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

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  Phoebe T. Eggli

  Dedicated to those who live and love!

  It’s what our world needs, more living in the moment;

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  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Bonus Chapter

  Recipes:

  Chapter 1

  For once Melissa Maples’ summer started out relatively uneventful. The last two summers had been chalk full of mystery and mayhem from the get-go. Two years ago, she walked into her own bakery with her beloved nephew Logan to discover the dead body of a rival baker. One year ago, Logan found the dead body of his girlfriend’s grandfather on his first day of fishing at Oregon Inlet. Both deaths tied back to her and the bakery somehow and they spent the early part of both summers fighting to prove their innocence in both events.

  This summer started out peaceful, for the most part. At least no dead bodies, so for Melissa, that was a huge plus in her book. Logan was back for his annual visit. Another visitor was in town this year though. Kristina Payne, Jason Payne’s daughter, was staying with her dad for the summer before heading off to the University of North Carolina (UNC) – Wilmington in the fall. She surprised her dad by showing up at his house the first day of summer vacation. Apparently, she hitchhiked to town from Elizabeth City. That wasn’t the only surprise for her father. Krissy sported an entirely new look Jason didn’t necessarily approve of, but knew enough to realize there was nothing to be accomplished by yelling at an eighteen year old woman about her blue hair and nose piercing. Melissa hoped to forge a relationship with her boyfriend’s daughter. It felt so strange to use the term “boyfriend” when she was 46 years old, but it was appropriate. However, the young woman had other ideas completely that did not align with the hopes of Melissa and Jason.

  Kristina, or Krissy as she preferred to be called, was a troubled girl on the verge of womanhood. Despite the recent remarriage of her mother, she was not thrilled that dear old dad was seriously dating someone. Every effort to befriend the girl had been outright rebuffed. When Melissa offered her a job at the bakery to earn some money for college, Krissy rudely refused. Not to be deterred, Melissa arranged for her friend Cheryl to hire the girl at her own soup, salad, and sandwich shop across the street from the Kill Devil Delicacies bakery. Krissy never knew her father’s girlfriend engineered the job opening, and that was perfectly fine with Melissa.

  They tried biweekly dinners at Melissa’s house, too. Although Logan and Jason enjoyed Mel’s culinary expertise, Krissy made sure to let everyone know her disdain for anything deemed non-traditional. The middle-aged widow spent her life in the kitchen as a pastry chef. She was renowned for her artisan breads and even won the Outer Banks Regional Bake-Off two years ago. Gourmet French meals were also a specialty of hers. Of course, Logan preferred hamburgers and French fries like any teenager but after several summers with Aunt Mel, he found he started to enjoy the gourmet meals just as much. Krissy, however, would sit at the table without saying a word and not touching her food. After dinner, she would excuse herself and run to the closest fast food chain, as evidenced by the pile-up of wrappers in the passenger side of her father’s truck. Melissa tried her hand at more traditional fare in an effort to appease the young woman, but nothing she did or cooked seemed to be satisfactory. Still, she held out hope that by the end of the summer she and Krissy could become friends.

  Now in the middle of June, the group settled into a somewhat comfortable pattern of everyday life. Logan helped Melissa out at the bakery in the mornings and then spent his afternoons with his girlfriend, Emily once she arrived back in town with her family. The poor kid tried to befriend Krissy too, but the young woman didn’t seem interested in making new friends, especially with anyone who thought Melissa was the best. Logan adored his aunt and could not tolerate Krissy’s snide remarks under her breath about her. Emily really didn’t appreciate the attitude Jason’s daughter exuded towards a family she had grown to love and respect. However, everyone was determined to try their best for Jason’s sake.

  Life had been more disruptive over the last week. Krissy’s no-good boyfriend, Derek McCallie, arrived in town. Needless to say, Jason was not thrilled. The boy reeked of trouble. A phone call to his ex-wife revealed the young man was not the epitome of what a nice southern young man should be, what with being kicked out of school in the middle of his senior year along with a growing arrest record. Krissy claimed he turned his life around complete with passing his GED exam and a new job with a moving company in town. Ever a sucker for a story of a reformed young person, Jason caved and didn’t ban Krissy from seeing Derek. Melissa had a bad feeling about it and worried he would soon regret that decision.

  Melissa’s thoughts often returned to how to better her own relationship with Krissy. After dating Jason for almost two years, she considered her present and future to be with him. It would be nice to have his daughter’s blessing. She pondered that very issue as she mixed up a few more recipes to refrigerate overnight in the back room of her bakery. She had even consulted her brother, John David, by phone earlier that day. Sadly, he did not have any helpful advice on how to win over an already grown woman who happened to be the daughter of her boyfriend. Meanwhile, Logan already left to join Emily’s family for an early dinner and Jason was resting up for the night shift with his partner, Cory Bronson.

