“Hydrolysis of fats and oils in the human body can indeed yield a crude soap. Also known as grave wax because of the way it looks.”

“And the formation of this soap, or grave wax or adipocere, doesn’t happen overnight, correct?” she asks.

“That’s correct. It can take weeks or months, depending on the temperature and other conditions.”

“Which leads me to what’s been all over the news today.” Of course she was going to get to that. “The body you recovered from the water almost in view of where we are sitting? Indeed, if you walk outside this courtroom and look through those huge windows you can almost see where you were on the Coast Guard boat but a few hours ago, correct?”

“That’s correct.”

“Do you know the identity of this dead woman whose body you pulled out of the water several hours ago?”

“At this time I don’t,” I answer, and of course Dan Steward is letting her get away with it.

“Do you know how old she is?”

“No.”

“Can you estimate?”

“I haven’t examined her yet.”

“But you’ve obviously seen the body,” Donoghue continues. “You must have an opinion.”

“I haven’t formed any opinions yet.”

“The body is that of an adult female, correct?” She keeps going because Steward isn’t stopping her.

“That’s correct.”

“Older than sixteen? Older than eighteen?”

“It’s safe to say the body is that of a mature adult female,” I reply.

“Possibly in her fifties?”

“I don’t know her age at this time.”

“I repeat the word possible. Is it possible she’s in her late forties, in her fifties.”

“It’s possible.”

“With long white or platinum-blond hair.”

“That’s correct.”

“Dr. Scarpetta, are you aware that Mildred Lott is fifty and has long, very platinum-blond hair?”

Speaking of her in the present tense, as if she’s not dead. If she’s not dead, then her husband couldn’t have had anything to do with murdering her.

“I’m vaguely aware of her age and that her hair has been described as platinum blond,” I reply.

“With the court’s permission, at this time I’d like to play footage from Fox News that shows Dr. Scarpetta pulling this body out of the Massachusetts Bay earlier today.”

If jurors even consider the body is Mildred Lott, they won’t believe she could have been murdered more than six months ago.

“I’d like to access this Fox News footage on the Internet and play it on the flat screens in the courtroom so everybody can see what I’m talking about.”

Dan Steward’s case is cooked.

“Your Honor, I object,” Steward says.

I glance back at him, and he is on his feet again and looks more bewildered than angry.

“On what grounds, Mr. Steward?” The judge’s face is stony, and he sounds annoyed.