“Would you mind if I spoke with Ms. Egerrton privately?” I asked.
Her companions vacated the room and I maintained a careful distance. “I don’t want to alarm you, but I’m going to put this mask on because I don’t want to spread germs in here.”
“I’ve got enough germs as it is,” Henrietta said. “Why does the FBI care about my cold?”
“Just a precaution. Can you tell me when your symptoms started?”
Henrietta appeared thoughtful. “It was yesterday. I remember because I was relieved I didn’t have any visitors. My grandson had come the day before, you see.”
“Is he local?”
“Yes, he works at the bank downtown.”
“Which one? Stilton Bank?”
“That’s the one.” She seemed pleased to remember. “He’s working his way up to manager.” She curled her fingers in her lap. “He loves working in the heart of town. He told me there’s a new coffee place next door.”
“Magic Beans. Does he like it?”
“Loves it. It saves him the walk to The Daily Grind. He only gets half an hour for his break. He’d rather not spend it walking.”
“Can’t blame him.” I ventured closer to the bed but kept my mask intact. “Have you been seen by a doctor?”
“Oh yes. Dr. Barton. He’s our regular one. Says it’s only a nasty cold and that I should recover within the week.”
“Was your grandson sick?” I asked.
“Not when he visited, but his mother told me this morning that he’s fighting a cold, too.”
“You haven’t had any other visitors?”
“Only people who already live here,” Henrietta said.
I hated to ask this of her because she probably felt isolated already, but I didn’t have a choice. “Ms. Egerrton, I need to ask you an important favor.”
“What is it, dear?”
“Stick to your room until your symptoms clear and try to avoid contact with anyone.”
Henrietta frowned. “This is serious, isn’t it?”
I decided to come as clean as I could. “It might be, and if it is, I don’t want you to endanger yourself or anyone else.”
She gave a slight nod. “I guess it’s a good thing they left me the cards. That’s a lot of solitaire practice.”
“I’m sorry. If your symptoms get worse, please call Dr. Verity Fury. Don’t wait.”
“Oh, Dr. Barton has mentioned her. She’s very good, isn’t she?”
“She is. Take care, Ms. Egerrton.”
“Be a dear and close the door behind you.”
I did as instructed and removed my mask as I entered the corridor. On my way out, I recognized Patrice’s voice coming from the room on my right. I poked my head inside. “Mrs. Sibbes?”
“Eden? Is that really you?” Tanner’s grandmother was upright in her bed. Her thinning white hair was fastened with a barrette on either side, giving her a childlike appearance. Gale sat in a chair in the corner, scowling as I entered.
“It is.” I hovered in the doorway. “You look wonderful. I like your hair.”
Patrice’s fingers brushed across one of the barrettes. “Sassy brought them for me. You remember Sassafras Persimmons, don’t you? Such a sweet girl.”
Gale smirked. “They know each other, Mamma.”
Patrice’s gaze seemed distant. “I hope she and Tanner get married soon. I’d like to live long enough to see my grandson get married.”
“Can I get you anything?” I asked.
“No, dear, but thank you kindly.” Patrice focused her big blue eyes on me. “I was sorry things didn’t work out between you and Tanner. I’ve always been fond of you.”
The immature part of me wanted to stick my tongue out at Tanner’s disapproving mother.
“Mamma, you know they would never have worked out,” Gale said. “Tanner is a special boy. He needs a special woman’s touch.”
“He’s had a lot of special touches from women,” Patrice said. “More than his fair share, I reckon.” She giggled. “Suppose I shouldn’t say that about my own grandson.”
“Can he help it if women throw themselves at him?” Gale asked. “He’s a handsome, successful young man. God broke the mold when He made my Tanner.”
“Have you met the new chief of police?” Patrice asked. “Gale says he’s quite attractive and an eligible bachelor.”
“We’ve met,” I said vaguely. No way was I going to get into details in front of Gale.
“I have to admit, it’s a nice change to have a younger man looking out for our community,” Gale said. “Mick O’Neill was pushing retirement age.”
