The Plague Doctor Read Free Page A

know about? I mean, if you are at liberty to discuss it.”
    â€œThat’s the problem, Mrs. Sterling, I’m really not supposed to discuss it. But I can see that the rumors are flying.”
    â€œYou don’t know the half of it, son,” said Horatio as he topped off his liqueur glass. “You’re on par with the little green men from Mars.”
    â€œI guess I should have gone about this differently, but we usually have more information to go on. Most of the time one of the local docs calls us in. This time the call came from the state, and I came in blind.”
    â€œWhat are you investigating, dear?”
    â€œThe truth is I don’t really know, Mrs. Sterling.” Ethan shrugged his big bony shoulders. “At first I was thinking about bacteria in the water. And then I considered some sort of infection from the local wildlife getting into the domestic animal reservoir—chickens, pigs, that sort of thing. But none of the specimens I sent back to the lab have shown anything unusual. It’s like Marburg all over again. A big question mark.”
    â€œBut what does this unknown agent do? What does it cause?”
    â€œMiscarriages, abortions. There hasn’t been a viable baby carried to term in Rowan Springs in the last six weeks.”
    â€œYou mean they are all born dead?” I was stunned.
    â€œEither dead or dying. But since most fetuses are lost in the first trimester, I suspect we don’t even know the full extent of the problem.”
    â€œWhy is that?” I was beginning to feel Ethan’s frustration and concern.
    â€œSometimes women don’t realize they’re pregnant, and when they abort spontaneously, they think they’re just having a heavy cycle. It happens more often than you might think. It’s nature’s way of getting rid of abnormal cells. I suspect that’s the truth with whatever phenomenon is going on here. What we see is just the tip of the iceberg.”
    â€œAnd what is the count on the iceberg, my boy?”
    â€œEnough to make the State Medical Examiner call the CDC and ask for an investigation. The difficult part is that neither of the local doctors seem to want to cooperate.”
    I couldn’t control myself. “Well, Winston Wallace is an asshole, but what is the excuse Doc Baxter gave you?”
    Ethan laughed again. “Don’t tell anyone, but I couldn’t agree with you more about Dr. Wallace. Ed Baxter is something else again. He’s a sweet old guy, but he seems depressed and exhausted. I understand his wife died last year, and he had open heart surgery shortly thereafter. Maybe he’s never really fully recovered. He’s begged off several appointments we’ve made, and I understand that he’s cut back on his patient load. He’s not seeing any maternity patients at all now.”
    â€œI’m sorry to hear that.” Mother smiled softly. “Ed delivered Paisley and Cassandra. He’s a dear man. I haven’t seen him since last Christmas when he had dinner with us.”
    â€œJeez, pity the poor baby that has to see Winston’s mug with his first breath.”
    â€œPaisley, that’s very unkind.”
    â€œDon’t worry much about that, Mrs. DeLeon. The way things are going there may not be any babies to pity.”

Chapter Three
    Before my father died, he and my mother had enjoyed what many think of as the good life. Most of their indulgences were kept within the realm of genteel good taste; however, my mother was guilty of excess in one area: bed linens. She loved the luxurious feel of soft, silky sheets. Pretty lace coverlets, warm cashmere blankets, satin duvets, and down pillows were her downfall. I could sleep on a wooden floor, but I must admit, I loved being the pampered recipient of the objects of her obsession.
    The sheets on the four poster bed—the one I’d had since I was ten years old—were of the finest pima cotton