Chapter 18 Summary

Marino has taken Scarpetta back to her home where the police are searching through Abby's things. Scarpetta learns that Abby had a tape recorder that recorded everything that happened in Spurrier's house that morning. Scarpetta insists on listening to the tape. The tape gives the impression that Abby did not know Mrs. Harvey planned to kill Spurrier and that she attempted to pull her own gun when she saw what Mrs. Harvey's intentions were. Spurrier went for Abby's gun and shot her in the struggle seconds before Mrs. Harvey shot him. Marino then tells Scarpetta that Mrs. Harvey shot Spurrier because she learned the DNA tests had not matched the blood in Jill Harrington's car.

At Abby's funeral Scarpetta speaks to Wesley. Scarpetta tells him that she spoke to Spurrier's brother and learned that Spurrier had aplastic anemia and had to have a...