The Fog

by Amanda McKinney

  She grabbed her fork and shook her head. “No, I’m good.”

  “You can’t come to Gino’s and not try the pizza.”

  “Man, you are one persistent…”

  He winked.

  “For the sake of avoiding another battle…” she picked up the slice and bit in. Her eyes sparkled as she chewed.

  A wave of pleasure swept over him. “Eh? Good, huh?”

  “As much as I hate to admit it, yeah. Yeah, it’s incredible.”

  “Hey, Gus! Need another plate over here.”

  Gus laughed as he set a plate on the table. “Can’t come here and not try my pie.”

  She nodded. “Pretty darn good.”

  Wesley loaded the plate with the cheesiest pieces and slid it in front of her. She picked at her salad, pretending to enjoy it—because God forbid that he’d been right—before taking another bite of pizza. He tried to hide his smile, watching her. He liked her. She was funny. Not in an obvious way, but funny to him, nonetheless.

  He let her focus on devouring her pizza as he finished his own. After he was sure she was satisfied, he returned to the conversation at hand.

  “Okay, now you know the background of why you’re here. Now, will you tell me what you’ve found? It’s weird, right? The eggs?”

  She washed down the last bite with a gulp of tea, looked at him and nodded. “Yes, it’s weird.” She took a deep breath. “Okay, flies lay eggs in moist places like the eyes or the mouth…”

  “Or a wound.”

  “Right, but the first thing I noticed is that there were no eggs anywhere else on her body. Not the eyes, mouth, nowhere. This is a bit odd, but not enough to necessarily raise any flags. The second thing I noticed was that the eggs were scattered throughout the laceration in her neck, from the initial piercing and all the way across. I even found some on the other side. Only a few eggs, here and there. Very, very easy to miss without a trained eye. Now, this was odd.”

  “Odd that the eggs were spread across the wound?”

  “Right.”

  “How so?”

  “Flies lay anywhere from seventy-five to a hundred-and-fifty eggs at a time—

  “And there weren’t that many.”

  She held up a finger in a way that reminded him of a teacher. Super sexy.

  “Hang on, I’m not finished. As I was saying, they lay around a hundred at a time, in clumps. Clumps of eggs. As I said, the eggs found in Leena’s throat were scattered; a few here and there, across the gash. This definitely is not typical.”

  “Are you saying the wound was tampered with after the fact? After she was killed?”

  She cocked an eyebrow and shook her head. “Not if the story you’ve told me is correct. Not if your timeline is correct. Is it correct?”

  “Yes.”

  “You said that you got there just minutes after it happened, right? And the killer had already hightailed it out, right?”

  “Right.”

  “So then, in that short amount of time, there’s no way a fly would’ve found the body, landed, nested, and laid eggs. And even if it did, there definitely wouldn’t have been time to allow whoever to dive back into the wound and smear the eggs around.”

  He nodded. She was right… and she wasn’t finished. He stared at her, hanging on her every word as she leaned forward, her eyes flashing with intensity.

  In a low voice, she said, “Wes, what I’m saying is… the insect eggs that were found in Leena’s throat were transferred directly from the murder weapon.”

  CHAPTER 9

  Wesley burst through the lab door with Gwen hot on his heels.

  Hovered over Leena’s autopsy table, Jessica straightened and turned, wide-eyed at the sudden eruption of sound in her once-silent laboratory.

  “How far have you gotten examining the laceration?” He walked up to the table.

  Jessica cast a confused glance at Gwen, then back to Wesley. “’Bout finished up my end of it. Gwen will close the loop regarding the eggs. What the hell’s going on here?”

  “Gwen thinks the eggs were transferred from the murder weapon.”

  Jessica’s mouth gaped. “What?”

  He listened to Gwen tell her theory to Jessica, his mind racing a million miles a minute. As soon as she finished, he asked, “Have you confirmed what kind of knife was used to cut her throat?”

  “Yes. Six-inch serrated blade.”

  A tingle shot up his spine. “A hunting knife.”

  Jessica’s eyes were still wide with shock from this new development. “It’s a strong possibility.” She looked at Gwen. “Hell of a lead, Gwen.”

