“It’s one of Jack’s who died of botulinum poisoning.”

“It wasn’t really my case,” Jack interjected. “That’s an important distinction. Besides, Warren is already intimately aware of it.”

Laurie hit herself on the forehead with the heel of her hand. “Of course!” she exclaimed. “How could I forget?”

“She’s talking about Connie Davydov,” Jack said.

Warren nodded. “I guessed as much. Flash told me he was disappointed you think it was accidental.”

“So you already knew about the botulism?” Laurie asked Warren.

Warren nodded.

Laurie let out an embarrassed laugh. “I guess I was the last to know.”

“I called Warren this morning right after I found out about it,” Jack explained. “I needed Flash’s work number so I could call him.”

“Whatever,” Laurie said. “So what’s the follow-up?”

“Not a whole heck of a lot,” Jack said. “I’m afraid the case has gotten mired in bureaucratic red tape. By the time I called Sanders with the news about the botulism, the body had been cremated. That means there will be no autopsy, a fact that’s going to be very embarrassing for the Brooklyn office to explain unless the information is not released. Anyway, it’s going to be up to Bingham what to do.”

“So that means the Department of Health has yet to be notified,” Laurie said.

“I imagine that’s true,” Jack said.

“Well, that’s terrible,” Laurie said.

“Why is it so terrible?” Warren questioned. “Connie’s already dead.”

“But no one knows where the botulinum toxin came from,” Laurie explained. “The real reason we medical examiners do what we do is to save lives. This situation with the botulism is a good example. There could be a source out there that’s going to kill other people.”

“Okay,” Warren said. “I see what you mean.”

“There’s another part of this that neither one of you knows,”

Jack said. “In the same neighborhood where Connie lived there’s been a major die-off of sewer rats.”

“No kidding,” Laurie said. “Are you implying they died of botulism, too?”

“Exactly,” Jack said. “The cause was just confirmed a few hours ago.”

“That means the source of the toxin that killed Connie went down the drain,” Laurie said.

“Or somehow the rats infected Connie,” Jack said. “Connie lived in an old, ramshackle cottage in a curious, anachronistic warren of others. You guys should see this little community. I have no idea of the adequacy of the plumbing, but judging from the exteriors and the haphazard way the cottages have been remodeled, I can’t believe that the plumbing could be state-of-the-art.”

Laurie shook her head. “I doubt that the plumbing had anything to do with this. It had to be the other way around. The toxin came from Connie’s house. And it must have been a substantial amount of it to kill all those rats. I wonder if Connie did any home canning.” Laurie looked to Warren.