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'You know that isn't possible just now。' She was taking my blood pressure again。
'Even prisons have a place for visitors；' I almost snapped。 'Isn't there some area where I can talk to her through glass？ Or can't she put on a suit and e in here like you do？'
Of course； all this required permission； yet again； from the colonel； who decided that the easiest solution was for me to wear a HEPA filter mask and go into the visitors' booth。 This was inside the Clinical Research Ward； where studies were conducted on new vaccines。 She led me through a BL…3 recreation room； where volunteers were playing Ping…Pong and pool； or reading magazines and watching TV。
The nurse opened the wooden door to Booth B； where Janet was seated on the other side of glass in an uncontaminated part of the building。 We picked up our phones at the same time。
'I can't believe this；' was the first thing she said。 'Are you all right？'
The nurse was still standing behind me in my telephone…booth…sized space； and I turned around and asked her to leave。 She didn't budge。
'Excuse me；' I said； and I'd about had it with her。 'This is a private conversation。'
Anger flashed in her eyes as she left and shut the door。
'I don't know how I am；' I said into the phone。 'But I don't feel too bad。'
'How long does it take？' Fear shone in her eyes。
'On average； ten days； at the most fourteen。'
'Well； that's good； then； isn't it？'
'I don't know。' I felt depressed。 'It depends on what we're dealing with。 But if I'm still okay in a few days； I expect they will let me leave。'
Janet looked very grown…up and pretty in a dark blue suit； her pistol inconspicuous beneath her jacket。 I knew she would not have e alone unless something was very wrong。
'Where's Lucy？' I asked。
'Well； actually； both of us are up here in Maryland； outside Baltimore； with Squad Nineteen。'
'Is she all right？'
'Yes；' Janet said。 'We're working on your files； trying to trace them through AOL and UNIX。'
'And？'
She hesitated。 'I think the quickest way to catch him is going to be online。'
I frowned； perplexed by this。 'I'm not sure I understand 。 。 。'
'Is that thing unfortable？' She stared at my mask。
'Yes。'
I was sorrier for the way it looked。 It covered half of my face like a hideous muzzle and kept knocking the phone as I talked。
'How can you catch him online unless he's still sending messages to me？'
She opened a file folder on her Formica ledge。 'Do you want to hear them？'
I nodded as my stomach tightened。
'Microscopic worms； multiplying ferments and miasma；' she read。
'Excuse me？' I said。
'That's it。 E…mail sent this morning。 The next one came this afternoon。 They are alive； but no one else will be。 And then about an hour after that； Humans who seize from others and exploit are macro parasites。 They kill their hosts。 All in lowercase with no punctuation except spaces。' She looked through the glass at me。
'Classical medical philosophy；' I said。 'Going back to Hippocrates and other Western practitioners； their theories of what causes disease。 The atmosphere。 Reproducing poisonous particles generated by the deposition of organic matter。 Microscopic worms； et cetera。 And then the historian McNeill wrote about the interaction of micro and macro parasites as a way of understanding the evolution of society。'
'Then deadoc has had medical training；' Janet said。 'And it sounds like he's alluding to whatever this disease is。'
'He couldn't know about it；' I said as I began to entertain a terrible new fear。 'I don't see how he possibly could。'
'There was something in the news；' she said。
I felt a rush of anger。 'Who opened his mouth this time？ Don't tell me Ring knows about this； too。'
'The paper simply said your office was investigating an unusual death on Tangier Island； a strange disease that resulted in the body being airlifted out by the military。'
'Damn。'
'Point is； if deadoc has access to Virginia news； he could have known about it before he sent the e…mail messages。'
'I hope that's what happened；' I said。
'Why wouldn't it be？'
'I don't know； I don't know。' I was worn out and my stomach was upset。
'Dr Scarpetta。' She leaned closer to the glass。 'He wants to talk to you。 That's why he keeps sending you mail。'
I was feeling chills again。
'Here's the idea。' Janet tucked the printouts back inside the file。 'I could get you in a private chat room with him。 If we can keep you online long enough； we can trace him from telephone trunk to telephone trunk； until we get a town； then a location。'
'I don't believe for a moment that this person is going to participate；' I said。 'He's too smart for that。'
'Benton Wesley thinks he might。'
I was silent。
'He thinks deadoc is sufficiently fixated on you that he might get into a chat room。 It's more than his wanting to know what you think。 He wants you to know what he thinks； or at least this is Wesley's theory。 I've got a laptop here； everything you need。'
'No。' I shook my head。 'I don't want to get into this； Janet。'
'You've got nothing else to do for the next few days。'
It irritated me when anyone ever accused me of not having enough to do。 'I don't want to municate with the monster。 It's far too risky。 I could say the wrong thing and more people die。'
Janet's eyes were intense on mine。 'They're dying； anyway。 Maybe others are； too； even as we speak； that we don't know about yet。'
I thought of Lila Pruitt alone in her house； wandering； demented with disease。 I saw her in her mirror； shrieking。
'All you need to do is get him talking； a little bit at a time；' Janet went on。 'You know； act reluctant； as if he's caught you unaware； otherwise he'll get suspicious。 Build it up for a few days； while we try to find out where he is。 Get on AOL。 Go into the chat rooms and find one called M。E。； okay？ Just hang out in there。'
'Then what？' I wanted to know。
'The hope is he'll e looking for you； thinking this is where you do consultations with other doctors； scientists。 He won't be able to resist。 That's Wesley's theory and I agree with it。'
'Does he know I'm here？'
The question was ambiguous but she knew who I meant。
'Yes；' she said。 'Marino asked me to call him。'
'What did he say？' I asked into the phone。
'He wanted to know if you were okay。' She was getting evasive。 'He has this old case in Georgia。 Something about two people stabbed to death in a liquor store； and organized crime is involved。 In a little town near St Simons Island。'
'Oh； so he's on the road。'
'I guess so。'
'Where will you be？'
'With the squad。 I'll actually be staying in Baltimore； on the harbor。'
'And Lucy？' I asked again； this time in a way she couldn't evade。 'Do you want to tell me what's really going on； Janet？'
I breathed my filtered air； looking through glass at someone I knew could never lie to me。
'Everything okay？' I pressed harder。
'Dr Scarpetta； I'm here by myself for two reasons；' she finally said。 'First； Lucy and I got into a huge fight about your going online with this guy。 So everyone involved thought it would be better if she wasn't the one to talk to you about it。'
'I can understand that；' I said。 'And I agr