The last thing anybody wants to hear after a lunch of hot tamales was about gut bacteria … but, thus the necessary work of justice …

The Green case – appropriately named in many ways – that the cold case division of Big Loft, VA's police force had to handle had come down to when Mr. Green had died, and where, and exactly how his decomposition had taken place.  It all came down to what bacteria had gotten off first – the general four-day course had been assumed – and then what flies had laid their maggots first.  It was Lieutenant Longstreet's case to handle.

Captain Lee, commander of the division, sat impassively as all the photos were laid out on the floor and he and the other four lieutenants, together, walked around and looked at the gruesome photos.

“Everybody has an alibi if this thing followed the normal course,” Lieutenant Longstreet said.  “Five days back from his discovery, everybody has an alibi.” 

“What if the decomp process was sped up somehow?” said Lieutenant Carter said.  “What if extra bacteria of the appropriate sort were added – we've got a suspect who worked in microbiology, after all?”

“Possible,” Lieutenant Lightfoot said.

After a while, everybody looked at Captain Lee, who sat in perfect concentration, and then placed his hand on a photograph.

“Bacteria can be rushed by augmenting their numbers,” he said, “and so you can see five days of decomposition in three days, but maggots, not so much.  Look at these, Lieutenant Longstreet.”

Lieutenant Longstreet looked, and sighed.

“Yep, those are about a day old – back to the drawing board, because that's five days in total.”

“Perhaps back to the drawing board.  Perhaps not.  Mr. Green theoretically died at home, so those should be housefly-type maggots.  Careful study, however, will show whether that is true, and if not, that opens another angle for you.”