“And now he’s pushing daisies,” Patrice said. Her hand flew to cover her mouth. “My apologies, Eden. Retirement humor. If we don’t joke about the inevitable, we risk going a little crazy.”
“I understand.”
“Were you visiting a friend?” Patrice asked.
“Not quite. Henrietta Egerrton,” I said. “Do you know her?”
Patrice nodded. “Lovely woman. We play shuffleboard sometimes. And cards, of course. She’s sharp as a tack when she’s not feeling grotty.”
“I’d keep my distance until her cold is gone,” I said. “It’s apparently highly contagious.”
Patrice smiled. “Will you be coming to see her again soon? You could pay me a visit at the same time. We can play games. You were always good at those.”
Gale’s frown grew deeper. “Now, Mamma. Eden doesn’t have time to waste on an old woman. She needs to focus on finding herself a man.”
Mrs. Tanner and my mother had more in common that I cared to admit.
“I’d love to come another time,” I said.
Patrice placed her palms flat against the sheet. “It’s settled then. I’ll expect you for another visit soon. Maybe Sassy can come with you.”
“I bet she will, as soon as this outbreak passes,” I said. “I promise.”
Chapter Ten
It wasn’t every day I got called to the mayor’s office for a meeting. In fact, this was my first time ever.
“Agent Fury, we’re so pleased you could join us,” Mayor Wilhelmina Whitehead greeted me at the door to the conference room. At about five foot ten with deep brown eyes and a gleaming set of white teeth, the mayor cut a striking figure in her power suit. She offered her hand, but I politely declined to shake it, gesturing to my red nose.
“I’m honored to be included,” I said. “I’ll try to keep my germs to myself.”
“That would be most appreciated,” the mayor said.
“I believe you know Husbourne Crawley.” The Southern transplant sat at the table in one of his trademark white linen suits.
“We’re neighbors,” I said. I neglected to mention that we both served on the secret supernatural council and that Husbourne was our informant on all things political in town.
A middle-aged man rose to his feet. His face was deeply tanned and his flashy, colorful suit was in sharp contrast to Husbourne’s traditional garb. “We haven’t had the pleasure of an introduction. I’m Jayson Swift.”
“The lawyer?” I’d never actually met the land shark, but I knew him by reputation.
He smoothed the front of his tailored suit jacket. “The one and only.”
The older woman beside him laughed. “The one and only lawyer? Now there’s a pipe dream.” She shifted her attention to me. “I’m Edwina Melton.” With her frosted blond hair and reading glasses, my guess was late sixties.
“Alex Appleton,” the next man said in a gruff voice. He seemed more interested in the papers on the table in front of him than engaging with me.
“I wish our introduction was under better circumstances,” Mayor Whitehead said. “We’d like to get out in front of this potential epidemic and Husbourne suggested bringing you into the fold sooner rather than later.” She motioned for me to join them at the oval table.
“You do realize I’m an agent in the cybercrime division,” I said. “I’m not sure how much help I c
an offer you.”
“I’m aware of that,” Mayor Whitehead said. She sat at the rounded edge of the table and slotted her fingers together. “Husbourne says you used to be in a different division. I was hoping you could lend your skills to help us identify a Ground Zero. A common denominator that might tell us how and where this bug started so we can contain it.”
“For all we know, it’s a really bad allergy season,” Alex said. “I still think we’re overreacting.”
“Would you say we were overreacting if Ray Langdon had been your son?” Mayor Whitehead asked pointedly. “I seem to recall you demanding an inquisition when a tree fell in your yard.”
“That neighbor of mine is a blight on society,” Alex said, clearly agitated. “I know he rigged that tree to fall. Ruined my fence on purpose.”
“It was during a storm,” the mayor said. “You just didn’t want to pay to have it removed.”
“Why should I?” Alex grumbled. “That Mother Nature can be a real bitch.”
