Dangerous Passage (Southern Crimes Book #1): A Novel by Lisa Harris

And apparently they didn’t find out. At least at the beginning. I was able to get hold of some letters she’d written from a cousin of your father’s. She ended up dying from marsh fever along with most of the men in her company, and her true identity was discovered.”
    Jackson looked up from the photo. “What’s marsh fever?”
    “Today we call it malaria. Back then they thought it was caused by breathing in poisonous swamp gases. They think that a fourth of the men—and women—involved in the Civil War died from it.”
    “How long ago was malaria eradicated from the US?”
    “Back in the 1940s? Maybe the 1950s. Somewhere in there. The US might have been successful in getting rid of it, but I’ve read it’s still one of the top ten killers in low-income countries.”
    Jackson stood up, his mind spinning. Why hadn’t he considered this before? Maybe there was no connection, but then again . . . Avery hadn’t mentioned that Tala had traveled overseas, but maybe she had. “I think I’ve been looking in the wrong place.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “My case. The one I’m working on right now. You might have just given me another piece of the puzzle.”
    Every test he’d thought of had come back negative. Nothingto explain the enlarged spleen. But what if they weren’t considering every possible angle?
    “I’ve got to make a phone call.”
    “To your lady friend?”
    “Not yet. First I need to test my theory.”

13
    A very and Tess stepped out of the humid Georgia air into the Hunt family’s two-story house in suburban Atlanta. Avery shivered and pulled her slate-colored cardigan tighter around her shoulders. She’d learned to adjust to the temperatures in her mother’s house years ago by wearing a sweater in the summertime and shedding a layer or two in the winter.
    Mama met them in the foyer, looking as if she were on her way to a sit-down dinner at the upscale Park 75 and not their weekly family meal. Just like the house, with its gold trim crown molding, damask wallpaper, and flashy chandeliers, Claire Hunt’s taste in clothes had always bordered on ostentatious.
    But it was Mama’s scowl that registered in Avery’s mind more than the silky teal dress and strappy high heels she wore. How long had it been since she’d seen her mother really smile? Seen her really happy?
    “We set the table for five but weren’t sure you would show up.” Mama’s patronizing tone matched her scowl as she kissed Tess on the forehead. At least someone was on her good side.
    “I said I was sorry.” Avery swallowed her frustration.
    She’d already called to apologize for missing Monday’s lunch, but tonight wouldn’t be the last time she was reminded of her blunder in etiquette. Instead of trying to argue the point, shesimply handed her mother the present she’d wrapped in silvery-blue paper and a shiny bow. The photo she’d found of Dad and Michael would be a perfect addition to the photo collection at her dad’s retirement party, as well as help pave the way toward a bit of forgiveness. At least she hoped so.
    “I brought you a peace offering.”
    “Don’t think this will make up for your skipping out on our lunch meeting with Doris. I had to endure an hour and a half of that woman’s constant babbling, sampling of high-calorie dishes, and comments about how her business is booming.”
    Avery set her purse down next to the door. “Maybe you should just be happy for her, Mama.”
    “Happy for her? She told me I should let her finalize the menu on her own. Apparently her tastes are superior to mine. I should have fired her right on the spot.”
    A wave of panic struck. There was no way they’d find another caterer at this late a date. “You didn’t fire her, did you?”
    “Emily talked me out of it.”
    Avery let out a sigh of relief as her mother slid her thumb across the end of the present and undid the tape. Maybe a reminder of Michael had been a bad idea.
    Avery pressed her fingers around