Scarpetta

So the Jane Doe who was on the train tracks

was actually a biomedical engineer working at Thor Labs.

That tech company that made the news

for 3D printing human organs?

They're talking security clearances.

Marino says you think Matt Petersen might be involved?

If he really did have something to do with this,

then Gwen's death is on me.

You know you can't tell your wife any of this, right?

You mean my wife,

the chief medical examiner in charge of the case?

Aren't you supposed to do that in your bedroom?

This is, uh, my niece Lucy. Lucy, this is Benton.

Why is Abby Turnbull always nipping at our heels?

It's the job of public servants to bring truth to the people.

There's a serial murderer on the loose.

I have till Friday to catch him

before he kills again.

- - We can trace the soap,

narrow our scope of suspects.

You still think it's Matt Petersen?

Nothing yet that tells me otherwise.

See what I sent you?

You got to be fucking kidding me.

- Peter. - I'm sorry. I got to go.

I think I just made a big mistake.

Marino, stop!

How did you know Gwen Hainey?

I wanted to find out if it was ever even going to be possible.

- What? - Fully functioning

compatible synthetic organs.

When people die, that's it.

They're gone. They're fucking gone.

- Thor Labs? - Yeah.

That's where Gwen Hainey worked.

- Is this connected to her death? - Thor Labs

- contracts with the Defense Department. - Is this connected to her--

Uh, Dr. Kay Scarpetta, this is my partner Sierra Patron.

It's nice to meet you, Dr. Scarpetta. Thank you for coming.

Well, it's not like I had a choice, is it?

So what do you need from me?

Well, we need a medical examiner to do an out-of-the-box autopsy.

Word has it, you're the best.

No need to flatter me. I'm here.

So, three months ago, Thor launched an experimental

biomedical lab to 3D bioprint human organs in orbit.

Apparently, conditions in space optimize growth.

Microgravity. The tiniest of blood vessels can stand on their own.

So, earlier today, ground control lost all contact with the orbiter,

and some three hours after that, we detected an unknown object

re-entering Earth's atmosphere and completely disintegrating

- over U.S. airspace. - The orbiter.

So, um, what happened to it?

Well, that's, uh, what you're here to tell us.

As far as we can tell, the orbiter started losing speed,

causing it to free-fall, then the Earth's atmosphere did the rest.

At nearly 17,000 miles per hour,

the friction of the air would've caused it to start burning up almost immediately.

The Thor orbiter had nine modules,

but the lab was the only one fitted with extra solar radiation shielding.

Three individuals lived on that orbiter.

Two commercial astronauts, an American and a Russian to run the station.

And a biomedical engineer from Thor Labs to perform the experiments, Jared Horton.

Using metallurgic X-ray, we've determined there are two bodies

inside of the lab wreckage.

In the entire history of our space program,

we've never had a death in orbit.

We must find out as quickly as possible what happened to these men.

What caused their deaths,

and for this reason, we've brought in renowned expert,

Dr. Kay Scarpetta, to be the first to examine whatever remains of them.

Gwen Hainey, also a biomedical engineer at Thor,

was found murdered in Virginia this past week.

Uh, we believe that Gwen was killed in her home,

her body was then moved

and staged on Daingerfield Island.

Hainey came on the Bureau's radar last summer

when intelligence was received

that she was selling sensitive trade secrets

to our foreign competitors, the Russians.

Two days after Gwen Hainey's death,

Jared Horton placed a brief call to her cell phone from the Thor orbiter.

"Hello from space, my dear. How are you?"

What does that mean?

Well, we believe it means that Jared Horton and Gwen Hainey

were partners shopping biotech to the Russians,

and that her murder is somehow connected to the two dead men inside that orbiter.

I want to speak to your supervisor.

Why not the sales department?

Because I already spoke to the guy in Borawash sales and accounting,

and the dumbass in PR twice.

Actually, do you know what?

No more transfers. You, sir, are gonna be my hero

because I'm trying to look for a serial killer

and there's 100,000 women in this city who are running out of time.

Borawash is nontoxic, ma'am.

- What? - It can't kill you.

Okay, I'm gonna need you to really listen.

