Page 53 of Let Her Live

Fiona laughed, and together, they got in the car. As Jake began the drive through the night, he couldn’t help but think about how much Fiona had helped in this case. He couldn’t imagine doing all this alone. But she was right—they still had so many unanswered questions.

Who was this man, and why had he done what he’d done? What had pushed him over the edge?

Jake didn’t know, but soon, he’d find out.

And then, after that, he could finally go home.

CHAPTER TWENTYSIX

Fiona waited outside of the hospital room, her mind swimming. Maybe it was wrong of her to be concerned for a serial killer, but part of her was eager to know the truth—if he had truly been bitten by an Everglade Moore Fly and if it had caused his psychosis.

She leaned against the cold brick wall, going over the events of the past couple of days. It had felt like much longer, and all of the hiking through the Everglades had done a number on her. She couldn't wait to get home and shower, then sleep in her own bed. She couldn't wait to be home.

It turned out that the man's name was Lawrence Black. He was an avid outdoorsman from the area. Fiona took out her phone and looked at his social media again, mostly because it showed her such a different picture from the man she'd encountered in the woods. Online, he seemed so normal, standing on docks with fish, hiking, and taking photos atop mountains. He looked nice.

And yet something had turned him into a deluded, deranged serial killer.

Just then, a door opened, and a doctor in a white coat with a clipboard came out. "Ms. Red?" he asked.

"Hi," Fiona said, bowing politely. "How is he?"

"He'll be okay," the doctor said. "Physically, anyway. His mind is another story." He sighed. "You were right. We checked his blood for the toxin you mentioned, and it does seem like he was bit by an Everglade Moore Fly. He's not mentally well. There are mental disorders we've seen in the past that can be caused by these flies, and they're not pleasant. Anti-social disorder, delusions, hallucinations—he could be in for a rough time, assuming he doesn't get better on his own."

"Is there anything we can do?" she asked. "Is there any treatment?"

"I doubt it," the doctor said. "This is more than a little unusual, and I haven't even seen it before. I'm certainly not an expert on the subject. But I can tell you this—his mind isn't right. It's been severely affected. The likelihood of him recovering..." The doctor shook his head. "I wouldn't count on it."

Fiona looked down at the ground, eyes wide. She knew how dangerous these things were—and yet she'd hoped he would get better.

"I'm going to alert the state authorities and government about this," the doctor said. "We need more eyes on this subject. I hear you're an entomologist from Portland. Any chance you're looking to relocate here?"

Fiona considered it for a brief moment, only because she knew how serious this was. But she couldn't leave Portland. She had a life there and a big future ahead of her in the FBI. Plus, there was her sister's case. She couldn't forget about Joslyn when she was so close to knowing the truth.

"I'm sorry, but no," she said. "However, I had a colleague at Harvard who did her thesis on this bug. I can call her."

The doctor smiled. "That'd be great. We could use all the help we can get to ensure this doesn't happen again. Maybe there's some kind of vaccine we can administer to those who are susceptible."

"I hope so," Fiona said.

The doctor went back into the room, leaving Fiona with a heavy heart. She felt for Lawrence. He didn't choose to get bit by that bug, but unfortunately, his actions had still caused the senseless deaths of many. He couldn't be free. Maybe not ever. But she hoped, someday, he'd get his mind back.

"Ready to go?" a familiar, gritty voice said.

Fiona lifted her eyes to see Jake standing at the end of the hall, walking closer to her. He wore an easygoing smile, and the sight of him caused her heart to swell. They were both exhausted—they'd been up all night dealing with this, and now the sun was up. A complete sleepless night. But they had a long plane ride back to Portland.

She nodded. "Yes. As I suspected, Lawrence was bitten by the fly I told you about."

"Damn," Jake said. "Crazy that such a small thing could cause so much destruction."

"I know." Fiona sighed. "But at least he's where he belongs now."

Jake's eyes lingered on hers. "You were really brave in the woods, Red," he said. "I forgot to say earlier, I'm sorry I didn't notice you were gone sooner. I should've been by your side the whole time."

It had been scary to realize she was out there alone, but in a twisted way, Fiona was glad it happened. She was proud of the way she’d stood up against Lawrence, and with every madman she faced off against, she felt herself growing stronger and more capable.

"You came back for me," Fiona said. A grin teased her lips. "And besides, I used your training to fight him off. I wish you had seen it."

Jake laughed, his eyes crinkling. "I wish I had too. But what I did see was great."

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