Dead Secret

was a small twig stuck in it. That may have been what punctured it. Part of the wood is still lodged in the hose. I haven’t examined the hole itself yet.
    “I checked his goggles for prints. Found one set,” Jin added. “David ran them and they didn’t show up. The ME’s going to try to get prints from the body.”
    “I have Scuba Doe’s prints.” Neva walked through the door and waved a large envelope at them. “I just came from the ME’s, where I got to wear the skin from the dead scuba guy’s fingers. I can’t tell you how much fun that was. I think this Halloween I’m going to borrow one of his cadavers and wear a cadaver suit.” She wrinkled up her face—so did Diane. Jin and David laughed. “Quarry Doe—he’s the floater by the log—had his fingertips nibbled off. No prints there.”
    “Neva,” said David, “I thought you were with Mike.”
    “I was. I got him into his apartment, fixed him something to eat, made him promise to rest and went to the ME’s office.” She handed the envelope to David. “Grist for your algorithm machines.” Neva looked happy and rested. Her camel-colored slacks and wine silk blouse looked new. She and Star must have gone shopping to replace some of her clothes. Diane liked seeing her in good spirits.
    “I’ll go run these right now,” said David, heading out the door.
    Neva pushed her hair behind her ears. “Dr. Fallon, it’s good to have you back. I had a lot of fun at Frank’s house. His daughter, Star, is a hoot. We played Monopoly, ate ice cream and looked at fashion magazines. Frank’s a really nice guy.”
    “He’s pretty decent, I have to admit,” Diane said with a smile.
    “That’s nice what you’re doing for Star. Makes me want to go to the university. Of course, you’re going to be broke by then. You should see the things Star is looking at.”
    Diane rolled her eyes. “I always say, if you’re going to resort to bribery, make it good.” She shook her head thinking of Star, then refocused her attention on work. “I’m glad you’re here. We need you.”
    Neva grinned. The last time she saw Neva she had been crying over the shambles the vandal had made of her home.
    “You’re going to have to change clothes. I need you and Jin to go to the woods.”
    “You know that deputy we had the pleasure of meeting when we brought Caver Doe out of the cave?” said Jin. She nodded, and he told her about the garbage bag of bones.
    Neva cocked her head to one side. “Why am I not surprised?”
    “I’m sure he didn’t get all the bones,” said Diane.
    David stuck his head in the door.
    “Found a match already?” asked Diane.
    “No, not yet. It’s still running. But you’re not going to believe this.” He jerked his thumb back toward his desk. “I called Sheriff Burns to get Deputy Duck to take Jin and Neva out to the woods, and found out that he’s in the hospital.”
    “What happened?” they all asked together.
    “After delivering the bones, he was driving back and had an accident. He told the sheriff that a swarm of bugs crawled all over him as he drove down the road.”

Chapter 28
    Jin and Diane looked each other, then at David, with their mouths agape.
    “A swarm of bugs?” Neva wrinkled her nose. “In his car?”
    “That’s what Sheriff Burns told me. Said it was right out of a horror movie.”
    “I believe our deputy must have been drinking,” said Neva.
    “That’s not what I’m thinking,” said David.
    “Ah,” said Jin. “It’s a good thing we put the bag in isolation.”
    “We need to make sure none escaped,” said Diane, horrified. “Dermestids are terrible museum pests. If they get into the taxidermy displays or the insect collection . . . or, God forbid, the mummy . . .”
    “Maryanne downstairs told me the deputy came in and handed her the garbage bag with a smirk. It smelled so bad, she tied off the top of the bag with string. It was plenty tight. As I brought it up the elevator, I checked for holes. There weren’t any, so I think we’re safe.”
    “I’ll make sure Maryanne has a bonus in her next pay-check,” muttered Diane. “What else do we have here?”
    Diane picked up and examined each evidence bag. One contained the clothes of Quarry Doe. Another had the scuba diver’s underclothes. Others held assorted things found at the scene—one spent shotgun shell casing. . . .
    “Were they shot?” asked Diane.
    “No,” said Jin. “At least, the medical examiner on the scene said