I'm Dr. Kay Scarpetta. I'm the chief medical examiner of Virginia,

and I investigate deaths. Do you follow?

So like a coroner?

Uh, no. No, no. Nothing like a coroner. Look,

I need a list immediately of every Borawash client in Alexandria.

And if I don't get that list,

you're gonna see a court order on your desk with your name on it.

Do you know my name?

What? Oh, shit. Uh...

- Um, I do. I have it written down. - Can I place you on a brief hold?

No. No! No! No!

These Abby Turnbull articles aren't helping much.

Least as far as people feeling terrified.

Gun sales are through the roof.

Next thing you know, we're gonna be in a city full of quaking cowards

all armed to the teeth.

Be a rash of accidents. Everybody's fucked.

Publicity can inflate a killer's ego. That can lead to more bodies.

So you saying he strikes tonight?

We're screwed.

Borawash is used in 73 city and state buildings in Alexandria and D.C.

Courthouses, county hospitals, DMV.

I haven't even gotten started on the private businesses yet.

So at least 10,000 employees across the city?

- At least. - Jesus Christ.

You want A to H, I to O, or P to Z?

And, what, interview 10,000 people?

Yeah, well, obviously, I have to narrow it down,

I just don't know how to yet, but we will.

Uh, you realize it's already 6:00 p.m., right?

I mean, we ain't gonna get no one on the phone until Monday.

Well, what do we do? It is Friday night. Women are afraid to go home.

You should get home to your niece. Lock your doors and the windows.

Look, I ain't just gonna sit around.

I'm a cop. It's the night he strikes. I'll patrol the fucking streets.

Look, let's hope that all this attention does the opposite of what we think,

encourages him to lay low.

Can we at least agree to page each other at the first sign of trouble?

Okay?

Doc, uh, you need a ride? I'm heading that way myself.

Or I-I could follow you, if you'd feel more comfortable.

I can get myself home.

Hey.

What are you typing?

Lucy?

No? Nothing?

Luce? We're gonna go see a movie.

Okay?

He's always been a little rough around the edges-- Pete.

I mean, we all know he's not really domesticated,

but, man, I have never seen him lose his cool like that, have you?

Like, was he gonna kill that guy if we hadn't have shown up?

I am sure he didn't mean any of the things he said.

Just... lost his cool.

- You know? - I actually think he did mean it.

And I think it's something he's wanted to say to me for a while.

I, um...

I saw what was on your screen-- well, who was on your screen,

when I came over to your place the other day.

She's beautiful, Lucy.

And I just, I want to say...

it's okay.

You know, everybody deals with grief their own way.

And it's honestly nobody's business really but your own.

Hey, um, I have a bottle of something not too terrible on the shelf over there,

if you want to maybe...

have a drink? Hang out?

You know, I think I should go home,

and, uh, check on Pete.

Yeah. Yeah.

No, yeah, of course, that's... that's a good idea. You should do that.

Count me in on the next one, though.

Yeah.

He just got up, he left.

I was so embarrassed. He didn't even touch his fish.

But I guess it was the, um, eyeballs.

Probably a no-go, but, you know, hindsight is, uh, 20/20.

- What-what are you looking for? - I'm looking for a cigarette.

I would like a cigarette because I'm a little drunk, and I like to smoke.

Okay, well, uh, you're never gonna find those in Lucy's house.

Oh, really?

What's this then, hmm?

- That's a joint. - Ah, even better. Even better.

Um, do we think that this is wise?

Mm.

It is not just wise, it is necessary.

Janet, thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you for telling me.

Of course he's in love with her. Why else would he do these things?

No, no.

I never should've said that.

I-I didn't mean it like it was true, like a real feeling.

More like one of those unrequited doohickeys

- that lingers a little longer than you'd-- - No.

No.

Because he didn't even stay for the Baked Alaska, and he loves meringue.

Okay, and even if it were true-- and I'm not saying that it was--

it's so obvious who Marino loves now and who he wants to be with.

Me?

- Yes, of course you. -

Yeah, I thought that, at one point. At the beginning.

Now, I'm a fucking consolation prize.