A Time to Live and a Thyme for Murder! (Outer Banks Baker Mystery Series Book 3) by Phoebe T. Eggli
Authors: Phoebe T. Eggli
Ads: Link
Derek had been present at Cheryl’s restaurant several nights as she cleaned up before locking up for the night. However, he usually stayed in the back while she tidied up the front counter area. She had also looked the other way when he snuck out a few loaves of bread and some containers of soup since she simply believed he was hungry and had no money to buy food at times. The interview went quickly with the agent instructing Krissy to call him immediately if she received another threat or remembered anything else of importance. On her way out, she kissed her father on the cheek – probably the first time she had done so, since she was ten years old.
Chapter 17
Back at the bakery, Melissa and Logan were cleaning up the mess the DEA had left behind in their search for indications of the X15 drug. A note taped to the counter issued an apology for the mess, as well as an offer to pay for cleaning services. Melissa rolled her eyes and threw the note in the trash. With nothing else to do, with her own restaurant still closed, Cheryl joined her friend at the bakery. They worked together to get the place in working order again. Maddie, Melissa’s assistant, had taken the opportunity to visit her grandkids while the bakery was closed but would be back in a couple of days for the re-opening.
Logan had been sent to the local farmer’s market for a long list of supplies so the women had the place to themselves for a while. Initially, Cheryl teased Melissa about shacking up with her handsome boyfriend and had been disappointed to hear her friend had moved out at the first opportunity. She knew Jason was head over heels for Melissa. She also knew Melissa still mourned her late husband, but she held out hope that she would embrace a new life and chance at long-lasting love with the right guy. All indications were that Melissa felt the same for Jason, but Cheryl had never heard her mention the word ‘love’.
Of course the conversation drifted to the ongoing investigation. Cheryl was anxious to have the whole thing resolved so she could get her restaurant back, but she was fearful that they would discover someone who worked for her was involved. Although the clear front runner for that spot appeared to be Krissy, Cheryl didn’t believe that for a second. The girl put forth a tough exterior, but she was highly intelligent and hard-working. Anyone that could quote Shakespeare, Maya Angelou, Walt Whitman, and Edgar Allen Poe as Krissy did on a daily basis, had better things going on in her brain than to allow drugs into her life. Cheryl had found it quite pleasurable listening to the young woman as she delivered trays of food to customers with a smile and a quote for the day. Yes, the choice of Derek as a boyfriend was questionable, but aren’t all young girls attracted to the bad boys?
Cheryl asked if the cops had figured out how everyone came to have X15 in their systems since it was highly improbable all the victims were drug users. Melissa answered that it appeared Derek stuffed the bread bowls with small bags of the stuff, but wouldn’t someone notice a bag in their bread? They tossed around a few theories as they continued to clean up when they were surprised by a knock at the front door.
At the door was Dr. Richard Wiggins, the county coroner and Tanner’s father, with a load of file folders under his arm. They had gotten to know each other better over the last couple summers as Tanner and Logan became better friends. He was also very well aware of the past troubles they had with the law. He had performed the autopsies on both Linda Stevenson, who was killed inside Melissa’s bakery, and Williams Hawkins, who had died of natural causes but it had been suspected he was poisoned by her lemon sage bread.
After a polite greeting, Dr. Wiggins got down to business. He needed Melissa’s help. He had run every test he knew to figure out the puzzle how everyone became sick from the drug.
Chapter 17
Back at the bakery, Melissa and Logan were cleaning up the mess the DEA had left behind in their search for indications of the X15 drug. A note taped to the counter issued an apology for the mess, as well as an offer to pay for cleaning services. Melissa rolled her eyes and threw the note in the trash. With nothing else to do, with her own restaurant still closed, Cheryl joined her friend at the bakery. They worked together to get the place in working order again. Maddie, Melissa’s assistant, had taken the opportunity to visit her grandkids while the bakery was closed but would be back in a couple of days for the re-opening.
Logan had been sent to the local farmer’s market for a long list of supplies so the women had the place to themselves for a while. Initially, Cheryl teased Melissa about shacking up with her handsome boyfriend and had been disappointed to hear her friend had moved out at the first opportunity. She knew Jason was head over heels for Melissa. She also knew Melissa still mourned her late husband, but she held out hope that she would embrace a new life and chance at long-lasting love with the right guy. All indications were that Melissa felt the same for Jason, but Cheryl had never heard her mention the word ‘love’.
Of course the conversation drifted to the ongoing investigation. Cheryl was anxious to have the whole thing resolved so she could get her restaurant back, but she was fearful that they would discover someone who worked for her was involved. Although the clear front runner for that spot appeared to be Krissy, Cheryl didn’t believe that for a second. The girl put forth a tough exterior, but she was highly intelligent and hard-working. Anyone that could quote Shakespeare, Maya Angelou, Walt Whitman, and Edgar Allen Poe as Krissy did on a daily basis, had better things going on in her brain than to allow drugs into her life. Cheryl had found it quite pleasurable listening to the young woman as she delivered trays of food to customers with a smile and a quote for the day. Yes, the choice of Derek as a boyfriend was questionable, but aren’t all young girls attracted to the bad boys?
Cheryl asked if the cops had figured out how everyone came to have X15 in their systems since it was highly improbable all the victims were drug users. Melissa answered that it appeared Derek stuffed the bread bowls with small bags of the stuff, but wouldn’t someone notice a bag in their bread? They tossed around a few theories as they continued to clean up when they were surprised by a knock at the front door.
At the door was Dr. Richard Wiggins, the county coroner and Tanner’s father, with a load of file folders under his arm. They had gotten to know each other better over the last couple summers as Tanner and Logan became better friends. He was also very well aware of the past troubles they had with the law. He had performed the autopsies on both Linda Stevenson, who was killed inside Melissa’s bakery, and Williams Hawkins, who had died of natural causes but it had been suspected he was poisoned by her lemon sage bread.
After a polite greeting, Dr. Wiggins got down to business. He needed Melissa’s help. He had run every test he knew to figure out the puzzle how everyone became sick from the drug.
Similar Books
