Pendergast spoke again. "How very inconvenient." He turned to D'Agosta. "I suppose we'll just have to wait. Unless Dr. Heffler can manage — how do you term it? — a rush job on that autopsy."

"If I did a rush job for every FBI agent or homicide detective who asked for it — and they all do — I'd never get anything else done." He slid the document back across the desk. "I'm sorry, gentlemen. Now if you'll excuse me?"

"Of course," said Pendergast. "So sorry to have taken up your valuable time."

D'Agosta looked over with incredulity as the agent rose to leave. They were just going to accept this bullshit brush — off and walk out?

Pendergast turned and strode to the door, then hesitated. "Odd that you managed to work so efficiently with Fearing's corpse. How many days did that take?"

"Four. But that was a straightforward suicide. We have a storage problem here."

"Well, then! Given your storage problem, we would like the autopsy on Smithback completed in four days."

A short laugh. "Mr. Pendergast, you haven't been listening. I'll let you know when we can schedule it. Now if you don't mind—"

"Make it three days, then, Dr. Heffler."

The doctor stared at him. "Excuse me?"

Pendergast turned to face him. "I said, three days."

Heffler narrowed his eyes. "You are insolent, sir."

"And you suffer from an egregious lack of ethics."

"What the devil are you talking about?"

"It would be a shame if it became widely known that your office has been selling the brains of the indigent dead."

There was a long silence. When the M.E. spoke again, his voice was as cold as ice. "Mr. Pendergast, are you threatening me?"

Pendergast smiled. "How clever of you, Doctor."

"What I presume you're referring to is a fully sanctioned and legitimate practice. It is for a worthy cause — medical research. We harvest the unclaimed cadavers for all their organs, not just the brain. Their bodies save lives and are crucial for medical research."

"The operative word here is selling. Ten thousand dollars for a brain — isn't that the going price? Who would have thought a brain could be so valuable?"

"For heaven's sake, we don't sell them, Mr. Pendergast. We ask for a reimbursement of our expenses. It costs us money to remove and handle organs."

"A distinction that the readers of the New York Post might not appreciate."

The man's face whitened. "The Post? They aren't writing something?"

"Not yet. But can't you just see the headline?"

The doctor's face darkened, and his bow tie quivered with rage. "You know perfectly well this activity does no harm to anyone. The money is strictly accounted for and supports our work here. My predecessor did the same, as did the M.E. before him. The only reason we keep it quiet is because people would be uncomfortable. Really, Mr. Pendergast, this threat is beyond the pale.Beyond the pale. "

"Indeed. Three days, then?"

The M.E. stared at him with hard, glittering eyes. A curt nod. "Two days."

"Thank you, Dr. Heffler. I'm most obliged." And Pendergast turned to D'Agosta. "And now, we really mustn't take up any more of Dr. Heffler's busy, busy day."

As they exited the building onto First Avenue and walked toward the idling Rolls, D'Agosta couldn't help but chuckle. "How did you pull that rabbit out of your hat?"

"I do not know why it is, Vincent, but there are certain people in positions of power who take pleasure in obstructing others. I'm afraid I take an equally base pleasure in disobliging them. A bad habit, I know, but it isso hard at my age to rid oneself of the minor vices."

"He was pretty frigging 'disobliged.' "

"I fear, however, that Dr. Heffler was right about the DNA results. It's beyond his power, or mine for that matter, to hasten that process, especially given the court order required. An alternative approach is thus necessary. And so this afternoon we'll be paying a visit to Willoughby Manor, in Kerhonkson, to offer our condolences to one Gladys Fearing."

"What for? She's non compos mentis."

"And yet, my dear Vincent, I have a feeling Mrs. Fearing might prove surprisingly eloquent."

Nora Kelly softly closed the door to her basement anthropology lab and leaned against it, closing her eyes. Her head throbbed steadily, and her throat was rough and dry.

It had been far worse than she imagined, running the gauntlet of her colleagues with their well — meaning condolences, their tragic looks, their offers of help, their suggestions she take a few days off. A few days off? And do what: go back to the apartment where her husband was murdered and sit around with only her thoughts for company? The fact was, she'd come straight to the museum from the hospital. Despite what she'd told D'Agosta, she just couldn't face going back to the apartment — at least, not right away.

She opened her eyes. The lab was as she had left it, two days ago. And yet it looked so different. Everything since the murder seemed different. It was as if the whole world had changed — utterly.

Angrily, she tried to force away the sterile train of thought. She glanced at her watch: two o'clock. The only thing that would save her now was immersion in her work. Complete, total immersion.

She locked the door to the lab, then turned on her Mac. Once it had booted up, she opened the database of her potsherds. Unlocking a drawer of trays, she pulled one open, exposing dozens of plastic bags full of numbered potsherds. She opened the first bag, arranged the potsherds on the felt of the tabletop, and began classifying them by type, date, and location. It was tedious, mindless work — but that's what she needed right now. Mindless work.

After half an hour, she paused. It was as silent as a tomb in the basement lab, with the faint hissing of the forced — air system like a steady whisper in the darkness. The nightmare at the hospital had spooked her — the dream had been so real. Most dreams faded with time, but this one, if anything, seemed to grow in clarity.

She shook her head, annoyed at her mind's tendency to keep circling the same horrifying things. Rapping the computer keys harder than necessary, she finished entering the current batch of data, saved the file, then began packing away the sherds, clearing the table for the next bagful.

A soft knock came at the door.

Not another condolence visit. Nora glanced over at the little glass window set into the door, but the hallway beyond was so dim she could see nothing. After a moment, she stood up, walked to the door, placed her hand on the knob. Then she paused.

"Who is it?"

"Primus Hornby."

With a feeling of dismay, Nora unlocked the door to find the small, tub — like anthropology curator standing before her, morning paper folded under one fat little arm, a plump hand nervously rubbing his bald pate. "I'm glad I found you in. May I?"

Reluctantly, Nora stepped aside to let the curator pass. The disheveled little man swept in and turned. "Nora, I'm sodreadfully sorry." His hand continued to nervously rub his bald spot. She didn't respond — couldn't respond. She didn't know what to say or how to say it.

"I'm glad you've come back to work. I find work is the universal healer."

"Thank you for your concern." Perhaps he would leave now. But he had the look of a man with something on his mind.