  Gwen gave a quick nod, and then her face hardened again. “If it were a hunting knife, it would've had to have been in contact with a rotting carcass right before the incident. Like, right before.”

  “Which challenges the theory that it was well thought out.”

  “Not necessarily.” Wesley began pacing. “The obvious is a hunter, right?”

  “Hunting season just started up, too,” Jessica added.

  He ran his fingers through his wet hair. “Who else? What other scenarios would have a knife around maggots?”

  Gwen chewed on her lower lip. “Trash… a garbage truck.”

  “Yes. And anywhere there’s rotting meat.” Jessica nodded enthusiastically. “And what about taxidermy?”

  Wesley nodded. “Yes. We need to look at all these people in the area.” His eyes darted around the room. “We need to write this down.”

  Jessica grabbed a sticky note and began taking notes.

  “What about dog shit… like kennels?” Wesley asked. The fresh rush of adrenaline had him talking fast, with a hint of desperation in his voice.

  “Good thinking; maggots can be found in animal feces,” Gwen said. “We should also check meat vendors at the farmer’s market. Local farmers who skin and cut their own meat.”

  “Good idea.” Wesley pulled out his phone. “Okay, so, we’ll hit the sanitation department, area landfills, taxidermist, dog kennels, farmer’s market vendors…”

  “And talk to your sister about the gun range,” Jessica added. “Has anyone come in bragging about their kills this season? Maybe purchasing a new knife?”

  “Good… yes.” Still pacing, he rubbed his jaw. While Gwen and Jessica were building a list, he started going down a different path. He turned to Jessica. “We need to test the wound for any blood that isn’t Leena’s.” He looked at Gwen, seeking reassurance for what he was about to say. “If insect eggs were on the knife, the eggs had to have been transferred with something sticky to stick to the knife, right? Blood, probably?”

  Gwen nodded. “That’s right. Any kind of bodily fluid.”

  “Whether from a human or an animal, right?”

  She nodded.

  “Wait a second, guys.” Jessica shook her head. “Do you understand how much blood spilled from her neck? How much of her blood? The odds of it washing away any kind of fluid…”

  “We have to check, Jess.”

  “I mean…” Jessica glanced down at Leena’s lifeless body on the table, and paused, her face squeezing in deep thought. “Maybe…” she muttered. “Maybe if I check where the blade initially pierced the skin. The likelihood of a transfer of any kind would be greatest there.”

  Gwen stepped forward. “And the outer folds of skin. The outside of the laceration where any substance would have made first contact with the skin.”

  Jessica’s head bobbed up and down. “Yes, yes.”

  “Assuming you find blood that isn’t Leena’s…” Wesley paused to gather his thoughts. He felt hyped up like he had a runner’s high. Finally, something.

  “It’s a big assumption, Wesley. I don’t want you to get your hopes up.”

  He cast Jessica an icy look. “Assuming you do, we’ve got two scenarios. Human DNA or animal. Human would be the holy grail here because the odds of it being the killer's is huge. And if it were animal, it would at least help narrow down who we’re looking for.
It would confirm we’re looking in the right place, too.”

  The slightest look of sympathy crossed Jessica’s eyes. “You’re reaching.”

  “It’s something, Jess,” he snapped and turned away.

  Uncomfortable with the mounting tension, Gwen stepped between him and Jessica. “I want to examine the eggs that have just hatched and take another look at the wound before I write up my final report and head to the airport.”

  Wesley stopped on a dime and looked over his shoulder at Gwen. Head to the airport. She was leaving. Already. She briefly met his gaze with a look he couldn’t quite read, then she looked away. His gut twisted. He didn’t want her to leave.

  He gave a quick shake of his head to release the thought. Spending more time with the incredibly sexy entomologist was not what he needed to focus on. He turned to Jessica. “How long to check the blood?”

  Jessica took a deep breath. “Give me a day, at least. Twenty-four hours. I’ll jump right on it, you know that, but she’s not the only body I’m working on.” She looked at Gwen. “I’ll get out of your way until you finish. I’ve got some reports to catch up on in the office.” She glanced at Wesley before leaving the room. “I’ll call you as soon as I know anything new.”

