A Time to Live and a Thyme for Murder! (Outer Banks Baker Mystery Series Book 3) Read Online Free

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