“It all depends on what we find. Calliphorids are generally the first insects to colonize a body—the blowflies—sometimes within minutes of death. Suppose a murderer kills a victim, then sets the body aside while he digs a hole; even if he only takes a few minutes, female blowflies have already found the body and laid their eggs on it. So when the killer buries the body, he buries the blowfly eggs along with it. The eggs hatch underground, the maggots mature and pupate, adult flies emerge—but a lot of them can’t make it back to the surface again. I might find their bodies left behind.”

“What would that tell us?”

“It depends on the specific species. Suppose I find Cochliomyia macel-laria, the secondary screwworm fly. The secondary screwworm fly doesn’t like fresh bodies—it prefers to wait a day or two until things dry out a little. That would tell us the victim was left aboveground for a day or two before he was buried. And Cochliomyia macellaria is rarely found in buildings, so that would mean the victim was probably killed outdoors. Macellaria is a warm-weather fly—but suppose I find Phormia regina, the black blowfly—they prefer cold weather. In that case we might be able to narrow the time of death to a specific season. And if we’re really lucky, we might even find a species that doesn’t belong here—a species that isn’t native to this area—and that would tell us the body was transported here from somewhere else. Like I said: It depends on what we find.”

“Fair enough. See what you can find.”

“If you ask me, what you really need here is a forensic anthropologist. He can give you a better PMI than I can—he can test the nitrogen levels in the bone.”

“There could be other bodies buried here, Nick, and they might not be as old as these two. If we find one, I’ll have to send for you anyway. I’d rather have you in on this from the beginning; you’re good at puzzles, and this looks like a big one to me. You know how to work a crime scene and you get things done—in your own manic, self-destructive way.”

“Well, I’ll see what I can do—but until we find a fresher body I could use that anthropologist.”

“You’ll have one by tomorrow. You should have everything you need within twenty-four hours; if you don’t, call me. Where do you want them to set up the tent?”

Nick looked over the area. “On top of the ridge, near the graves— but tell them not to put it too close. I don’t want the shade late in the afternoon—I’ll need the sunlight.”

“Anything else?”

“I’d like to know a few details, like—where am I staying?”