Chapter 3
The hospital was bursting at the seams with the recent onslaught of patients with symptoms suspicious of a viral outbreak not seen in the United States in decades. Two entire floors had been reserved just for those patients and CDC personnel. In order to get onto either floor, one had to cover themselves in yellow, bulky HAZMAT gear. No one was allowed off either floor without first being sprayed down with a chemical sanitizer and changed into fresh clothes. Since neither Melissa nor Logan were related to any of the suspect patients, they had to wait for Cheryl to come down to a special waiting room in the basement of the hospital.
Melissa had never seen her friend so pale and distraught. Cheryl had aged at least ten years overnight. She attempted a faint smile as she exited the elevator and saw Melissa. Her friend wasn’t fooled though. She knew Cheryl was petrified for her husband. The three sat down at a small round table in the far corner of the room where a soda vending machine hummed loudly. Wiping a stray tear from her cheek, Cheryl told them all that she knew of the situation. Last night Ronnie started feeling queasy after dinner. Within minutes he was vomiting uncontrollably and so weak he could no longer stand on his own. The paramedics were so concerned about contracting whatever was causing everyone to be sick that they wouldn’t even enter the house until the CDC arrived with sanitization equipment and more HAZMAT suits. To make matters worse, the CDC representative told her that morning that she couldn’t go back to her own home because it was under quarantine. She couldn’t even pick up fresh clothes or her toothbrush. Every patient exhibiting the same symptoms also had their homes or businesses shut down as well.
Melissa explained to her friend that the entire block where their businesses were located had also been quarantined by the CDC. These guys meant business. Cheryl laid her head down on the table in despair. Putting a comforting arm around her shoulders, Melissa vowed to bring her back some clothes, as well as toiletries and some decent food to help keep her strength up. “Whatever you need,” she assured her friend, “I’ll take care of it.”
As Melissa and Logan left the hospital, they passed the same CDC representative they encountered earlier in town. Intrigued by all the high drama ensconcing their town, Logan approached the tall, slender man and introduced himself. “Sir,” Logan began, “can you tell us anything about what is making everyone so sick? We have friends in there and no one is telling us anything.” The gentleman was polite, but obviously in a rush to check on the patients in the hospital. He gave the quintessential “We, the CDC, cannot confirm or deny a viral or bacterial outbreak at this time. We promise to keep the public informed as much as possible. With that response, he hurried into the building.
Unsatisfied, Logan decided to seek out his buddy Tanner Wiggins to see if he could help him snoop around. Not the brightest bulb in the socket, Tanner had the access he needed and was always easy to talk into just about anything. Of course, Logan didn’t want to worry his aunt so he excused himself on the premise of using the time to catch up with his surfing buddies since they couldn’t go into the bakery that day. Melissa suspected something was up with her nephew, but was too engrossed in her own concerns for her friend to worry about him.
As Melissa went back to her own house to round up some clothes to fit Cheryl and some travel size toiletries, Logan called up Tanner to meet him at The Surf Shack in thirty minutes. Tanner was the son of the county coroner and a complete beach bum. It wouldn’t take much convincing to get Tanner on board with his plan. He wanted a preview of the autopsy results on Mrs. Burnside. Then, if anyone else unfortunately died of the same thing, they could conclude whether there really was a disease incapacitating the local townsfolk or something else entirely. He had heard of outbreaks of diseases that had been considered eradicated reappearing in the Midwest, but never anything all the way out on the east coast. Almost as an afterthought, he called up Emily on his way to meet Tanner. She was the smartest person he knew, and she had confided to him earlier in the year that she hoped to pursue a career in medicine. He hoped she would research the symptoms so they could narrow down what they were dealing with. Logan wasn’t happy people were getting so sick and he was less happy about the town being overrun by the CDC, but he loved a good mystery. Perhaps they could figure this out before the Feds did.
