Analysis

"I thought one of the EMT's said the hearts looked like they had been preserved?" said Ramoos. "Yes, that's what we thought..." said Glick. "There's a lot of dirt, soil and other detritus in and around them. Maggots and other insects should have been feeding on these. But there's no sign of them. We're doing chemical separation and analysis next door."

"Any suspicions?", asked Ramoos. "It could be anything. But, whatever the hell it is, it makes a great bug repellent." "Toxic?" "Well, any unknown chemical is by definition, hazardous. That includes poisonous. But, it may be perfectly safe to handle, under certain conditions..."

"Such as...?" "Well, the puffer fish has a well-known toxin - tetrodotoxin. If handled and prepared correctly, you can eat the flesh of the puffer fish without harm. It can paralyze and kill if not."

"Do you think its that? Were these people poisoned with the toxin?", asked Ramoos. "I don't have the answer to that, I'm afraid." "Hmmm..."