“A real powerful bitch,” the mayor said. “Like me.” She flashed an intimidating smile. “And this bitch’s concern right now is for the residents of this town.”
Alex met her steely gaze. “I’ve already warned you that you’ll end up looking like a hysterical female. It’ll cost you the next election.”
Mayor Whitehead didn’t flinch. “I’d rather save lives than worry about the next election. I’m not the mayor yet to come. I’m the mayor right now.”
I gaped at her for an extended beat. “I don’t know where you came from, but welcome to Chipping Cheddar.”
The mayor looked at me and laughed. “That’s right. You grew up here, didn’t you? I’m a more recent transplant. Came here from Sarasota for my husband’s job and loved it so much that I decided to run for mayor.”
That election must’ve taken place when I lived in San Francisco. I’d stopped keeping abreast of town events at that point. Clara and I weren’t in contact and it wasn’t as though I made small talk with my family.
The door swung open and I was startled to see Chief Fox enter the room.
“Oh, fantastic,” the mayor said. “I wasn’t sure if you’d be able to join us. Agent Fury, have you had a chance to meet the new chief of police?”
“We’ve met, Mayor,” the chief said, before I could answer. His gaze lingered on me longer than necessary and my body warmed in response.
“I’ve heard nothing but good things about both of you,” the mayor said. “I can’t help but feel that Chipping Cheddar has its best days ahead of it.”
“I think its best days ended when the Puritans were overrun,” Alex said. His voice was as unpleasant as his expression, as though he’d woken up in a pool of his own vomit. Based on the stories I’d heard about his penchant for alcohol, that scenario wasn’t far-fetched.
“Overrun by whom?” Husbourne asked.
Alex waved a hand airily. “Everybody else. The common folk.”
“Remind me not to let you write the slogan for my next campaign,” the mayor said.
“As a member of the common folk,” the chief began, “allow me to tell you that my deputy and I have been working on narrowing down the common locations.”
“And have you identified any potential hot spots?” Mayor Whitehead asked.
“We have. One of them is a brand new business.”
My heart skipped a beat. “Not Magic Beans?”
“The LeRoux place?” Husbourne added.
“Afraid so,” the chief said. “The members of the band had been there right before they fell ill, including the deceased.”
“Where else?” Jayson asked.
“The cafe at the marina,” Chief Fox said. “The band had lunch there earlier in the week.”
“How about anyone else that’s sick?” I asked.
He seemed to notice my symptoms for the first time. “You caught it, Agent Fury?”
“I was at The Devil’s Playground the night Ray died,” I said. “I’m sure a bunch of people caught it that night.”
“That’s why it’s hard to nail down a Ground Zero,” Edwina said. “You don’t know for sure whether the band members picked it up from a place or another person.”
“I know someone else who might have been infected by a patron of Magic Beans,” I said. I hated to mention it because of my family’s history with the LeRoux witches, but I couldn’t hold my tongue.
“Who’s that?” Jayson asked. All I could see in his eyes were dollar signs in connection with a potential lawsuit.
“Henrietta Egerrton is a resident at the nursing home,” I said. “I think she caught it from her grandson who works in the bank next to Magic Beans. He’d been there before he went to visit her and now they’re both sick.”
“It’s not a slam dunk, but it’s a start,” the mayor said. “Chief, I want you to shut the place down until further notice. See what you can find out from a health and safety inspection.”
“Yes, Mayor,” the chief said.
The mayor placed her phone on the table and began to tap on the screen. “I’ll schedule a follow-up for two days from now and see where we’re at. In the meantime, I trust that everyone here will do their best to keep the community calm and, for Pete’s sake, carry antibacterial gel and a box of tissues.”
“The gel won’t help if it’s a virus we’re dealing with,” Alex said.
Mayor Whitehead glared at him. “You’re just a regular Contrary Mary, aren’t you?”
“He’s right, though,” I chimed in. “If it’s a viral infection, then the gel is useless.” Of course, I knew for a fact the gel was useless, but I couldn’t share that part.