  “Thanks, Jess.”

  He watched her leave and felt Gwen’s eyes on him.

  “I’m sorry I can’t be of more help,” she said.

  He snorted. “Seriously? Gwen, before you, we had absolutely nothing. Now we have a pool of people to look at; a narrowed down list. You’ve given us our first lead. A good one.”

  She smiled a soft smile and held his gaze for a moment, then cleared her throat and looked away. “I’ll leave my report with Jessica when I leave.”

  He closed the inches between them. “Wait. Gwen. Can I…”

  The front door opened and overlapping chatter from the office ensued. Dean and Willard pushed through the lab doors.

  “Hey, Wesley.” Dean’s attention shifted immediately to Gwen, and Wesley remembered they hadn’t met.

  “This is the forensic entomologist, Gwyneth Reece. Gwen, this is Detective Walker and Officer Willard.”

  They shook hands. “Heard a lot about you. Thanks for coming on such short notice.”

  She nodded toward Wesley. “Your buddy drives a hard bargain.”

  “I’ll bet he does.” Dean shot him a smirk.

  “I’m almost done with my examination. As I was just telling Wesley, I’ll leave my report with Jessica.”

  “Have you found anything interesting so far?”

  “Actually, yes—

  Wesley interrupted, addressing Dean. “Beyond interesting. Gwen’s given us our first lead.”

  Dean’s eyes lit up. “A lead?”

  “Yep. I’ll tell you all about it, and you’ll tell me what you’ve got so far. We’ve got a lot do this afternoon. Let’s give Gwen some space to get back to work…”

  “Okay, let’s go talk, then. I could use some coffee.”

  Wesley nodded. “Me, too.” He paused, hoping Dean and Willard would leave him and Gwen alone for a moment. When they didn’t, he turned to her. “Thanks again for coming. You’ve been extremely helpful. I’ll leave your payment up front with Jess.”

  She stuck out her hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Cross.”

  He slid his hand over hers, every sensor in his body reacting to the touch of the silky softness of her skin. They locked eyes, lingering a moment before she released his hand and turned away.

  ***

  Gwen watched him walk out of the lab with her stomach sinking.

  Well, that was it. She’d done her job, and Wesley was gone. What did she expect?

  She sucked in a breath and turned back to the autopsy table.

  “Hey…” Jessica walked up behind her.

  “Hey.”

  “Just wanted to say it’s exceptionally impressive what you came up with. I know Wesley badgered you to come, but, really, you’ve been invaluable to this investigation.”

  “Thank you, and badgering might be a bit of an overstatement.”

  Jessica laughed. “Stalking, then.”

  Gwen smiled. “More accurate.”

  “Wesley doesn’t believe in the word 'no'. If he wants something, he goes and gets it. No matter what it takes. Admirable, yet annoying, if you ask me.”

  Gwen hesitated, wanting to ask all the questions she had about the mystery that was Wesley Cross but didn’t want to push it.

  As if reading her thoughts, Jessica continued. “He’s a good guy. We’ve been friends since preschool and I want to make it clear that he had nothing to do with this.” She motioned to Lenna. “I know the gossip and I know what you might think, but he didn’t. I’d bet my life on it.”

  “I believe that.” And she did. She looked at the door, where he’d been standing moments earlier. “What’s his deal, anyway?”

  “How do you mean?”

  “Well, he’s probably the most bull-headed person I’ve ever met, but people seem to trust him. You, with the office here. Gus at the pizza place, and obviously the Detective if he’s looping him in on the case. Despite what appears to be a pretty thick dose of cockiness, people seem to like him.” She laughed as the words came out.

  Jessica chuckled. “That’s Wesley. He’s born and raised here. Knows everyone. He’s hardworking, which goes a long way in a small town like this. And loyal. He’s just a good guy. A happy-go-lucky kind of guy who doesn’t like to see anyone hurt or upset. He’ll make an effort to brighten your day if he knows you’ve had a shit one, you know what I mean? Cocky, sure. But look at the guy. Don’t blame him. And he gained a lot of respect, too, when he joined the Marines out of high school.”

