‘No need to do anything,’ she said simply. ‘But I leave for you the key and instructions. Should you get the urge in the middle of the night, you don’t even need to let me know.’

‘That is so kind of you,’ I said. ‘I doubt I’ll need it long.’

‘But you should need it long. It is on the ocean in Palmetto Dunes, a small, modest house near the Hyatt. I will not be using it anytime soon and don’t think you will be bothered there. In fact, you can just be Dr. Zenner.’ She chuckled. ‘No one knows me there anyway.’

‘Dr. Zenner,’ I mused dryly. ‘So now I’m German.’

‘Oh, you are always German.’ She opened the door. ‘I don’t care what you have been told.’

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.