Eggsecutive Orders

Nana patted the big pink paw. “No offense, Fuzzy.”

Fuzzy Guzy stayed silent, obviously waiting for them to stand and join him. When that didn’t happen, he lowered his cotton-tailed bulk into the nearest empty chair-right next to Kap. Without saying a word, the big rabbit patted the table in front of him, and folded his paws one on top of the other. “Thanks,” I said. “I’ll be right back.”

“Ollie.” Kap started to get up. “Do you need help?”

“No, not at all,” I said and sprinted away before he could argue.

Leaving Mom and Nana with him seemed wrong somehow. Ruth had said that Kap wasn’t who he pretended to be, and I believed that. In fact, I’d sensed that from the start. But in this crowd, with all of those kids ru

I spotted Ruth about a hundred feet away. She was leaning against a tree trunk, in conversation with Phil and Francine Cooper. Damn. Another delay. “Ruth,” I called. She turned and waved. I hadn’t expected her to be with Cooper. Could she be warning him about Kap’s alleged plans?

I slowed my pace, striving to appear casual. “Did you all have enough to eat? How was the food?”

Francine smiled and told me how wonderful everything tasted. Cooper distractedly agreed. Ruth made eye contact with me and raised her brows. What did that mean?

“When you have a few minutes, Mrs. Minkus,” I said, “I wouldn’t mind a chance to finish our conversation.”

“Maybe later,” she said. “I’m not feeling so well.”

Phil Cooper was instantly solicitous. “Do you want to sit down? Can I get you something?”

The offer seemed to stun her. “No, I’m just a bit unsettled,” she said, her voice shaking. “I’m not used to eating-I haven’t had much appetite over the past several days. Please don’t trouble yourself. I’ll be fine.”

As though drawn by the tug of a magic umbilical cord, Joel rushed over from out of nowhere. “Mom, what’s wrong?”

She smiled up at him. “Nothing, honey. Maybe you should call for the car. Would you, please? I’d like to go home now.”

Joel ignored her request and instead grabbed the nearest folding chair, pressing his mother to sit. As Ruth lowered herself onto the seat, she shooed Phil and Francine Cooper away. “I’m fine,” she said. Her voice seemed to have regained its strength. “You two don’t need to worry about me. Joel is here now.” The Coopers left, albeit reluctantly.

One of our volunteers came over and asked if there was anything she could do. Although Ruth tried to assure us all, I knew it was too late. This was the White House. No one got light-headed around here without it becoming a federal case. This little incident-forgettable in most any other environment-had just shattered my hopes for continuing our conversation.

When one of our on-site paramedics arrived “just to make sure,” I left Ruth in good hands and decided on the best approach to extricate my mom from Kap’s company.

Phil Cooper saw me walking rapidly across the lawn, and changed his trajectory to intercept me. “Is she okay?”

“I think she’ll be fine,” I said, slowing. “The medic is checking her out. And Joel’s there.”

Phil nodded. Francine joined us. “She seemed okay five minutes ago,” she said. “It’s like something came over her all of a sudden.”

I turned back to look at Ruth again. All of a sudden? Like… Carl Minkus?

Oh my God.

“What was she doing right before I came up?” I felt panic rise up in my chest. Ruth’s rantings about Cooper’s involvement in her husband’s death started to solidify. But I couldn’t stop myself from asking, “Did she eat anything?”

Cooper looked at me like I had bay leaves shooting out my ears. “We all ate,” he said, clearly confused. “And it was very good.”

“Did she complain about tingling in her lips?”

Phil had unscrewed the cap of his water bottle and drained what was left before he answered. “No, she didn’t complain about anyth-” In that instant I knew he understood the nature of my question. His face lost all expression and he stared at the area where the medics were now talking with Ruth. “You don’t think her food was tainted…”

My limited research on the toxin led me to understand that victims had tingling mouths and numb tongues, which quickly spread into paralysis of the diaphragm. Unless the victim was given immediate and constant CPR, the toxin led to death.

“She said she was feeling light-headed. That isn’t what Carl Minkus complained of, is it?”

Cooper touched his fingers to his lips. “No,” he said. “Carl was different. But… I can’t help thinking…” He sca

“What?” I asked.

From behind us, Kap appeared, deftly moving into the space between me and Cooper. “What’s happening?” he asked. Turning to the large pink bu

Cooper was pale. “They might have struck again. Let’s get over there.”

Without a backward glance to me, Kap and Cooper headed toward Ruth Minkus, the pink bu

“She sure sounds better,” I said.

Francine’s pretty face twisted with concern. “Ten minutes ago she was hurrying around-busy. In fact, I thought it was strange that a woman still grieving for her husband should be shuttling food and drinks for other people.”

That got my back up. Guests should not be working at this event. “You mean she fixed a plate for Joel,” I said for clarification.

“No,” Francine said. “Actually, it was kind of strange. Phil and I were getting ready to leave and she came over with a couple bottles of water. She said we looked thirsty.” Unscrewing the bottle in her hand, Francine took a swig, emphasizing her point.

Francine had used the word strange to describe Ruth, twice in the same conversation. The back of my neck and shoulders began to prickle again. Thoughts began to formulate. I excused myself and jogged toward the small group gathered around the woman on the grass. Francine followed me.

“No, really,” Ruth was saying in a voice much stronger than I expected. “I’m just fine.” Without another glance at those around her, she grabbed her son’s arm and stood up. “Joel-let’s go. Now. Please. Get the car.”

Joel took off like a shot. As soon as he was out of sight, Ruth boosted herself to leave. What prompted me to stop her, I don’t know. But I needed to. She had the answers, and there was no time to lose. “Ruth,” I said, “just a minute.”

She didn’t answer. She kept walking. Very fast.

I started to follow, but Cooper grabbed my arm. His empty water bottle dropped next to my feet. Sweaty and pale, he held fingers to his mouth. “My lips,” he said thickly. “I can’t feel them.” He looked around with wild eyes.

Cooper let go of me long enough to grab Kap’s arm. “Not China,” he said. Then his knees gave out and he collapsed to the ground. “It was her.”

In an instant, I understood.

I dropped to the grass next to Cooper and pointed to the direction Ruth had taken, “Stop her,” I said to Kap. Then to the medic, I shouted, “This man needs help!”

The medic responded at once, calling for assistance as she closed the distance between us. “What have we got?” she asked.

“Tetrodotoxin,” I said. “It’s what killed Carl Minkus.”

A second medic relayed that information into his radio as he knelt on the ground next to me. “He will go into respiratory failure quickly,” I said. “His diaphragm will be paralyzed. You have to keep him alive.”

I bolted to my feet and ran to catch up with Kap, looking back long enough to see Francine standing terrified next to the emergency response team. She sobbed as she watched them work on her husband. I wanted to be there for her, but I had to follow Kap. I could see him in the distance, looking both ways; it was obvious he had lost Ruth. Behind him, Fuzzy Guzy looked ready to pounce on his quarry. My mom was about halfway between the two, looking both ways as well.