Emily readily agreed and went to work immediately. She even called up her father, Joey Hawkins, who worked for the State Department in Washington, DC. Perhaps he could light a fire under someone there to find out what the CDC knew already and wasn’t telling anyone. Tanner was already waiting for Logan at The Surf Shack with a bag of Crab Chips and two sodas. Since last summer, he had stopped disguising beers as sodas. His dad had discovered a Yeti cooler with several such camouflaged cans and had not been amused. Tanner also spent the first part of the school year in an alcohol abuse prevention program that had scared the boy mostly straight. At least enough to not take unnecessary chances getting caught.
Logan unveiled his plan to Tanner who was not as keen on the idea as Logan had hoped. Apparently, Dr. Wiggins had his son on a lockdown after catching him going through bags of unclaimed personal belongings left at the morgue. He had only been looking for money, but it had been enough to infuriate his dad. As the boys discussed the strange goings on in the town, a radio blared from inside The Surf Shack with the familiar beep of the emergency broadcast system. The message following the beeps was downright frightful. The CDC representative, introduced by the mayor as Dr. Brian Nelson, explained that the entire town of Kill Devil Hills was under a federal quarantine until such time as the CDC could determine the cause of the outbreak, treat everyone infected, and until such time as they could conclude the town was free of the contagion. He instructed everyone to go about their daily business, but to limit exposure to anyone outside their own home and to completely avoid contact with anyone exhibiting symptoms of the disease – nausea, vomiting, and dizziness. As the camera zoomed in on the doctor’s face, he sternly advised that medical attention be sought at the first sign of illness. “The governor has declared a state of emergency in Kill Devil Hills until this situation is resolved. Blockades will be set up around the perimeter of the city. No one, including tourists, can enter or leave the area until otherwise advised.” The doctor concluded his speech by informing residents that anyone acquainted with the patients already in the hospital would be interviewed by CDC personnel within the next 24 hours. Logan and Tanner looked at each other incredulously. Both shocked to find their little town on a government-mandated lockdown.
Almost immediately after the broadcast, Logan’s phone rang. It was his aunt’s boyfriend, who also happened to be a local police detective. Logan and Melissa were needed at the precinct for questioning by the CDC. He couldn’t relay any specifics to the young boy. However, he indicated that the Feds had a working theory of the origins of the outbreak. Based on the current list of patients in the hospital being treated, they all had eaten at Cheryl’s Seaside Sundries in the last 72 hours. Seeing as Melissa’s bakery provided all the breads for Cheryl’s shop, both establishments were under intense scrutiny. Logan hurriedly said goodbye to Tanner and raced off towards the precinct just a few blocks away.
Chapter 4
Talk about a bad case of déjà vu! Logan and Melissa knew this scenario well. Early summer inside an interrogation room at the police precinct. This was a habit both wished to break. The small room was unbearably hot as it was the middle of June in the humid North Carolina Outer Banks and the air conditioning in the building was on the fritz. Portable fans placed throughout the building did little to offer respite from the heat.
The precinct waiting room was packed with friends and family members of those stricken by the “illness”. Even though the CDC had no conclusive evidence it was indeed a disease that had broken out in their small town, they had to treat it as if it were. The break room had been turned into a medical post where everyone was evaluated by CDC representatives who performed physical examinations of everyone known to have
been in contact with anyone admitted to the hospital. Peeking out the interview room door, Melissa saw Krissy being escorted to the break room for her check-up by a short, plump woman in her late thirties with dark blonde hair pulled back in a hair net and her hands covered by Latex gloves. From where she sat, Melissa couldn’t see the young woman’s face but imagined this was not the kind of summer vacation Krissy imagined when she came to stay with her father.
Both Melissa and Logan already had their check-ups, complete with vials of blood drawn and having to pee into a small cup. Normally, all this should have taken place in the hospital, but the CDC wished to keep the “well” from the “sick”; as separated as possible. Jason had even told her that Dr. Nelson had put a ban on visitors in the hospital. Even closest family members weren’t being allowed to visit loved ones anymore. Not until this situation was resolved. Anyone else needing medical attention, other than for those specific symptoms, were being sent by ambulance to nearby Kitty Hawk. He had just escorted one poor woman and her husband to the tiny facility there when she had gone into labor. They barely made it before the baby made its first appearance. Jason was thrilled it had waited though. He had no desire to be the one to deliver a baby.
