“I think that’s genius,” Morales agreed. “Go on CNN and tell Oscar to please turn himself in. That it’s the best plan for his useless life, under the circumstances.”

“He can call his local FBI field office,” Benton suggested. “Then he doesn’t have to worry about falling into the hands of some rural sheriff’s department that doesn’t know what the hell is going on. Depending on where he is.”

“He calls the FBI, they’ll take the credit for his arrest,” Morales said.

“Who gives a flying fuck who takes the credit,” Marino said. “I agree with Benton.”

“So do I,” Bacardi said. “He should call the FBI.”

“I appreciate everybody deciding on that for me,” Berger said. “But actually, I tend to agree with you. It’s much riskier if he ends up in the wrong hands. And if by some chance he’s no longer in the U.S., he can still call the FBI. As long as he ends up back here, I don’t care who gets him.”

Her eyes found Morales.

She added, “Credit isn’t an issue.”

He stared back at her. He looked at Lucy and winked. The mother-fucking prick.

Scarpetta said, “I’m not going on CNN and asking him to turn himself in. That’s not who I am. It’s not what I do. I don’t take sides.”

“You’re not serious,” Morales said. “You telling me you don’t go after the bad guys? Dr. CNN always gets the bad guy. Come on. You don’t want to ruin your reputation over a dwarf.”

“What she’s telling you is she’s the advocate of the victim,” Benton said.

“Legally, that’s correct,” Berger said. “She doesn’t work for me or the defense.”

“If everybody’s finished speaking on my behalf and has no further questions, I’d like to go home,” Scarpetta said, getting up and getting angrier.

Lucy tried to remember the last time she’d seen her aunt as angry as she was right now, especially before an audience. It wasn’t like her.

“What time do you expect Dr. Lester to start Eva Peebles’s case? I mean really start it. I’m not asking what time she said she’d start it. I don’t intend to show up down there and sit around for hours. And unfortunately, I can’t start the case without her. It’s unfortunate she’s doing it at all.”

Scarpetta looked directly at Morales, who had called Dr. Lester from the scene.

“I don’t have control over that,” Berger said. “I can call the chief medical examiner, but that’s not a good idea. I think you understand. They already think I’m a meddler down there.”

“That’s because you are,” Morales said. “Jaime the Meddler. Everybody calls you that.”

Berger ignored him and got up from her chair. She looked at her very expensive watch.