From: cybill@pacbell.net   
      
   XXXXXXXXXX   
   CHAPTER 12   
   XXXXXXXXXX   
      
   COOPER CREEK B&B   
   KENT, CT   
   MAY 30, 1997   
   FRIDAY - 6:00 AM   
      
   We woke in the morning to the sound of something being   
   crammed under the door. I sat up quickly and then steadied myself   
   as I felt my head swirl with dizziness. I looked toward the door and   
   there was a manila envelope on the floor. "Shit," I muttered,   
   rolling   
   out of bed.   
      
   I picked it up and opened it. It was the tox reports from the latest   
   autopsy, along with the typed confessions of the two perpetrators   
   they had in custody. I went to Scully's little desk and stuffed it   
   in   
   her briefcase. She rolled over and asked, "What time is it?"   
      
   "Early, it's only 6:00 AM."   
      
   "What's that?" she asked, waving toward her briefcase.   
      
   "Looks like the sheriff faxed over the confessions, and the lab   
   faxed over the tox screen on Mark Johnson."   
      
   She groaned.   
      
   "We don't have to get up yet," I informed her.   
      
   She sat up. "Might as well. I won't go back to sleep now anyway.   
   Besides, I'm hungry."   
      
   "Yeah, we need to keep your strength up."   
      
   She smirked. "Shower?"   
      
   "May I join you?"   
      
   "Of course."   
      
   We managed to shower without getting too out of hand, although   
   some serious groping was involved. When we emerged, we   
   decided to dress in casual clothes and go rummage in the kitchen   
   for a snack. Breakfast wasn't until 7:00 AM and neither of us   
   thought we could wait that long. Plus, we were scheduled to meet   
   up with the Sheriff at the station to interview Bernie Schultz and   
   Jennifer Schmidt the newest perp as soon as possible.   
      
   It would be amazing if we could have this case closed by the end   
   of business today. Scully needed to mourn her friend before she   
   went back to work. I wanted to have an entire weekend alone with   
   her so that we could get used to the concept of being a couple. A   
   couple. The thought of being attached to Scully for life just made   
   me euphoric.   
      
   The place was quiet as a church as we made our way downstairs. I   
   figured Alice must be up if she was the one that had stuffed the   
   faxes under the door.   
      
   Scully went into the pantry off the kitchen and found some cereal   
   and peaches. I found plenty of milk in the fridge and a couple of   
   spoons. We settled down at the kitchen table and ate.   
      
   I heard an odd rattle, and looked over to the side of the sink.   
   "Where does that go?" I asked, pointing at an old wooden door   
   recessed into the wall between the industrial size double sink and   
   the pantry door.   
      
   Scully shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe it goes out back."   
      
   I stood up and walked toward it.   
      
   "Mulder, what do you think you're doing?" she whispered fiercely.   
      
   I winked at her and turned to the door. It had one of those old cast   
   iron latches that fell down into a grooved metal piece. There was   
   no lock on the door.  I lifted the latch and tugged on the door. It   
   swung open easily and I peered into utter darkness.   
      
   The pungent smell of dirt, herbs and spices wafted out from the   
   dark. I felt around on the wall and found a light switch. Turning it   
   on lit up a dim bulb that barely illuminated the stairs. I started   
   down the steps.   
      
   "Mulder!" Scully hissed again, but I heard her get to her feet to   
   follow me. "Mulder, we can't just go snooping around here!" she   
   scolded.   
      
   I saw the vague outline of a switch on the wall near the bottom of   
   the stairs and swiped my hand over it. I gasped at the sight that   
   came into view.   
      
   It was a root cellar, a big one, with dirt floors.  It must have   
   spanned the entire length of the B&B underground. There were   
   waist high planters filled with various herbs that were being grown   
   under artificial lights.   
      
   I walked down one aisle and felt my heartbeat accelerate. "Scully,   
   look at this."   
      
   She came up behind me and I pointed to an open planter about five   
   feet long. There were green plants with odd brown colored roots   
   sticking out of the dirt. Scully broke off a small piece of one and   
   sniffed. "Ginseng."   
      
   We looked at each other and both moved at the same time to look   
   at each of the planters. It was like a green house down here only   
   there was no sun. At the far end, I came to a wooden hutch. I   
   opened the double doors and gazed at the shelves inside. There   
   were rows of jars and baggies along with a mortar and pestle. I   
   picked up some of the small jars and read the labels. Some were   
   marked, 'yohimbine', others were like ampoules of insulin. They   
   were marked 'luteinizing hormone'. There were several other   
   common herbs there too.   
      
   I turned to stare at Scully, holding up a jar of yohimbine and an   
   ampoule of the hormone. "Jackpot," I said.   
      
   Her eyes widened and her face paled. "No, it can't be.  Why would   
   she do this?"   
      
   I didn't want to believe that sweet Alice meant any harm either, but   
   the proof was hard to ignore. "I think the real question is, would   
   each of our killers and victims have eaten at the B&B? The   
   residents of the town would have no reason to eat at a bed and   
   breakfast." The whole thing was confusing but it had to add up.   
      
   "Not exactly, Mulder. Alice mentioned to me that she not only had   
   secret recipes but that her nephew owned the Fife & Drum   
   restaurant. She said he has been using her recipes for years!" she   
   exclaimed.   
      
   "Well, that is one of the hot spots in Kent. It would make sense   
   that the victims and the killers had eaten there, and probably more   
   than a once. Then again, this hasn't been happening for years."   
      
   "Maybe she gave him a new recipe recently," she reasoned.   
      
   Just then we heard footsteps on the stairs. We turned to see Alice   
   watching us as she descended the stairs.  "What are you two   
   youngin's doin' down here?" she asked calmly.   
      
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   "We should be asking you what it is you're doing down here,   
   Alice." I couldn't believe that this sweet woman would   
   intentionally concoct a product that reacted lethally on the   
   population in the area.   
      
   "I don't understand your question, deary?" She looked from Mulder   
   to me in a confused manner.   
      
   "Alice, what are you growing down here?" Mulder asked, even   
   though he knew the answer to the question.   
      
   "Herbs. What does it look like I'm growing down here? I don't   
   have no funny plants that the youngsters are growing in these parts,   
   if that's what you're suggesting," she said clearly irritated.   
      
   "No, we didn't suggest that at all, Alice." I changed tactics to get   
   her off the defense. "This is quite a setup you have here. What   
   have you used these herbs for?" I asked in a non-threatening tone.   
      
   "I've used them in my recipes for years. Mostly in my homemade   
   breads and rolls. Pretty much all things breaded. I also send over   
   bushels to my nephew to use in some of the items on the menu at   
   the Fife & Drum."   
      
   Mulder and I looked at each other in silent understanding.   
      
   She continued, "These fresh herbs and a dash of extract give   
   everything that extra oomph food needs." When speaking of the   
   oomph, she gestured the way you see Italians making a point, by   
   tipping her hand up and pinching her fingers together.   
      
   "A dash of extract?" Mulder spoke up.   
      
   "Well yes, the cabinet that you're looking at now. There are all   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
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    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)