A few moments before, Johnnie had snipped the tape that sealed the fatal bag around the dead man’s throat. "He used scissors! And you used scissors!" the doctor exclaims in Johnnie’s direction. "Should you have left a mark on the guy’s neck by using scissors?"

"We shouldn’t have," Johnnie says warily, peeking at the neck.

"Shelly! Come look at this!" Wilson hollers. Spritzes of curly gray hair tuft tonsure-like about his prominent skull. He eyes Johnnie mischievously. "That’s not him, probably — Let’s have a look at your scissors."

Wilson’s concern for the minute nick on the dead man’s neck points to the crux of the medical examiner’s job. He has a pretty good idea of how this guy died, and if there’s any doubt, bloodwork would reveal poisoning or overdose. But the tidy taping job around the guy’s neck, and the neat edge of the tape, suggest that the suicide might have been assisted by a relative or friend. For the law’s sake, Wilson needs to try to determine whether the man killed himself alone.

Forensic science provides an array of possibilities for figuring out what happened: The doc could order a microscope comparison of cut and blades, or even a comparative metallurgical analysis. But in this instance, the answer’s fairly simple: Frank reviews the photographs taken before the exam, at the scene and at the morgue. The photos show no mark from the scissors, so it’s clear the cut was made after the fact, during the exam. That confirms the death as an unassisted suicide.

As in every case, the doc’s own observations from the exam and autopsy are only one piece of the puzzle. His colleagues provide the context and background of the case — the details the doc requires to make an informed examination of the body.

This is how it works: Somebody dies. Somebody else calls 911. The emergency people and cops arrive on the scene. The police officer checks things out, questions the family, the witnesses, comes to a preliminary opinion about what happened, and rings Frank. Over the phone, the officer and the investigator discuss the situation. If there’s no clear cause of death, Frank will ask about the deceased’s medical history, any medications the person was taking, complaints prior to collapse, that sort of thing. Had he been sick?

At this point, Frank’s job is to decide whether to take jurisdiction or release jurisdiction. The latter means the death is classed as "natural," that is, caused by old age or disease. The deceased person’s private physician signs the death certificate and the body is shipped off to the funeral home.

If any unnatural cause is suspected, or the evidence is clear — they find a guy with a bag over his head, say — the deputy heads out to investigate the scene. Now, Frank’s job is, first and foremost, to figure out what happened — to prove the bogeyman didn’t get Joe, as his colleagues say. Then, he’ll need to figure out what day and time Joe may have died. The site investigation, or "scene autopsy," is like a puzzle. He’s hunting for the little clues, looking to see what’s out of place, what isn’t quite right.

Is there a newspaper open on the kitchen table? What’s the date on that issue? Are those breakfast dishes or dinner dishes in the kitchen sink? Is the television on or off? The lights? What page is the TV Guide open to? What is Joe wearing? Pajamas? Work clothes? Is the bird dead? Have the pets been fed?

Doc Wilson, who does his work in the morgue, respects his colleagues in the field. He knows them to be skilled and experienced and capable. Still, he’s done this job long enough to know how easy it is to overlook a critical detail — an empty meds bottle in the trash, or a tiny nick on a dead man’s throat. Yet he has no choice but to rely on the testimony of the investigator at the scene.

Frank suspects this scares the good doctor.