World　Wide　Web；　where　children　can　talk　to　strangers　again；'　she　said。　'What's　intere