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Just asa piercing scream shattered the air, causing them--and everyone around them--tojump.
Thescream tore through the air like a knife. Jake's instincts kicked inimmediately, and he took off toward the sound of the scream, Fiona close behindhim.
As theyran through the exhibit, they saw people scattering in all directions, theirpanicked voices rising in a cacophony of shouts and screams. Jake's heartpounded in his chest as he pushed through the throngs of people, his eyessearching for the source of the commotion. As he neared, he saw a group ofpeople huddled together near one of the dimly lit corners of the exhibit hall,their faces a mixture of shock and horror.
"Excuseme. FBI. Let me through," he barked, pushing past the onlookers until hereached the center of the crowd.
There,sprawled out on the floor beside an elaborate display of jewel-tonedbutterflies, lay the lifeless body of a man.
A darkstain of crimson spread across his chest, evidence of the stab wound that hadclaimed his life.
For afraction of a second, Jake thought it was all a bad dream--until realitysettled in.
Thiswas real.
"Everyoneback up!" Jake commanded, his senses heightened as he took in the gruesomescene. "Has anyone called 911?"
"Idid," a shaky voice replied from somewhere in the crowd. "They're ontheir way."
"Good,"he muttered, crouching down beside the body to get a closer look at the wound.It appeared to be a single, precise strike – the work of someone who knew whatthey were doing. Yet, there was something strange about it, something thatdidn't quite add up. The wound seemed... too clean.
Jakefelt a shiver run down his spine as he tried to piece together what hadhappened. The victim's eyes were still open, frozen in a look of abject terror.What had he seen in his final moments? Who could have done this? And why?
Jakecouldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this than just a randomattack. He glanced back at Fiona, who was watching him with wide eyes, herhands clasped tightly in front of her.
Thiswas supposed to be a relaxing date for them, but Jake knew they'd just beenthrust into a murder investigation.
CHAPTER FIVE
Fiona'sheart sank like a stone as she took in the sight of the dead man that laidbefore her on the museum floor.
"Staycalm, everyone!" Jake commanded, his authoritative tone cutting throughthe cacophony of gasps and murmurs from the crowd.
As Jaketook control of the situation, Fiona pushed past her initial shock and doveinto action. She needed to examine the body, see if there were any initialsigns of what happened here. Maybe, by some miracle, he was still alive.
Gently,she pressed two fingers against the man's neck, searching for any sign of apulse. The cold, unyielding flesh confirmed what she already knew—death hadalready claimed him.
"Jake,he's dead," Fiona announced quietly, meeting her partner's gaze. She couldsee the gears turning in his mind as he assessed the situation, his eyesnarrowing with determination.
"Everyonestay put!" Jake ordered the crowd. "Nobody leaves this area until wehave a better understanding of what happened here."
Museumofficials rushed over, their faces a mixture of shock and concern. "Whathappened here?" one of them asked.
Jakeflashed his badge. "I'm Agent Jake Tucker, FBI. Backup is on theway," Jake announced. "We need to secure this area. Lock all thedoors, and don't let anyone out."
Themuseum officials nodded and scattered. Fiona focused on the dead man. Althoughit appeared to be a typical stabbing, something caught her eye then—a small,dark shape on the man's forehead. She leaned in closer, her curiosity piqued.
It wasa bug,
Abeetle, to be precise.
"Jake,"Fiona called softly, not wanting to alarm the crowd further. "Take a lookat this."
Herpartner approached, his expression curious. He stared at the strange beetle,his eyes flicking between it and the wound in the man's chest. "What doyou make of it?" he asked quietly.
"Idon't know," Fiona mused, her mind racing with possibilities. "It'sjust a dead beetle on his forehead."
Jake'seyes were now fixed on the beetle. "But why would someone put a beetle ona dead body? It doesn't make sense."
