Page 42 of Nightshades

“I’m going to go out on a wild limb and say our flesh-eating beetles were here, but they aren’t now.”

“You find the person with the beetles, you’ll find the killer. There’s only one reason he would want those beetles,” Devi informs. “And the reason isn’t a good one.”

The slickness of the body causes it to slip from the chair and fall onto the floor, along with what’s left of his intestines slipping free.

“I’m going to step outside for a little bit of fresh air.” I cover my mouth with my hand, closing my eyes so I’m not forced to look at the victim.

Plus, the smell. The space reeks of death and the pungent aroma of blood.

A decaying corpse is a scent that can never be forgotten, and it takes forever to fade. Now, the scent of death will follow me around all day.

Pushing the door open, the humid afternoon is a breath of relief when it hits me in the face. I lean against the wall, staring at the afternoon traffic, when children and parents begin to run towards me.

“What the hell is going on?” I whisper, pushing myself off the wall with my foot.

“Are they coming in hot, to you?” Waylon asks, taking a stance next to me.

The crowd of panicked parents gets closer, and we’re finally able to hear what they are yelling.

“She has a gun!”

“Someone’s been shot!”

Waylon and I straighten at the same time.

“Where? Is everyone okay? Did any of you get hurt or shot?” I ask, trying to eye them all for any bleeding.

One parent shakes his head, pulling his daughter close to him to keep her safe. “No. We left. They weren’t bothering us, but they looked like they were going to kill one another.”

Waylon steps forward, his wide shoulders surpassing the width of the man in front of us. “Who? Can you describe them?”

“Yes, the woman was small. She had a satchel where she kept the gun. She wore a beanie, so I don’t know what color her hair was. She was short, with long sleeves,” the parent explains.

His daughter peers up at him. “And she had pretty eye makeup. It was so colorful!”

“It was. You’re right. Good catch, baby.” He smiles down at her, rubbing her back.

Fireopal. That has to be who they are talking about. She fits the description.

Waylon scribbles the details down. “And the other person? Who was that?”

“I have never seen him before. He is huge though. His entire body is tattooed, his eyes are blacked out, and he has a nose and eyebrow piercing. You can’t miss him. He sticks out.”

“And where did this happen?” I question just as more shots are fired.

Waylon and I share a quick glance before leaping into action. Opening the door to the taxidermist’s office, I yell to the Sheriff, “Shots fired across the park!”

“Go. I’ll call you if I need you,” Devi states. “I’m still collecting evidence from the body. It will take time.”

Jenkins, Jake, and Zig sprint into action, following the path that cuts through the park.

The playground is on the left. It’s so odd to see it deserted at this time of day. The wind blows the swings, the chains screeching from age and rust. I pump my arms, focus on my breathing, and wonder who the hell made this park so damn big?

The thuds of everyone’s footsteps sound like a stampede of wild animals as we try to locate the suspects. We finally arrive at the other side of the park, looking for any sign of them.

“They aren’t here!” Waylon shouts, looking all around the park to see if we missed them.

I hang my head, defeated that we were so close to catching a murderer. I don’t know if Fireopal has it in her to kill anyone. That isn’t what she does. She likes to steal money. That’s all she ever cared about.