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those bugs?’’ asked Raymond.
‘‘That’s the only way the entomologist can be cer
tain about the species of the larva and how long the
life cycle is. It’ll help fix the time of death.’’
‘‘They haven’t been there long. I’d say just a couple
of weeks, from the rate of decay,’’ said Lynn.
‘‘They were hanging off the ground,’’ said Diane.
‘‘Shouldn’t make that much of a difference,’’ said
Lynn.
This was the first time Diane had cause to question
Lynn’s competence. But she didn’t say anything, re
membering
had
shown
outshown.
that
earlier
on
at
the
crime
scene
Lynn
a
sensitivity
to
being
contradicted
or
    However,
to be fair, it takes experience with hang
ing victims to realize that it can indeed make much of
a difference. Rate of decay is highly dependent on the
environment. Bodies decay differently in Alaska than
in
Hawaii,
or
the
Sahara,
or
Portobelo.
And
they
decay differently out in the open, or hanging, or sealed
in
an
enclosed
space,
or
buried
shallow,
or
buried
deep,
or
buried
in
a
limestone
environment.
It
also
makes a difference if they have open wounds, such as
the cutoff fingertips.
    It’s
a matter of the body tissues being accessible to
the
insects and
microbes
that cause
decay. And
the
presence of chemicals or elements that interfere with
microbial
and
insect
action
by
causing
the
body
to
dehydrate or to become preserved.
    There
are so many permutations and combinations
that unless you’ve had experience with them all, there
is no way to just know. Had these bodies been discov
ered at a later date and had Red, the corpse Diane
witnessed
fall, lain
on the
ground where
the insects
could get to him, he would appear to have died earlier
than the others, even though their time of death might
be the same.
    Diane
thought of explaining, but it would just sound
like a lecture, it would offend Lynn’s sensitivity and
it would make Lynn look bad in front of Raymond.
She’d
simply
use
what
information
David
collected
from his reared insects and make her estimates of the
time of death.
    Diane
removed the rope from Green the same way
she had from the first victim. Raymond took the pho
tographs. Green was tied in exactly the same way as
Blue—hands behind the back in a handcuff knot with
the
standing
end
of
the
rope
in
a
loop
around
the
neck
and
the
extra
rope
from
the
working
end
wrapped
four
times
around
the
wrists
with
the
end
tucked between the loops.
    The
noose was tied the same way as on the first—
a bowline to make a loop to pull the rope through to
create a noose that tightens under tension. She hadn’t
expected
the
knots
to
be
any
different,
and
they
weren’t. She carefully packed and labeled the rope.
    ‘‘I
was
wondering
if
you
would
take
me
caving
sometime,’’
said
Lynn.
‘‘A
simple
cave
for
a
rank
beginner.’’
    ‘‘Neva
wants to go caving too. She’s also a beginner.
We should be able to find a good starter cave we can
go to.’’
    Lynn
grinned. ‘‘I have always loved caves, under
ground
lakes,
all
those
things.
One
of
my
favorite
movies is Journey to the Center of the Earth . Loved
that underground lake.’’
‘‘Caving’s
not
usually
that
eventful,’’
said
Diane.
    Both
Raymond and Lynn laughed.
‘‘You wouldn’t catch me going down a black hole,’’
said Raymond. ‘‘Heard about too many people getting
themselves stuck. You sprain your ankle and it’s hell
trying to get you out.’’
‘‘You learn to be careful,’’ Diane said. ‘‘Knowing
your ropes and knots helps too.’’
‘‘I think he’s had his appendix out,’’ said Lynn. She
rubbed the area with a damp piece of gauze. ‘‘Let’s
get
a
photograph
of
this,
Raymond.
Have
you
ever
had to be rescued?’’ she asked Diane.
‘‘No, but I have been on a rescue team. It can be
a dicey situation, for certain.’’ Diane collected several
surface specimens of insects while Lynn and Raymond
continued the external examination of the body.
Green was male.