“The phone call I got a few minutes ago?” She looked up at him and said, “I need Kay to examine the body, if she’s willing. I’m afraid Dr. Lester’s playing her usual games with me. We’re tracking her down. She’s getting her ass back to the morgue asap and will cooperate if I have to call the goddamn mayor.”

She pulled the door shut. Benton stood on the sidewalk in the cold and watched Jaime Berger’s yellow taxi speed away, cutting off two other cars to a cacophony of angry honks.

9

Kay Scarpetta 16 - Scarpetta

9

Scarpetta examined long, shallow abrasions on the left side of Oscar’s upper back as he volunteered how he got them.

“He was already inside, and he attacked me,” he was saying. “He ran off, and I found her. The police didn’t believe me. I could see it on their faces. They think I got hurt because I struggled with her. You can tell, can’t you? That I didn’t struggle with her?”

“It would be helpful if you’d describe to me what you were wearing last night,” she replied.

“You can tell these injuries aren’t from my struggling with her. They won’t find my DNA under her nails. She didn’t scratch me. She didn’t fight with me. We never fought. Maybe just an argument now and then. She was already dead.”

Scarpetta gave him a moment, he was crying so hard.

When he was quieter, she repeated the question. “Last night. What were you wearing when you got into the struggle with—?”

“I couldn’t see him.”

“You’re certain it was a him.”

“Yes.”

“Do you remember what time this was?”

“Five o’clock.”

“Exactly?”

“I’m never late. All the lights were out. Even the entrance light was out. All her windows were dark. It didn’t make sense. She was expecting me. Her car was there on the street. I parked behind it. There were empty spaces. Because it was New Year’s Eve, and a lot of people were gone. I took my coat off and left it on the passenger’s seat. I had on a T-shirt and jeans. She likes me to wear tight T-shirts, sleeveless ones. She loves my body. I work on it because she loves it and I’d do anything to please her. She loves sex. I couldn’t be with a woman who doesn’t love sex.”

“Regular sex, rough sex, creative sex?” Scarpetta asked.

“I’m very considerate and gentle. I have to be. Because of my size.”

“What about fantasies? Such as bondage. It’s important I ask.”

“Never! Never!”

“It’s not a judgment. A lot of people do a lot of things, which is fine. As long as it’s all right for both of them.”