  With her hands and arms covered in sweet-smelling flour she mixed and kneaded dough while her mind drifted to the latest story from her friend Cheryl about the misadventures of employing Jason’s daughter in her soup and salad shop – Cheryl’s Seaside Sundries. Apparently, the blue hair and nose piercing weren’t the only adornments Krissy had obtained. Cheryl called earlier to say she saw a peek-a-boo tattoo in the small of her back as the girl bent over to pick up something that spilled on the floor. Her straight-laced cop father would not be impressed. Melissa had no plans to tell him either. Cheryl tried to figure out what the tattoo was, but when she leaned to get a closer look she accidently knocked over a container of salad on top of the poor girl’s head. Melissa would’ve paid money to see that. According to Cheryl, it was quite humorous to see the horrified look on Krissy’s face as spinach and walnuts clumped in her blue hair and balsamic vinaigrette dripped down her forehead and off her nose. Clearly, the young woman didn’t appreciate the laughter that Cheryl could not contain.

  Krissy ran off in a huff to change clothes with a few select words muttered under her breath. She’d commandeered her father’s truck during her stay, and Melissa now better understood why she’d heard the tires squeal as the young woman sped away moments ago. Cheryl called her immediately after the episode. Her friend
could barely get the story out in between fits of laughter.

  After putting away the pans of dough in the large refrigerator, Melissa came out to the front of her bakery. Her assistant, Maddie, had everything well in hand. It was an unusually quiet afternoon in the bakery for the middle of the tourist season. Pouring herself another cup of coffee, Melissa sat down for a few moments to rest while absentmindedly listening to the local North Carolina coast news on a small television in the corner of the bakery reception area. A young woman with too much red lipstick reported from the local hospital where there had been several cases of a strange nature. The symptoms were all similar – extreme fatigue, vomiting, losing consciousness – but the doctors were stumped. Over twenty new patients had been admitted to the hospital just that day with fifteen having been admitted overnight. “Oh dear,” Maddie said softly, “Just what we need to scare off the tourists – a friggin’ epidemic!” At that, Melissa rolled her eyes a little. Maddie always made a mountain out of a mole hill. She suspected the same here.

  As Melissa got back up to check on some rolls in the oven, she saw Jason’s truck drive by way too fast for the small street. “Krissy’s back,” she thought to herself. She halted in her tracks as she heard the truck’s brakes screech to an abrupt stop. A moment later, the quiet afternoon air was pierced with a horrifying scream. Without thinking, Melissa ran out the front door to the alleyway leading from the main street behind Cheryl’s shop. She found Krissy on her knees in front of the truck, crying and screaming uncontrollably. Running over to the distraught teenager, Melissa put her arms around her asking if she was alright. Peering over her shoulder, she saw a horrific sight. Apparently, the truck had just missed slamming into poor elderly Mrs. Burnside whose body was lying in the middle of the back alley behind Cheryl’s shop where she usually strolled to and from the shop and her home a couple blocks away.

  The girl’s screams continued, as Melissa yelled for someone to call 9-1-1 and she attempted to remove Krissy from the alley. Cheryl came out and led Krissy away as Melissa checked the woman’s vital signs. Mrs. Ethel Burnside, an 82 year old sweet lady who frequented the bakery and Cheryl’s shop, was unresponsive in a puddle of her own vomit. An ambulance was called immediately, but it was too late. The sweet woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The quaint seaside town of Kill Devil Hills, NC had its first casualty of the summer and a new mystery was born.

  Chapter 2

  It had been a tough night for everyone. Jason had worked until dawn as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) had been called in by the governor of North Carolina to investigate the outbreak of illness in their small beach town. Of course, the mayor wanted his best and brightest detectives helping out the Feds. Krissy had been so distraught over nearly running over the already dead body of Mrs. Burnside that she had not argued about staying the night at Melissa’s cottage.

  As the sun peeked over the Atlantic Ocean, Melissa sipped her second cup of coffee as she relaxed on the back deck as the two teenagers still slept. Sleep eluded her most of the night as she realized her dreams of a peaceful, uneventful summer were dashed. Now, her beloved town may be in the death grips of a new and strange virus as well. With Mrs. Burnside dead and many others in the hospital, Melissa felt a twisting in her gut that this was just the beginning of another mystery. “Why couldn’t they have just one normal summer?” she asked herself.

  A soft knock on the front door came around 5:30 AM. Standing at her door was an exhausted Jason. Worry was etched in the frown lines of his forehead. He had not wanted to leave his daughter that evening, but knew she was in good hands with Melissa and Logan. She hugged him tightly. No words were needed between them. They had only been together two years, but they already had the kind of relationship where sometimes they didn’t even need to speak to know what was on each other’s heart and mind. This was one of those times.

