Robert Walker - Extreme Instinct

It was evident to Repasi, J. T., and Jessica that Martin's injuries were the result of a high-intensity flash burn, resulting from an explosion of gases. Jessica kept hearing the whoosh of the explosion in her ears. This explained why 90 percent of the burned areas appeared to have burned uniformly. The other 10 percent was due to the mattress and clothing burning against the body. When clothing ignited, a combination of flash and flash burn occurred. Hash burns usually resulted in only partial-thickness or second- and third-degree burns and singed hair, but this flash burn was directed by human means directly at the victim, making it third- and fourth-degree about the face, head, and upper torso, with nearly total loss of hair. What hair remained crumbled at the touch, like burned pitch pine.

The severity of the burn was increased by the careful method in which the killer loosely wrapped the clothing about the body. If wrapped tightly and snugly against the body, it would have decreased the degree of burn. But the killer knew that air surrounding the clothing would help fuel his human bonfire.

"Order up at minimum," began Jessica, "blood, vitreous, urine, and bile for toxicological analysis."

"I'll do the blood myself," suggested Repasi, quickly taking the blood from the root of the aorta with needle and syringe. Wise choice, Jessica thought, glad that Karl hadn't incised the vessels and attempted to catch the fluid as it came out.

Repasi next went about placing all body fluids he collected in glass tubes and bottles, no plastic. Once more, Jessica approved.

"Shall we open up the chest? Get liver, kidney, and muscle samples?"

"Ready when you are, Doctor." Repasi was a sure man with a scalpel, and his incision helped the already fractured and split-apart chest open like a melon to reveal the viscera, remarkably but not surprisingly untouched by the fire. Due to its high water content, a body was one of the most difficult items on the planet to use as fuel for a fire-so much so that a body like Martin's, showing great and extreme damage and extensive charring on the outside, often showed perfect preservation of the internal organs, especially those below the rib cage. Household fires generated temperatures seldom exceeding 1,200 to 1,600 degrees Fahrenheit. It took 1,800 to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit to cremate a body. Ordinary house fires lacked that kind of intensity and the time to incinerate a human body completely. As for a flash fire, involving gasoline and butane and a sudden flashover, the intensity was fleeting. A flash fire could not sustain such temperatures for a long enough period to fully ignite the body and all its water-laden internal organs.

"Liver, kidney, and muscle needn't be retained," Repasi suggested. "I can take samples only, and I'll see that they are kept for three or four years, if need be. I'll do the microscopic examination of the tissues, and I'll oversee the slides."

"Very thorough, Doctor," complimented Jessica. ''Please be sure to also make a positive ID of the victim as well."

He saw the glint in her eye. "Yes, of course." He managed a wry smile.

''To make a positive and unmistakable identification, a chest X ray will be taken to be used for comparison with those of the deceased man. His dentures will also be kept in the effort to ID him beyond a reasonable doubt."

Jessica knew that in fact a single tooth could positively identify Martin, but the old man didn't have a single tooth of his own remaining.

"So, as it stands, we have no evidence he was alive when the flash fire killed him, none other than your word, Dr. Coran."

"It appears so," she agreed, but she didn't care for Karl's accusatory tone.

Now he cut off the recorder. ''This business about the phone, about the killer's having constant contact with you, Dr. Coran. It's a bit far-fetched, wouldn't you say?"

The assistants in the room stopped what they were doing to listen to Repasi, who continued in the same vein, saying, "Why does he talk to you exclusively? Why?"

Jessica took her colleague aside. ''Trust me, Dr. Repasi, if I thought giving him your number would help matters-"

Repasi's raucous laughter cut her off. "So exactly when did he last speak with you. Jessica? What does he wish to convey to you? What is his ultimate purpose? His destination? His goal?"

"If I knew that, Karl, I'd have him surrounded with an army of law enforcement officials this moment. Believe me, if I could alter or end his madness, I would do so immediately."

"Would you really? Your record does not bear you out, Jessica. You're rather well known nowadays for rushing in where fools fear to tread, quite on your own, to grab the glory."

"The glory? There is no bloody glory in any of this!" She pointed to the petrified corpse, once again raising interest in the lab assistants.

"You garnered plenty in New Orleans, and with that madman Matisak, repeating a similar performance to your actions in Chicago, New York-''

Jessica's face grew stern as she listened to Repasi, her teeth grinding top to bottom, until she exploded, cutting him off. "Are you finished?"

"Oh, I see," he replied. "It only appears that you're interested in media attention as a modern-day Sherlock Holmes. I get it." A curling smile snaked about his mouth.

He enjoyed making her uneasy, making her squirm, she realized. "That's contemptible, Karl."

"Jessica, I've no doubt we have a serial killer playing deadly with fire here, but that he grants you a private audience with each killing? I have a problem with that."

"Bullshit! I didn't make it up, Karl! And I'm not smitten with the press or building an image for myself. There's no hoax here! Certainly none of my doing."

"Oh, I hope I didn't suggest that you were part of some elaborate medical hoax, Doctor. It's just that I'm having trouble with the idea that this monster serial killer feels compelled to contact you every step of the way. It's sheer madness even for a madman."

''As I said, if I could alter his madness in any way, this moment-"

"So, when did he last talk to you?" he wanted to know.

"I've taken proper steps to inform, on a need-to-know basis, my superiors of any contact made. That doesn't include you, Karl."

"What has he conveyed to you? What is his ultimate goal? And this business of him telephoning it in. Are you sure he's not just some mental patient from a federal facility whom you've had… previous contact with?"

She considered the possibility for half a second. "No, he is not, Doctor. And I'm not sure I like what you're implying here."

"I didn't mean to imply anything unsavory."

She pointed her finger at his eyes and sternly said,' 'This conversation is taking a strange turn, Karl. I think it's at an end, now."

"I, personally, don't believe a word of the rumors being touted about, Jessica, but you know what they say about appearances."

"Whatever are you talking about? What rumors?"

"Press rumors."

"About me?"

"You and this madman, yes, and the idea there might be some former connection; that perhaps you know him, or knew him, but have put him out of your mind, perhaps?"

"No, no… I have as much knowledge of him as you, Karl."

"Some people are throwing it out there, Jessica, this theory, and it has just enough basis in fact that credence is being-"

"Basis in fact? Credence? What fact?"

"It's a well-known fact that you have both access and control over any number of serial killers and homicidal psychopaths in federal care. Is that not true?"

She gritted her teeth, angry, knowing that Karl was right about the press, particularly the tabloid press, with their unspoken motto: We print every half-truth fit or unfit to see print. And there was just enough half-truth in what Karl said to crop up in the rags. She took it out on Karl, saying, "You just reminded me again why I've always disliked you, Karl."