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       "No. I want to stick around here a little longer." Megan looked up at Peter. "Let's make it dinner tonight." She surprised herself by going up on tip toes and kissing his cheek.

       "Dinner?" Peter blushed. "It's a date."

       "I suppose it is," Megan agreed.

       "Excuse me," a male voice interrupted the intimate moment. "Are you Megan Grant?"

       Megan turned to face the new arrival, taken off guard by his untidy, yet handsome appearance.

       "She might be." Peter stepped forward. "Who's asking?" he added protectively.

       "I'm Detective Harrison," he explained, flipping open his wallet to reveal his ID. "I think I need your help."

       The corridor was badly lit and the sound of their feet sounded hollow against the tiled floor. Megan was already regretting her decision, but the photos had intrigued her enough to say yes.

       She'd taken Harrison to the staff canteen, with Peter tagging along in a sulking stance. He hadn't been happy with the way Megan had taken so quickly to the Detective.

       "Breakfast?" Megan had asked Harrison.

       "I'd rather not," he declined. "And I'd suggest you don't bother either."

       "Well I'm eating," Peter had chirped in. "I'm starving." He'd left Megan to show Harrison to an empty table.

       "So, detective," Megan had said as they sat down. "What have I done for you to show such a keen interest?"

       Harrison had looked deeply into her eyes, a stare that unnerved Megan and she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. As she watched him she was sure he was about to cry and then his expression turned cold, like he'd flicked a switch somewhere deep inside.

"It's not what you've done that interests me, Miss Grant," Harrison began. "It's what you do."

       "You'll have to be more precise than that," Peter said as he joined them. "Our Megan can be a bit slow."

       "Sod off, Peter."

       "You're an expert in wild animals?" Harrison continued as if Peter had never spoken.

       "I specialise in big cats," Megan explained. "But I've worked with plenty of large animals." She cocked her head to one side. "But I still don't understand why that would be helpful to the police."

       "I want you to take a look at something for me." Harrison pulled an envelope from his jacket pocket. "I'd like your opinion." He opened the envelope and removed a small stack of photographs."

       "You going to show us some family snaps?" Peter quipped.

       "You could say that," Harrison replied, a dark shadow engulfing his eyes.

       Harrison held the photographs out to Megan and she grasped them. At first Harrison made no move to release them.

       "I have to warn you," he stated. "They're not pleasant."

       "Do you want my opinion or not?" Megan asked.

       Harrison nodded and let go of the photographs, watching Megan's face carefully for her initial reaction. She showed no signs of flinching as she took in the first photo, turning it in her hands and looking at it from every angle. He studied her as she flicked from one photograph to the next, her face giving nothing away. When she was done she looked up at Harrison.

       "It wasn't a cat, if that's what you're asking," she stated.

       "Then what was it?" Harrison locked eyes with her.

       "I can't say without seeing the bites up close."

       Harrison cupped his hands under her chin, taking on the appearance of the thinking man. Peter laid his knife and fork down and snatched the pictures away from Megan.

       "Let me see," Peter said and instantly regretted looking. "Fucking hell. I thought you said they were family pictures."

       "That was my ex-wife," said Harrison blankly.

       Peter dropped the photographs and pushed his half eaten breakfast across the table, his complexion turning an unhealthy shade of grey.

       That had been just over an hour ago and now they were walking along the corridor in the basement of the city morgue. Megan couldn't help but think about the telephone call earlier in the day, guilty for taking the matter of death so lightly. Peter had come in the car with them, but Harrison had made him wait for them upstairs. He'd had to pull a few strings to get access for Megan. Hell, not even Harrison should have been there. His personal involvement in the matter negated his participation in an enquiry..

       "Are you sure about this?" Harrison asked when they reached the frosted glass door at the far end of the hallway.

"Not really," answered Megan. "But if you want answers then I have too."

"Why would it matter what I want?"

       "I'm not sure." Megan paused for a moment. "Let's just say I know how it feels to lose someone and not know why or how."

       "Fair enough." Harrison nodded and pushed the door open, holding it wide for Megan.

       The first thing she noticed was the cloying smell, a distinct mix of disinfectant, antiseptic and blood. The coppery smell was familiar and strong enough to taste in the back of her throat.

       "Harrison." They were greeted by a short man with glasses. "And who have you brought along with you?" The man brushed his thinning hair from his forehead and patted it down.

       "Tom, this is Megan Grant," Harrison made the introductions. "Megan, Tom Flannigan."

       Flannigan held out a hand and Megan took it, surprised by the strength in the small hand. She quickly re-evaluated her estimation of the nerdy looking figure, watching the way he walked and realising that he was man who looked after himself and not to be taken lightly. She was starting to like him already. It appeared it was a good day to meet new people.

       Then she remembered why they were there.

       "Do want to see them all?" Flannigan asked.

       "All?" Megan replied.

"My son, daughter and their step-father were on holiday together with Maria." For the second time that day Megan saw the threat of tears in Harrison's eyes, but just as quick as it came he blinked it away.

       "Jesus." Megan couldn't think of what else to say.

       "I'll only bring out Maria." Flannigan chose diplomatically, unwilling to tell Harrison that the body of his ex-wife's husband was yet to be found.

       "Thanks." Harrison nodded at his colleague and friend.

       Flannigan quickly walked over to the wall of drawers against the wall and pulled one open. He slid the drawer out and the metallic clang of the wheels dropping down echoed loudly in the small large room. He rolled the table over to the centre of the room and waited for Harrison and Megan to join him.

       "Maria was badly mauled," Flannigan said before carefully removing the white sheet that covered the body.

       "Oh shit." Megan threw a hand over her mouth and turned away while she composed herself.

       "Are you sure you can do this?" Harrison placed a shaking hand on her arm.

       Megan nodded and returned her attention to the table and its gory contents. The victim had been a healthy female, but mauled wasn't an apt description for what was left of the torso. Megan looked around and took a pair of short tongs from a trolley loaded with medical tools and began to examine the vicious wounds.

"Where's the rest of her?" she asked as she probed at the stump where the left leg should have been.

       "We have no idea." Flannigan answered. "This was all that was left. It was the same with them all."

       Megan meticulously worked her way over the remains, studiously checking every wound before she stood up straight.

       "It definitely wasn't any kind of cat." Megan paced around the trolley.

       "But it was an animal attack?" Flannigan added to the questions.

       "I'm not sure." She ran a finger over a bite mark on the chest. "Whatever did this had some teeth that resemble a wild beast, wolf-like in size and shape." She moved her finger around the wound. "But these here are almost like the marks left by a human."