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"Three people have been killed, Teddy," Jake interjected, his voice hardening with every word. "We think their deaths are related to someone who shares your passion for entomology. We're just trying to rule you out."
"Rule me out?" Teddy's eyes flashed with anger. "You mean to punish me for my activism, just like those fools at the pest control company did?"
"Teddy, please," Fiona implored, her voice softening. She didn't want this to get ugly. "We're not here to judge your activism. We just need to know where you were last night."
"None of your business," Teddy snapped his expression a mixture of defiance and indignation.
"Teddy," Jake said evenly, "we'd like you to come down to the station with us. We can discuss this further there."
"Absolutely not!" Teddy barked, his face reddening. "I won't be dragged into your twisted little game."
Fiona could feel the tension in the air mounting with every passing moment. They had to tread carefully, or things could spiral out of control. She took a step closer to Teddy, trying to appeal to reason. "Teddy, we're not accusing you of anything. We just need your cooperation to rule you out as a suspect. If you're innocent, this won't take long."
Teddy's eyes narrowed, suspicion radiating off him in waves. Seconds ticked by, the silence stretching taut between them. Then, without warning, he spun on his heel and disappeared back into the house, slamming the door shut behind him.
Fiona and Jake exchanged a look. They had to get inside that house, but they couldn't do it without a warrant. Fiona's mind raced, trying to think of a way to persuade Teddy to let them in. Then, she had an idea.
She knocked on the door. "Teddy, I'm sorry if we came on too strong. We just want to talk."
No response.
"Please, Teddy," she coaxed, her voice gentle. "I know you care about bugs. I do too."
"No, you don't," Teddy called out.
"You use them as tools for your own agenda. You don't understand their true beauty and value."
Fiona felt a pang of guilt. Maybe he was right. Maybe she had become too focused on using insects to solve crimes and had lost sight of their inherent worth. But she couldn't let that distract her from the task at hand.
"Teddy, please," she persisted. "We just want to ask you a few questions. And if you're innocent, we'll leave you alone."
There was a tense silence, then the sound of locks turning. The door creaked open a crack, revealing Teddy's face.
"Come on now, bud," Jake said. "We just wanna talk. Come down to the station with us, and there won't be any problems."
Teddy opened the door fully. "What, now you want me to go with you somewhere else? No way. I didn't kill anyone, and I'm not gonna stand around while you accuse me."
"Teddy, if you could just cooperate—" Fiona began but was cut off as Teddy shoved Jake with surprising force.
"Get the hell off my property!" he yelled, his fury boiling over.
Jake recovered quickly, his instincts kicking in. With a swift motion, he grabbed Teddy's arm. Teddy let out a yelp, quickly overpowered as Jake cuffed him. "Teddy Ackerman, you're under arrest for assaulting a federal agent."
Fiona watched the scene unfold, a knot forming in the pit of her stomach. Why had Teddy reacted so emotionally? If he was this reactive and unhinged, then maybe he truly was the killer. Her mind raced, grappling with the possibility that they had found their killer.
But something nagged at her, a whisper of doubt that refused to be silenced. She couldn't shake the feeling that they were missing something crucial, a piece of the puzzle that would finally reveal the truth. As Teddy was led away in handcuffs, Fiona vowed to herself that she would find that truth – no matter where it led her.
***
The smell hit Fiona first. Stale air, mold, and something else - a faint metallic scent that set her teeth on edge. She forced herself to take a deep breath as she stepped through the doorway of Teddy Ackerman's house. It was important to keep a clear head. Teddy was in custody, and now, they needed to search his house.
"Strange place, isn't it?" Jake murmured, his voice low and tense. He moved cautiously into the darkened living room. "Let's see if we can find any poison."
Fiona nodded in agreement, trying to ignore the cold sweat trickling down her spine. The house was a mess, evidence that Teddy clearly didn't take good care of himself.
"Look at this," Jake said quietly, gesturing towards a painting that hung crookedly on the wall. It depicted a figure in a hooded cloak, its face obscured by darkness, surrounded by a circle of candles that burned with sickly green flames. "Creepy stuff."
"Teddy's got a taste for the macabre," Fiona replied, her words barely audible over the pounding of her heart.
