Dr. Delarosa nodded and then turned the branches over, studying them again. “I don’t know where these would have come from locally though. English Yews are not native here and won’t be hardy in Buffalo weather conditions. It will survive in areas ranging from up to southern New York State and New England. So, the tree you’re looking for isn’t from around here, but may not be terribly far away.”

The next few seconds of silence made Val realize that she had nothing more to ask of Dr. Delarosa, at least not now, and certainly not without regrouping her thoughts. “Well, Dr. Delarosa, I’d like to thank you for your help. Your knowledge is impressive. If it’s not too much of an inconvenience can I call or stop by with more questions should they arise?”

“Of course. If there’s nothing more, would you like a personal tour of the gardens,” Dr. Delarosa asked with a smile. Val and Jack nodded eagerly.

They stayed a couple hours more as Dr. Delarosa showed them around. By the time they left both were silent again, hunger this time apparently causing the lack of discussion. Val’s stomach growled: it was now after 1pm and she’d had nothing to eat all day, but she wouldn’t have missed the personal tour for the world. It wasn’t until they were seated at lunch, with roast beef sandwiches in front of them, that the conversation turned back towards Gabrielle Morgan.

Val spoke first. “Well, that answers our question on how she died. Eating the yew seeds would have caused either her heart to stop beating or her lungs from inhaling. Thirty minutes is the right amount of time. She wouldn’t have had to lie on the altar for long.”

“Everything points to suicide with hopes of reincarnation, doesn’t it? Maybe a curing of her cancer in the process?” Jack said. Val couldn’t help but think he was challenging her with his questions rather than stating the obvious. And Val was happy because she didn’t believe it was this easy either.

She picked up a French fry and quickly set it down. “Yes, everything points to a murder–suicide, but it doesn’t make sense. This is what I have a hard time believing. Why kill her son and not try to bring him back with her? If she was doing something that she believed would bring her back from the dead, maybe healed, why didn’t Adam have yew tree branches in his hand. Why didn’t he have seeds in his mouth. Not to mention, having him eat the seeds would have been a nicer way to kill him than slicing his throat,” Val said. “Hell, why kill him at all for that matter if she thought she was coming back?”