“But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take precautions,” Edwina said.
“Agent Fury, why don’t you accompany Chief Fox to Magic Beans,” the mayor suggested.
“Why?” I asked. “I’m sure he and Deputy Guthrie can handle it.”
“I’m sure they can,” the mayor said, “but a federal agent gives the whole thing more teeth. Is that all right with you, Chief Fox?” She clearly expected an answer in the affirmative and he knew it.
“Agent Fury and I make a great team,” the chief said.
I strangled a cough. “We’ll just make sure we keep a safe distance. I wouldn’t want to infect the chief of police.”
“The sick elderly woman in the nursing home is still alive, right?” Edwina asked.
“She is,” I confirmed.
“The elderly and the young are our most vulnerable residents,” Mayor Whitehead said. “I don’t want to close the schools, but I will if it comes to that.”
I felt a surge of respect for the mayor. I knew very little about her, but I was impressed with what I’d seen so far.
“What about Cheese-chella?” Jayson asked. “The festival could end up being a safety hazard.”
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” Mayor Whitehead said.
“You’re being overly dramatic,” Alex scoffed. “This is an unusual cold and flu season. That’s all.”
I wanted desperately to put him in his place, but I couldn’t. There was too much work to do, starting with Magic Beans. If Corinne LeRoux didn’t hate me already, she was sure going to hate me now.
Chief Fox and I drove separately and met outside the door to Magic Beans. There were a reasonable number of guests inside. Poor Corinne was going to be deeply unhappy in about two minutes.
The chief leaned forward and sniffed me. “You smell really nice,” he said.
“That’s medicine for my cold. I rubbed it on my chest earlier.”
His gaze shifted to my chest and back to my face. “Don’t toy with me like that, Fury.”
I barked a short laugh. “That screams sexy times to you?”
“What? Eucalyptus is a turn-on.”
“In that case, I’d hate to see you walking around the nursing home.”
His grin faded. “If this infection spreads in the nursing home, we’re going to be in real trouble.”
<
br /> I thought of Henrietta Egerrton and Tanner’s grandmother and my resolve strengthened.
I opened the door. “After you, Chief Fox.”
He strode inside and I resisted the urge to run ahead and order a quick drink before we closed down the shop. Back to The Daily Grind for me.
Corinne spotted us and walked to the end of the counter to greet us. “Welcome back. Always happy to see repeat customers.”
Chief Fox cleared his throat. “Miss LeRoux, I’m afraid I have to ask you to close for business.”
Corinne registered shock. “Why?”
“Mayor’s orders,” Chief Fox said. “She wants a health and safety inspection.”
“But I had one already,” she argued.
“It’s because of the sickness going around,” I said quietly.
Corinne blinked back tears. “I don’t understand. I have to close because people are getting cold and flu symptoms?”
“It’s not that simple,” I said. I gave her a pointed look, but she didn’t seem to catch it.
Her expression crumpled. “I’ve only recently opened. Shutting down now will make it really hard to recover.”
Chief Fox appeared sympathetic. “I understand how difficult it is to start a new business.”
Corinne’s gaze swept the busy shop. “I’ve put my heart and soul into this place, not to mention my entire savings.”
“I’m sorry, Miss LeRoux,” the chief said. “Truly, I am, but the health and safety of this town has to come first.”
Corinne turned to face me, her dark eyes simmering with unspoken anger. “This is your family, isn’t it? They’re behind this.”
“No, definitely not,” I said with an adamant shake of my head.
Chief Fox looked at each of us, confusion etched in his handsome features. “Why would the Fury family want to hurt your business? They don’t operate a rival shop.”
“They’re rivals all right,” Corinne said. “The LeRoux family has had to put up with their bullying for far too long.”
I didn’t know what to say. My family did have a rivalry with the LeRoux coven, but for reasons neither of us could explain to Chief Fox. As much as I was willing to believe my family would hex a LeRoux without batting an eyelash, I didn’t think they were responsible for this.
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