“I mean, I can’t show you any slides because the specimens haven’t been processed yet because the autopsy was only yesterday. But if you want to view the gross specimens, I’d be happy to show them to you. As for slides, if you provide your contact information, I’ll either tell you when they’re ready and you can come back, or, if you’d prefer, I could send some slides up to you at Columbia Medical School.”

“Oh, absolutely, I want to see the gross specimens,” Pia said. “And I want to see the slides too, when they’re ready.”

Jack looked at McGovern with a smile. “Dr. McGovern, make sure you get Miss Grazdani’s contact information.”

“I’ll be happy to do so,” McGovern said, beaming.

“Well, let’s go up,” Jack said, and all four trooped out of Chet’s office and headed for the stairs. Pia carried both her umbrella and the shopping bag holding the Geiger counter.

On the fourth floor they all filed into the histology lab. The supervisor, Maureen O’Conner, was still on duty. Jack could swear that since redheads had become very cool recently, Maureen’s red curls had gotten redder.

“So what do we have here on a Friday night?” Maureen quipped. “Is this a party or is it work?” She looked from Jack to Laurie to Chet to Pia. Chet made the introductions and Maureen shook hands with Pia.

“I want to look at some samples, if it’s okay, Maureen,” Jack said. “I know it’s late.”

“Ah, it’s never too late for you, Jack,” Maureen said, and Laurie rolled her eyes. Maureen had taken an early liking to Jack and babied him with special attention. Jack’s slides were always available a little quicker than everyone else’s.

Under Jack’s instruction, Maureen took out a number of formalin-filled sample bottles from the sample storage area and put them on an available and reasonably empty bench.

After donning gloves, Jack took out the pale intestine samples and put them on the countertop. He showed Pia the perforations and the marked erosion of the internal, mucosal epithelium that lined the organ. When she saw that Jack was ready to put them back into the sample bottles, Pia asked a question as casually as she could.

“Would you mind if I checked the sample with my Geiger counter?”

Jack shrugged. “It’s okay with me.”

Pia pulled the Geiger counter out of the shopping bag. After opening up the mica port specifically designed for alpha particles, Pia turned on the machine and positioned the Geiger counter as close to the intestinal sample as possible without touching it. Immediately the counter started giving off the clicks that announced the presence of radiation. As Pia moved the instrument even closer the clicks intensified until they were a continuous noise. Then the needle on the counter’s gauge went off the scale.