“Officer Riley briefed us on what he found. We’re going to assess the site and determine if this is a contamination hazard.” Contamination. Hazard. Words that made Megan’s throat tighten. Dr. Halpern scraped another sample of the black growth into a vial, his brow tightening. “It’s fungal,” he murmured. “But the colony is feeding on something.”
Megan swallowed. “Feeding? What do you mean feeding?” Halpern didn’t sugarcoat it. “Fungi don’t grow like this without a nutrient source. Could be damp wood… could be a dead rodent… could be—” He hesitated just long enough to make her stomach flip. “…something larger.”