  Gwen’s eyebrows popped up. “Marines?”

  Jessica smiled and shook her head. “He didn’t tell you. That’s just like him. Despite being confident, he doesn’t brag, and believe me he has a lot to brag about. He was part of an elite special ops team in the Marines, MARSOC I think they call it. He was top dog. And that gun business of his? Built it from the damn ground up. Blood, sweat, and tears. And after all those years working his ass off, he just signed a multi-million-dollar contract with the government.” She snorted. “Our own Wesley Cross, a millionaire, can you believe that? And now… now, look what’s happening. Poor Leena, and poor him. Anyway, he’s a hard-working son of a bitch and a good guy, and I’ll have anyone’s hide who says otherwise.”

  “Why’d he leave the Marines? A woman?”

  Jessica laughed. “No. No, no, no. Honestly, I think he wanted to make a different life for himself. What they did, what his team did, was some serious stuff, though he wouldn’t tell you that.” She laughed again. “No, Wesley hasn’t had a serious relationship in his entire life.”

  Gwen cocked her head. “Come on…”

  “Seriously. He… has some issues in the woman department.”

  “Issues?”

  “Yeah. His mom left him and his sister when they were babies. Rumor has it, she ran off with some guy. Never came back.” Jessica shook her head. “Wesley loves women, don’t get me wrong. He was mister all-star in high school and has been the most popular guy in town since I can remember. Women fall over themselves for him. He’s dated half the state, but that’s it. Dated. Never allows anyone to get close to him. I’m no psychologist but I’m guessin’ it’s ’cause he doesn’t trust them. His mama runnin’ off like that. Has to affect someone, ya know?” She took a quick breath. “I’ve said too much. Anyway, I just wanted to make sure you didn’t leave here with any doubt about him, and I wanted to thank you. It was, honestly, a pleasure to meet you.”

  “Thank you, and you, too.”

  “I’ll leave you alone for real now. We’ll chat before you take off.”

  “Thanks.”

  She watched Jessica leave the room, and her gaze shifted to the rain-streaked window.

  Wesley Cross.

  She took a steadying breath as her heart squeezed at the sickening
thought that she’d never see him again. But maybe that was for the best. She didn't have time in her life for a relationship, especially for a drop-dead gorgeous alpha male with a body like a Greek statue. And besides, he was probably just like all the others. He'd probably cheat on her with the first blonde to bat her eyelashes at him. Yep, she thought as she turned away from the window, just like all the others.

  ... Right?

  CHAPTER 10

  Kaylee jerked awake at the sound of banging on her door.

  What the hell?

  She lifted her face from the pillow and with one, bloodshot eye looked at the clock—2:30 p.m.

  Holy shit.

  She groaned and rolled over, feeling like an eighteen-wheeler had driven over her forehead. She focused on the pitter-patter of rain on her window. She’d only had one, two… was it three martinis at brunch? Her stomach heaved… that's right, and two tequila shots.

  She cursed whoever was at her front door, praying that the wrath of God would rain down on them and make them go away.

  Dammit, why did she have so many drinks? They were celebrating, that’s why. Martinis and hot-pink bridesmaid dresses go hand-in-hand. Besides, it’s only once that her best friend, Lydia, gets married. Once? Oh hell, who was she kidding? She’d already placed a bet with the other bridesmaid, Sam, that the marriage would crash and burn within one year. A bitch move? Probably. But she knew how crazy-possessive Lydia could get, and no man in his right mind would put up with that bullshit twenty-four-seven.

  Another bang on the door.

  What the heck? She pushed off the bed, glanced in the mirror and grimaced at the train wreck staring back at her. After running her fingers through her hair and smoothing her wild eyebrows, she padded to the front door.

  She looked out the peephole and frowned. A soaking-wet, middle-aged man in a cowboy hat, wranglers—complete with a shiny buckle—and boots stood on her doorstep glancing at his watch with a scowl on his face. Was she still asleep? Was this a dream? Was she in the middle of some cheesy Western movie? She cocked her head—was he kind of cute? In an old man, rugged cowboy kind of way? His gaze shot up to the peep hole with an icy glare as if he’d read her thoughts.