Vanish: A Rizzoli & Isles Novel

institution. I am certified in both anatomical and clinical pathology. I then completed a two-year fellowship in the subspecialty of forensic pathology, at the University of California, Los Angeles.”
    “And are you board certified in your field?”
    “Yes, Ma’am. In both general and forensic pathology.”
    “And where have you worked prior to joining the M.E.’s office here in Boston?”
    “For seven years, I was a pathologist with the M.E.’s office in San Francisco. I also served as a clinical professor of pathology at the University of California. I hold medical licenses in both the states of Massachusetts and California.” It was more information than had been asked of her, and she could see Aguilar frown, because Maura had tripped up her planned sequence of questions. Maura had recited this information so many times before in court that she knew exactly what would be asked, and her responses were equally automatic. Where she’d trained, what her job required, and whether she was qualified to testify on this particular case.
    Formalities completed, Aguilar finally got down to specifics. “Did you perform an autopsy on an individual named Fabian Dixon last October?”
    “I did,” answered Maura. A matter-of-fact response, yet she could feel the tension instantly ratchet up in the courtroom.
    “Tell us how Mr. Dixon came to be a medical examiner’s case.” Aguilar stood with her gaze fixed on Maura’s, as though to say:
Ignore everyone else in the room. Just look at me and state the facts
.
    Maura straightened and began to speak, loudly enough for everyone in the courtroom to hear. “The decedent was a twenty-four-year-old man who was discovered unresponsive in the backseat of a Boston Police Department cruiser. This was approximately twenty minutes after his arrest. He was transported by ambulance to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival in the emergency room.”
    “And that made him a medical examiner’s case?”
    “Yes, it did. He was subsequently transferred to our morgue.”
    “Describe for the court Mr. Dixon’s appearance when you first saw him.”
    It didn’t escape Maura’s attention that Aguilar referred to the dead man by name. Not as
the body
or
the deceased
. It was her way of reminding the court that the victim had an identity. A name and a face and a life.
    Maura responded likewise. “Mr. Dixon was a well-nourished man, of average height and weight, who arrived at our facility clothed only in cotton briefs and socks. His other clothing had been removed earlier during resuscitation attempts in the emergency room. EKG pads were still affixed to his chest, and an intravenous catheter remained in his left arm …” She paused. Here was where things got uncomfortable. Although she avoided looking at the audience and the defendant, she could feel their eyes on her.
    “And the condition of his body? Would you describe it for us?” Aguilar prodded.
    “There were multiple bruises over the chest, the left flank, and the upper abdomen. Both eyes were swollen shut, and there were lacerations of the lip and scalp. Two of his teeth—the upper front incisors—were missing.”
    “Objection.” The defense attorney stood. “There’s no way of knowing when he lost those teeth. They could have been missing for years.”
    “One tooth showed up on X-ray. In his stomach,” said Maura.
    “The witness should refrain from commenting until I’ve ruled,” the judge cut in severely. He looked at the defense attorney. “Objection overruled. Ms. Aguilar, proceed.”
    The ADA nodded, her lips twitching into a smile, and she refocused on Maura. “So Mr. Dixon was badly bruised, he had lacerations, and at least
one
of his teeth had recently been knocked out.”
    “Yes,” said Maura. “As you’ll see from the morgue photographs.”
    “If it please the court, we would like to show those morgue photos now,” said Aguilar. “I should warn the audience, these are not pleasant to look at. If any visitors in the courtroom would prefer not to see them, I suggest they leave at this point.” She paused and looked around.
    No one left the room.
    As the first slide went up, revealing Fabian Dixon’s battered body, there were audible intakes of breath. Maura had kept her description of Dixon’s bruises understated, because she knew the photos would tell the story better than she could. Photos couldn’t be accused of taking sides or lying. And the truth