Page 9 of Let Her Live

She stepped closer, getting a better look at the decaying flesh—and the insects that were feasting upon it.

Fiona could see ants crawling out of the victim's eyes underneath the blindfold that shielded them, eating away at his flesh. She could see flies hanging around his decaying skin, and she could even see horseflies hovering above. This was why she'd gone into entomology—to study insects and their behavior but also to combine her knowledge with crime, to help save lives with her skills. Fiona was always fascinated by the way bugs were able to shift their shape—from a caterpillar to a butterfly, a slimy slithery worm to a beetle. And it was that same flexibility that she found so disturbing, yet fascinating, in them.

She looked at the man's head. Bugs were eating his hair, going for the fatty tissue in his scalp. They were munching on his nostrils, peeling away at his ears.

That was why Fiona was here. This was why she was needed. She needed to examine this victim and try to determine what species of insects had fed on him, so they could determine the most likely time frame of his death and extract any possible evidence beneath the damage of the insects. The age and identity of the victim and the true cause of death—all were hidden, but in the lab, she was confident she could get them some answers.

Fiona took several steps back and looked around the crime scene. She took in the trees on the edges of the clearing—some of which had fallen down, and she could see the roots sticking out of the ground. She looked up at the canopy of the forest, a thick mass of trees, branches and vines. It was an incredibly easy place for someone to hide.

"Fiona?" Jake said, coming up next to her and touching her elbow.

"Yeah," she said, looking at him.

"What do you think?"

She bit her lip. She wasn't entirely sure yet. "I'll need to get the body to a lab and get samples of the species to know more, but I suspect the man was killed elsewhere, then brought out here by the killer. I think he's been here for a long time, potentially longer than the others have deduced." She glanced at Jake as he took in the scene, a disturbed look on his face. Jake was the FBI agent, the expert in criminology—she wondered what he was thinking too. "What about you?" she asked. "What do you make of all this?"

"Hmm." Jake trailed off, thinking. "On one hand, it looks ritualistic. On another, I'm not seeing any sort of religious or cult-like symbolism yet, so it might be as simple as control. He's been able to take them wherever he wants and do whatever he wants to them. He's tortured them. Then, at some point, he's killed them and left the bodies. It could be about control, power. I don't think it's about wanting to be seen by many people, because he hides them pretty well."

"I agree," Fiona said, taking in the lack of evidence of anything else around the body. "But I think we should keep an open mind. It could also be about some kind of ritualistic satanic cult."

"You're right," Jake said, nodding. "I think we need to continue to look at this from every angle."

"Agreed," Fiona said. She looked around the small group of officers, FBI and police alike, who were going to be assisting with the case.For now, she had gathered all she could from the scene; she needed to get back to the lab. Trying to show some confidence and bravado, she turned to the chief and said, "Sir, I'd like to get the body carefully removed and taken to a lab, with as many insects kept on it as possible to preserve the scene."

"Whatever you need, Ms. Red, we're on it," the chief said. He nodded to his team. "You heard the lady, boys. Let's get this thing cleaned up while we've still got light."

Fiona watched as the team carefully began to remove the body from the tree, her mind already racing with potential clues that she could find in the lab.

***

Fiona stepped into the county coroner's office, ready to examine the body alongside her. The woman was in her fifties with light blonde hair and kind eyes, and she smiled when Fiona walked in.

"Ah, you must be Ms. Red," she said. "I'm Darla, the county coroner. I was told you'd be coming in."

Fiona nodded and held her hands over her lap. "Yes, ma'am. I'm looking forward to working with you." It was true; Fiona hadn't had the chance to work alongside many women in her profession, so when she heard the country coroner was one, she was excited to meet her. Darla didn't disappoint; she exuded an air of authority and experience, but also kindness. Fiona was glad to feel welcome and not like she was stepping on Darla's toes.

"Come with me," Darla said, waving her over. "The team just brought the body in, and we have all the forensic evidence as it was at the scene, as you requested."

"Thank you," Fiona said. "First, I want to extract as many insects from the body as I can, then we can perform the official autopsy. Does that sound good to you?"

Darla nodded, her eyes crinkling when she smiled. "Yes, whatever you need. We're with you all the way. I heard you flew in here from Portland."

They made their way down a long, narrow hall, and Fiona nodded. The day had been filled with so much excitement that she'd hardly registered how tired she was from it all. But she couldn't let that get to her yet—there was still time left in the day to get some proper work done.

"Yes, it was a long flight," she said.

They reached a metal door, and Darla pushed it open. Inside, Fiona saw a black body bag spread out on an examination table. She took a breath. This was the part that most people cringed away from—Fiona could practically hear the insects wriggling around inside. She turned to Darla as she grabbed a pair of gloves and a safety mask off the desk.

"It's okay if you want to sit this part out," Fiona said, snapping on her gloves. "I'm sure I can find my way around."

"Oh, I'll let you take the reigns here, but I have to admit, I'm curious to know your process," Darla said, standing back with her arms crossed. "When I heard you were an entomologist, it definitely interested me."

Fiona nodded, then turned to the bag. She took a deep breath and unzipped it, releasing the putrid smell into the air, but thankfully, the mask dulled some of it.

Under the fluorescent lights of the exam room, she was able to see the body in much higher—and more grotesque—detail. First thing was first: she needed to extract the species of bugs and put them into safe sample jars. This way, they could possibly determine when the man had been killed—how long he'd truly been out in that swamp.

Fiona dug her gloved fingers into the folds of the man's skin, feeling for any crawly creatures. It was a gruesome task but one she had done many times before. She knew the importance of every little detail; it could mean the difference between catching the killer and letting him walk free. She used a pair of tweezers to gently pluck off a maggot nestled in the man's ear, dropping it into a jar.

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