  After several moments, Melissa withdrew from Jason’s embrace long enough to close the door behind him. Hand in hand, they walked back out to the deck so they could converse without waking the slumbering kids. With a huge sigh, Jason settled down in the cushioned loveseat he bought for Melissa last summer. Her deck had been littered with single chairs. Unconsciously, she had held back from purchasing seating for two since she had never imagined she would cozy up with someone else after the death of her husband, Kevin, several years earlier. Jason noticed though. The loveseat purchase had been like a test to see if she was indeed ready to give her heart to someone again – to him. She accepted the gift, but it had taken her several weeks before it became her “go-to” chair when Jason was there. The middle-aged cop accepted that all things worthwhile took time, so he willingly waited, uncomplaining.

  “So how’s my little girl? Give you any trouble last night?” he finally asked in a weary tone. She assured him Krissy was fine. They spent the night watching corny Mystery Science Theater movies and generally tried to forget about the events of the day. Krissy had balked at the idea of needing a “babysitter”, but thankfully had not put up too much of a fight. It was the one time in years that Jason had put his foot down when it came to his daughter. She was not going to be alone after discovering a dead body earlier that afternoon and that was final.

  “Tell me, any connection between poor Ethel and all the folks sick in the hospital?” Melissa asked. She had been shocked when Jason couldn’t get off work to be with his daughter because the CDC had been called in by the governor. The elderly woman had been up there in years, but she had been as spunky and feisty as someone half her age. No one believed she just keeled over from old age. If there was a nasty virus going around affecting the residents of Kill Devil Hills that may explain her sudden passing.

  Jason replied, “We’re still waiting on her autopsy report and the lab results from the patients in the hospital. Everyone’s showing the same symptoms; however, the severity of symptoms differs greatly. One young man is mostly recovered already, while poor little Angela Vega is nearly comatose. It’s a mystery.”

  Just then Krissy poked her head out of the back door and ran out to her father. It was sweet to see the father and daughter embracing. “Dad, can we go home now?” Melissa intervened by asking if they wanted some breakfast before heading back out, but the young woman already returned to her previously stand-offish attitude. She tersely thanked Melissa for allowing her to stay the night, but was anxious to get home. A chuckle from the doorway indicated Logan was up too. As a teenager, he knew the truce called last night would be short-lived. Jason chose not to argue with his daughter. Thanking Melissa again, he kissed her on the cheek and the duo left. Logan couldn’t resist rolling his eyes as the door closed behind them. He loved his aunt completely and knew Jason did too. He couldn’t understand why Krissy threw up a wall around herself when it came to Melissa. Didn’t she realize just how awesome his aunt really was?

  After a quick breakfast of turkey bacon and clementines, the two set off for the bakery on foot. Logan knew better than to broach the subject of Krissy’s attitude with his aunt, but he was reaching the end of his patience with Jason’s daughter. Instead he shifted the conversation to the upcoming picnic with the Hawkins’ family on Friday night. He wanted to surprise his girlfriend Emily by baking something for the event himself. He had helped out in the bakery and knew his way around the kitchen a bit, but he desperately wanted something that would be of his own creation.

  As aunt and nephew brainstormed ideas, they rounded the corner to the main street through town. Both immediately stopped speaking and stood completely riveted in place at the sight before them. The entire block had been cordoned off with police tape with guards set up to keep everyone out. On the other side of the block, they could see news vans with large satellite dishes. However, it was the mini-army in HAZMAT suits that shocked them. There had to be at least 50 men and women – couldn’t tell with the full body suits and helmets – roaming the streets with beeping machines and clear garbage bags.

  Regaining her composure, Melissa approached on
e of the cops standing guard on the sidewalk. She didn’t recognize him, so she assumed he belonged with the CDC or another agency. Since dating Jason, she knew all the cops up and down the Outer Banks of North Carolina. “Excuse me, sir,” she began, “Can you tell me why the entire street is roped off? My bakery is just down the block. Will I be able to get there sometime today?” Not one for conversation apparently, he shook his head and pointed to another gentlemen just walking up behind her. The man was clad in a sharp looking business suit with flaming red hair and spectacles.

  “May I help you, mam?” he asked politely as she blocked his path. Melissa repeated her question. He sadly replied that the entire area would be off limits for an indefinite period of time while they investigated the apparent outbreak in town. Without another word, he donned a HAZMAT suit handed to him by the guard and walked away.

  Melissa and Logan stood there a few moments longer surveying the spectacle their town had become. Their tiny seaside town no longer looked inviting and bubbling in summer fun. It resembled something more out of a horror flick, or even the scene in the movie E.T. when Elliot’s house was taken over by the Feds investigating the little creature from another world. As they turned to walk back home, Melissa’s phone buzzed in her pocket. It was Cheryl, her friend and owner of the soup and sandwich shop across the street from the bakery. She sounded dismayed as she reported that she was at the hospital now with her husband, Ronnie. He now exhibited the same symptoms as the other patients. She was already scared for her husband, but the CDC representatives at the hospital were only making her more frightened. Melissa vowed to get there as soon as possible. Hanging up the phone, she filled Logan in on Ronnie’s condition and the two briskly walked to the next block to hail a cab.