Just as Melisa was about to lose her patience waiting to be interviewed by the CDC, the tall, flame-haired Dr. Nelson entered the room and closed the door. A quick introduction, the doctor got right down to business. He explained that it appeared all the patients admitted to the hospital with the same symptoms had one thing in common – they ate at Cheryl’s Seaside Sundries. Melissa didn’t dare tell him that her boyfriend had already filled her in on that tidbit. Without glancing up at the two interviewees, Dr. Nelson continuously jotted notes down on his legal size notepad as they talked. Most of the questions were quite innocent – Have you eaten at Cheryl’s in the past? Have you ever gotten sick from her food before? When was the last time you ate something from there? Are you experiencing any of the following symptoms? The line of questioning went on for several minutes with nothing notable to report. However, the questions became more centered on the bread items Melissa provided to Cheryl’s business which were numerous. Melissa’s bakery provided all the bread sticks, sandwich breads, and bread bowls for soups and salads to the small shop.
Thankfully, Jason interrupted after thirty minutes into the interview. The small amount of air that wafted into the muggy room felt like a cooling summer breeze off the ocean, but the effect lasted only a matter of seconds. With a clouded expression, he handed the doctor a manila file folder. Exiting the room, he flashed a smile of encouragement at his girlfriend and her nephew and propped the door open with a small trash can. Unfortunately, the doctor preferred the door to be closed and once again they were ensconced in stifling heat. Dr. Nelson took his time perusing the file while Melissa and Logan waited with sweat dripping down their faces. His eyes were hidden behind his wire-rimmed glasses, but Melissa could see his forehead crinkle in contemplation. Finally, he placed the folder down on the table and looked back across the table at the duo.
“Mrs. Maples,” he began, “I just received a report regarding what specifically the afflicted patients ingested from Mrs. Lankford’s little restaurant. It seems that 100% of the patients ordered soups served in bread bowls from your bakery. The CDC does not believe the outbreak is just a bad case of food poisoning due to the severity and the variability of the symptoms experienced by the patients. However, we will need to conduct a thorough investigation of your bakery and all the food items there. We have not found any known contagions yet in Mrs. Lankford’s shop, but are still searching for anything viral, fungal, or bacterial that could have jump started this outbreak. I would appreciate your permission to allow my personnel into the Kill Devil Delicacies bakery to do the same analysis. However, please know that if permission is not given we will simply serve a search warrant in order to gain access to the premises.”
Flabbergasted, Melissa sputtered, “Of course, please do whatever you have to do.” Pleased, the doctor made a quick phone call from the antiquated landline on the table and then continued his interview. His questions mostly centered on where she obtained the ingredients for her breads, her cleaning and sanitization procedures, and who had access to anything in the process from mixing the ingredients to delivery of the final products. All her ingredients were organic and grown locally, including all herbs grown in her own garden at home. Only Melissa and Maddie ever participated in the mixing of ingredients and baking. Logan usually delivered the breads to Cheryl, but sometimes Krissy would take them over before starting work.
Melissa wished she hadn’t been so forthcoming by the time the interview was over. Based on the answers she provided, Dr. Nelson decided to quarantine her home as well. She listened helplessly as he called for a team of CDC investigators to search her home and seal it up. They weren’t even to be allowed back inside to get clothes or toothbrushes! This guy certainly was serious about his job, which was a good thing but Melissa wished he wasn’t so overly vigilant. She didn’t intend to spend the next few days or even weeks in the same clothes! Dr. Nelson tried to reassure her. He even informed her that her friend Cheryl had already been evicted from her home until such time as they could determine if it was safe. For the moment it appeared that Melissa and Logan were homeless.
