Significance of The Baseball Bat

The red, white and blue aluminum bat is a relic from Pogue's days of working in the Anatomical Division of the OCME. Unable to afford a bone grinder, Chief Medical Examiner Scarpetta's staff had to use baseball bats to pulverize the pieces of bone that emerged from the crematorium intact. Scarpetta feels guilty over allowing such a barbaric practice in her own office. She feels the barbarism may have contributed to Pogue acquiring a taste for murder. Scarpetta wishes she had purchased a grinder with her own money instead of allowing the bats to be used. The paint chips found in the bone dust evidence come from these baseball bats and ultimately help lead to the capture of Edgar Allan Pogue.