A Time to Live and a Thyme for Murder! (Outer Banks Baker Mystery Series Book 3) by Phoebe T. Eggli Page A

usual dark tanned self, but definitely in good spirits. He recounted how sick he had been and his experience seeing their other friends and some tourists in the hospital with the same symptoms. He was grateful almost everyone recovered so quickly, but lamented how sad it was that the little Vega girl had lapsed into a coma. The doctors weren’t very optimistic at this point for her recovery.
     
    After being at the police station most of the day, Cheryl’s plan for a huge feast of homemade delicacies had been thrown out the window. Instead they ordered pizza and relaxed on the deck overlooking the ocean. Krissy was not in the mood to celebrate anything. No one blamed her either. In addition to her boyfriend being found dead in the wee hours of the morning, the DEA had questioned her the longest. She knew Agent Garland suspected she was aware of what Derek had been doing. At this point, Krissy wouldn’t blame them if they suspected she killed him too. Deciding she needed to be alone, she thanked Cheryl for the food and started to walk back home. Jason didn’t think it was a good idea for her to be alone, but Melissa realized the poor girl needed some time to herself.
     
    It was an early night as Melissa, Jason, and Logan returned home shortly after 9 p.m. Ronnie had tired easily after his whole ordeal and everyone needed some much deserved sleep. After everyone went off to their respective rooms, with Logan on the sofa, Krissy emerged quietly from her room. She motioned for Logan to join her on the back patio. Confused, he followed her outside.
     
    Even in the pale moonlight that peeked through the clouds, he could tell Krissy was frightened. Without a word, she handed him a note on a shred of yellow lined paper. “I found this in my room when I got home,” she informed him.
     
    Logan read the brief note. Chills ran up his spine as his eyes scanned over the poorly scrawled words. “Your boyfriend was a scumbag and deserved what he got. Unless you keep your stupid mouth shut about anything you think you may know, you will end up just like him.”
     
    The young man read and re-read the short warning. What precisely was Krissy supposed to know that would earn her such a threat? When he asked her, she simply shook her head. She swore that she had not known Derek was back to dealing drugs until after everything happened. She didn’t know his contacts or his friends, if he even had any. Her voice trembled and her hands were visibly shaking. Logan stood up to go get Jason. Her father needed to know Krissy was being threatened. He was a cop. He should be able to do something. However, she grabbed his arm to prevent him from taking another step.
    “Krissy, we HAVE to tell your dad!” Logan insisted. “This is serious!” The young woman, however, was adamant to keep silent. She argued that by telling her dad, she was telling the cops. The note warned her to keep her mouth shut and she intended to do just that. The two teenagers brainstormed what they could do about the situation. Not only was the DEA on their case, but now someone apparently on the opposite side of the law had Krissy in their sights.
     
    After a while, Logan decided to consult with Tanner. He didn’t expect to get much insight from the beach bum with a heart of gold, but they needed another perspective. Krissy was against calling the other boy, but didn’t stop Logan when he dialed the number. Tanner agreed to sneak out later to join them in Jason’s backyard. Technically, he was still grounded until the end of time, but he was confident he could get out of the house. By the time he arrived, Krissy and Logan had exhausted all known possibilities about who would threaten her and why. However, Tanner had a theory. According to him, no drug dealer ever really worked alone. His supplier probably considered Derek’s little girlfriend a liability to his operation in town. It was unclear by the note whether the person doing the warning was responsible for