Chapter 5
With it being the heart of vacation season in Kill Devil Hills, and tourists trapped in the town until the CDC said otherwise, there were no hotel rooms to be found for Melissa and Logan. In addition, Cheryl had been banned from her home as well while her home was investigated for contaminants or contagions that could have made it into the food supply. As they walked out of the police precinct, Logan remarked snidely, “What exactly are we supposed to do? Camp out at the beach?” to anyone who would listen.
Luckily, there was one thing Melissa had plenty of in Kill Devil Hills – friends. She was already on the phone with her assistant Maddie when Jason ran out after them. After calmly reassuring Maddie that everything would be fine but the bakery had to remain closed for the foreseeable future, she was just about to ask for a place to stay when Jason interrupted her. With Maddie on hold, he insisted that Melissa and Logan stay with him. “Maddie, I’ll call you back,” she said into the phone and ended the call. Then, to Jason, she said, “I’m not so sure that’s a good idea.” Logan, of course, thought it was the perfect solution and said as much. Why shouldn’t his aunt’s boyfriend let them crash at his place?
Jason knew the reason Melissa hesitated to accept his offer – Krissy. He looked into Melissa’s big, beautiful hazel eyes and reached for her hands. “I promise. We will make this work. It may not be easy and we may be a little cramped in my two bedroom townhouse, but we will make this work for us.” Melissa smiled up at him and nodded, but added that if the situation was too awkward for his daughter, they would find alternate arrangements. With that settled, Jason went back into the precinct to wait for his daughter’s interview to finish while Melissa and Logan strolled to the corner market to grab some supplies – toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, etc.
As expected, having house guests didn’t sit well with Krissy. With the extra arrival of Cheryl Lankford, the young woman became even grumpier than usual. Jason gave up his room to the two ladies, while he camped out in the living room with Logan. The guests tried their best to make things easy on their hosts. Quite frankly, Jason enjoyed their company and enjoyed all the scrumptious food cooked up by having two fantastic chefs as roommates. Krissy, on the other hand, was less than enthusiastic and complained incessantly. Melissa tried her best to give the girl enough space, but the cramped quarters didn’t help matters.
A week went by and still the CDC wouldn’t allow them back into their homes or businesses. The news reported that no new cases had been diagnosed, but the cause of the outbreak still remained a mystery. Some patients had recovered, but not enough to be sent home. However, some patients worsened over the week. It was mostly the elderly and very young that had t
he hardest time. Watching the news one morning as Melissa cooked breakfast, Logan was saddened to see a reporter interviewing one of the older teenagers that sometimes hung out with Tanner at the beach – Kyle Vega. His sister was one of the patients that had taken a turn for the worse. She was now in a coma. The young man was obviously distraught, but the smiling reporter just kept asking him questions and shoving the microphone in his face. Krissy walked into the room and remarked about the horrid smell coming from the kitchen. It was Logan’s favorite turkey bacon with a smoked gouda cheese and spinach omelet. He rolled his eyes since obviously she was just being her usual rude self. He thought it smelled fantastic! Krissy saw Kyle on the news and made a comment about “poor guy”, but then left in a hurry without eating.
Since they couldn’t go into work and weren’t allowed back at home yet either, Melissa and Cheryl spent a lot of their spare time volunteering at the local soup kitchen or trying out new recipes in Jason’s kitchen. Jason enjoyed being a test subject for all their new creations. Some worked out well – like the lemon pepper chicken orzo soup paired with a new version of Melissa’s thyme bread with an assortment of five different cheeses. The gazpacho with a dash of citrus splash served with her infamous Sea Salt and Rosemary bread was a huge hit, too. However, the country vegetable soup with parsnips in lieu of carrots did not go well with the jalapeño cheddar bread at all. Most evenings Jason came home to find his entire kitchen covered in flour and dirty dishes. He didn’t mind; however, it was a sore spot with his daughter.
A Time to Live and a Thyme for Murder! (Outer Banks Baker Mystery Series Book 3) Page 2