“No, it’s not. And you’re confusing your hemlocks. The hemlock conifer is not poison hemlock, which is an entirely different plant and the one everyone thinks of when they hear the word hemlock.” Dr. Delarosa laughed. “The poisonous one comes from the carrot family, and its leaves can be mistaken for parsley. And sometimes are, accident or purposely, is anyone’s guess. Hemlock is probably the poster child for poison. It’s been used to get rid of people since ancient Greece.” Dr. Delarosa signaled for Val and Jack to follow him. “Come with me. I’d like to get a better look at this in our lab.”

Val decided that she was pleased with her choice of tree specialists, especially since Dr. Delarosa just displayed an impressive hair-splitting detail on conifer, evergreen, and hemlock facts. Hell, until just now, she didn’t know what a conifer even was. She just hoped his ability to keep quiet about the evidence was just as strong as his knowledge.

They followed Dr. Delarosa out of the Everglades house, through the palm dome and down a long corridor, into a room lined with tall cabinets and drawers. Straight ahead was a well-lit work bench outfitted with a large magnifying glass on a retractable arm.

The doctor pulled out a stool and sat down. He positioned the magnifier and turned the light on. “Just as I thought. This is a conifer. It is also an evergreen. But it isn’t a fir tree, as you suspected.” Dr. Delarosa sat back, his eyes narrowed. He seemed puzzled, then grew concerned. He looked at Val before he spoke. “This is a yew tree. Specifically, English yew.”

“I knew it,” Jack said. “Yew trees are all over England, in the churchyards.”

“It’s not a fir?” Val said. “It looks so much like one.”

“Yes, it does. These needles are commonly mistaken for fir because they’re so similar. Here, let me show you.” Dr. Delarosa got up and walked to one of the cabinets. He pulled out some samples and brought them back to the workbench. “These are firs. See how the needles are rounded and there are two white stripes on the bottom. But take a look here, in the sample you brought the needle is sharply pointed, with no white lines beneath it.”

Val liked this guy. He knew his stuff. “What’s so special about a yew tree?”

“It’s the tree of the dead,” Jack said.

Everyone in the room stood still. And quiet. Val’s heart rate picked up a few beats. What the hell?

“Common misconception,” Dr. Delarosa finally answered. “It used to have the reputation of the tree of the dead. Now it’s thought of as the tree of rebirth. Resurrection.”

“But it’s highly poisonous,” Jack stressed.