Convicted murderer Seth Baxter awakens chained to a table beneath a pendulum blade . A videotape informs him that crushing his hands between the presses will release him ; he does so , but the blade still swings down and violently cuts him in half , while someone watches through a hole in the wall . The scene cuts to Agent Peter Strahm , who kills Jeff Denlon in self-defense and is sealed in the sickroom . He finds a hidden passage with a tape recorder that warns him to stay in the sickroom , but ignores it . He is attacked by a pig-masked figure in the passage and awakens with his head sealed in a box slowly filling with water , Which he survives by performing a tracheotomy using a pen . Outside the plant , Detective Mark Hoffman delivers Corbett Denlon to the police and claims they are the only survivors , and is shocked when Strahm is brought out alive as well . Jill Tuck is met by John Kramer's attorney , who is administering his will . She is left a box and a videotape , in Which John stresses the importance of the box's contents . She opens it with a key hung around her neck and then leaves without disclosing its contents . In a memorial service held for David Tapp , Steven Sing , Allison Kerry , Eric Matthews , and Daniel Rigg , the five officers killed in action , Hoffman is promoted to detective lieutenant . He is informed of the death of Agent Lindsey Perez while taking Strahm's phone and goes to the hospital to meet Strahm , who says that Hoffman's name was Perez's last words .

Question: "Who did Agent Peter Strahm kill?"

Response: "Allison Kerry"

A: no

(CNN) -- Horror-meister, Stephen King calls George Pelecanos "perhaps the greatest living American crime writer." His stories are set in Pelecanos' hometown of Washington, D.C., but this is not the side of the U.S. capitol that you see portrayed on TV with white marble monuments, lawyers and lobbyists. Pelecanos is more interested in working families struggling to get by, the racial tensions in its ethnic neighborhoods and the low-lifes on the edges. His crime-writing peers call Pelecanos the "undisputed poet" of Washington's gritty side. The best-selling and award-winning author is out this week with his 17th and latest novel, "The Cut." It's the first in a new series featuring Iraq war veteran and private investigator Spero Lucas. When he's not working for a Washington defense attorney, Lucas recovers stolen property for a 40% cut. Now, a high-profile crime boss hires Lucas to find out who's been stealing from him, and it could turn out to be Lucas' biggest payday or an untimely end. While Pelecanos made his bones in the noir tradition, there's a definite "Western" feel to "The Cut." The new novel takes place in a morally gray and often violent world. It's peppered with pitch-perfect dialogue and captures the sights, sounds and taste of Washington in rich detail. In short, Pelecanos reads like the real deal. Pelecanos knows a thing or two about capturing the authenticity of urban America with an ethnically and socially diverse cast. In addition to his success as a novelist, Pelecanos is a producer and writer for HBO's New Orleans-set, "Treme." He was previously a producer and Emmy-nominated writer on the hit series "The Wire" and the miniseries "The Pacific." Read an excerpt from "The Cut" CNN recently spoke to Pelecanos about his new novel. The following is an edited transcript. CNN: Tell me more about your new character, Spero Lucas.

Question: "What three shows has Pelecanos been a writer for?"

Response: "Treme"

A: yes

Fossils can be used to match up rock layers. As organisms change over time, they look different. Older fossils will look different than younger fossils. Some organisms only survived for a short time before going extinct. Knowing what organisms looked like at certain times also helps date rock layers. Some fossils are better than others for this use. The fossils that are very distinct at certain times of Earths history are called index fossils. Index fossils are commonly used to match rock layers. You can see how this works in Figure 2.30. If two rock layers have the same index fossils, then they're probably about the same age.

Question: "How are index fossils used?"

Response: "Index fossils are commonly used to match rock layers; if two rock layers have the same index fossils, then they're probably about the same age"

A:
yes