“I have no idea,” Nick said, “but it’s what killed Jeffery Wells.”
The laboratory lights were turned down low and a breathless silence filled the room. Saffron sat with her thigh pressed against Alexander’s as they took turns peering into the eyepiece at the fungus culture contained in Nick’s glass dish.
It was hard to give the culture her complete attention when Alexander sat so near her, radiating focus and calm confidence. His body was bent low over the microscope, his brow furrowed when he took a turn at the eyepiece. Every once and a while, he bit his lower lip as he made a minute adjustment to the magnification. It was terribly distracting, but it was hard to ignore the lingering presence in the laboratory that prevented her from making meaningful designs on Alexander.
Saffron couldn’t tell which ruined the mood more: the deadly fungus they were examining or Nick.
As if to win another point in his favor, Nick heaved a sigh from behind them. “When you suggested examining it yourselves, I imagined it would save time.”
“If you are feeling impatient,” Alexander murmured, “you are welcome to leave.”
Saffron imagined she could hear Nick’s eyes rolling. “I very much doubt anything will get done if I leave you two to it.”
Alexander glanced up from the eyepiece and winked at Saffron. She enjoyed the tingle of a blush on her cheeks.
“You might as well leave,” Alexander said, returning to the specimen. “We’ll identify it before long.”
“‘Before long’ has to be before that specimen dies,” Nick said, but it sounded more to himself. He’d said the sample had been sealed so he could transport it, meaning the culture was cut off from oxygen and nutrition.
“Mycology may not be either of our specialties,” Saffron said, “but we are well acquainted with the process of specimen identification. Alexander is developing a rapid identification system for bacteria found in water and soil, you know.” She patted his shoulder. “He’s gotten to know dozens of fungi in the process. Once we’ve done the measurements and observed the salient features, it’s merely a matter of finding the right entry in the right book.”
Nick cast a doubtful look at the stack of books on fungi she’d retrieved from the library before it closed.
“It helps that it’s yellow,” Alexander said. “Narrows it down.”
Alexander continued calling out features that Saffron examined herself before recording in her notebook. They took turns thumbing through pages of the textbooks until Alexander let out a soft hum.
He tapped on a page. “I think this is it.”
Nick came to loom over them.
Saffron read the heading of the entry. “Mucor indicus.”
“The challenge in identifying it is that it is dimorphic,” Alexander said. “It forms both filamentous and yeastlike growths, or a mixture of the two.”
He didn’t bother to explain the terms to Nick, but Saffron tapped on the drawing she’d done in her notebook of the stringlike growth pattern and the circular one in turn.
Alexander continued, “I don’t know what it looked like in the tissue samples from the autopsy”—Saffron shuddered at the thought—“but it is very possible only one form showed up, making it harder to identify. The cell wall in the filamentous growth—”
“Thank you, I think I’ve heard enough,” Nick said. He quickly swooped between them, planting a hand on Saffron’s shoulder tosteady himself as he put his own eye to the microscope’s eyepiece. He hummed, then stepped back.
Saffron glared at him and rubbed her shoulder. He was far too heavy to use her as a support. “What now?”
“Where does one find this fungus?” Nick asked.
“Soil, among other places,” Alexander replied, looking at the textbook again. “And considering where Wells worked and the way it was likely introduced into his body, from the wound in his hand, it’s possible it was an accidental infection.”
“An accidental infection he didn’t see a doctor about, even when he was deathly ill?” Nick asked, his disbelief plain.
“It is possible both Wells and Petrov died accidentally,” Saffron said slowly. “Will Petrov’s body be checked for aMucor indicusinfection?”
“Of course it’s possible,” Nick said impatiently. “And his body will be checked, now we know to look for it. But considering what we know about Wells …”
“What do we know about Wells?” asked Alexander nonchalantly.
Nick ignored him, looking instead to Saffron. “I need you to find out if the lab works withMucor indicusspecifically. That’ll give us a clue as to this being an incidental infection or something else. See you tomorrow.”
CHAPTER28
