Chapter 37: The Autopsy Reveals Suspicions
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
The morning after Roger Dzoriack's apparent suicide, Detective Michael Bennett bypasses his own office and heads straight to the chief medical examiner's office. He knows his friend Aurora Jones is on duty. He had left a message the night before asking her to personally conduct the autopsy on the retired cop. Suicides are low priority for the ME's office, especially for a reclusive sixty-seven-year-old man, but Aurora has already completed the autopsy and an initial drug screen.
Bennett finds Aurora relaxing with her feet on her desk, eating cherry yogurt. She teases him about investigating a suicide when he has plenty of other work. Bennett explains the victim was a retired NYPD officer. Aurora reveals she called in a favor to have NYPD forensics analyze the water from the glass next to Dzoriack's bed. Spectrometry shows four different prescription drugs were crushed into the water, but Dzoriack only had a prescription for one of them: Ambien. No other pill bottles were found in the apartment. Aurora then points out a fingerprint irregularity: the glass has only one set of prints, perfectly arranged as if someone held it while drinking, but the glass looks as though it was wiped clean before those prints were placed. A glass used normally would show dozens of prints from repeated handling. Both anomalies suggest the scene was staged. Bennett realizes he needs to reexamine Dzoriack's apartment and that his work on this case has only just begun.
Key Events
- Bennett visits the medical examiner's office to personally ask Aurora Jones to perform the autopsy on Roger Dzoriack.
- Aurora has already completed the autopsy and initial drug screen, plus a favor from NYPD forensics.
- The water in Dzoriack's glass contains four different prescription drugs, but only one (Ambien) was prescribed to him.
- No other prescription bottles were found in the apartment, which seems impossible if Dzoriack never left home.
- The glass shows only a single set of fingerprints arranged in a drinking grip, indicating it was wiped clean and then re-printed.
- Bennett decides to return to Dzoriack's apartment to search for more evidence.
Character Development
Michael Bennett demonstrates his thoroughness and willingness to follow hunches. Instead of delegating, he personally involves his friend Aurora and trusts her unconventional insights. He is open to evidence that contradicts the initial suicide ruling and immediately acts on the new information.
Aurora Jones is portrayed as both competent and perceptive. She goes beyond standard protocol, calling in favors and noticing details others might miss. Her personality shines through her sparkling glasses and casual demeanor, but she takes the investigation seriously and shares her concerns privately with Bennett.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Deception vs. Authenticity: The glass, symbolizing a simple everyday object, becomes a marker of truth. Its unnatural cleanliness and single set of prints expose the possibility that someone staged the suicide. This motif of manufactured evidence contrasts with the genuine forensic data that ultimately reveals the lie.
Trust and Secrecy: Bennett and Aurora share a professional bond that allows her to speak freely. She notes that she can share her insights because Bennett is trustworthy. This underscores the theme that uncovering the truth often depends on confidential cooperation between trusted allies.
Isolation and Vulnerability: Dzoriack's reclusive lifestyle made him an easy target. The fact that multiple drugs entered his locked apartment suggests a perpetrator who could exploit his isolation, raising questions about how the killer gained access.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 37 marks a pivotal shift in the investigation. What appeared to be a routine suicide is now seriously questioned. The medical evidence points to murder, and Bennett commits to pursuing the case. This chapter deepens the mystery around Dzoriack's death and reconnects it to the larger plot. It also strengthens the character of Aurora Jones as a valuable ally. Readers understand that the stakes have risen: a killer is out there who knows how to manipulate crime scenes.
Study Questions and Answers
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What two pieces of forensic evidence make Aurora suspicious about Dzoriack's death?
First, the water in the glass contained four prescription drugs, but Dzoriack had a prescription for only one (Ambien). Second, the glass had only a single set of fingerprints in a grip pattern, suggesting it was wiped clean and then placed in the victim's hand, rather than being used normally. -
Why does Bennett choose to go to the ME's office instead of his own that morning?
Bennett wants to personally ensure that Aurora Jones performs the autopsy because he values her expertise and trust. He left a message the previous night requesting her involvement, indicating he sensed something unusual about the suicide from the start. -
What does Aurora mean when she says she is "moving out of my lane" about the fingerprint observation?
Aurora acknowledges that fingerprint analysis is not her direct responsibility as a medical examiner. However, she shares her personal instinct that the glass's print pattern feels wrong. This highlights her willingness to contribute insights beyond her formal role.