“Look, Mama, that woman over there fell down!” Katie’s five-year-old voice reached Eleni Townsend’s ears and quickly pulled her out of her woolgathering. It had been a stressful day, and she was still running through her afternoon agenda in her head, but her daughter’s words penetrated her musings and she quickly focused on what was going on around them. She followed her daughter’s pointing finger and gasped as she saw not one but two adults stagger and fall to the ground. Both had been standing at a table and eating their lunch beneath colorful red and blue umbrellas. The city had recently added them to the plaza so workers from the nearby buildings could grab a bite from the local restaurants before returning to work.
“Help...please...” A third man who had been sitting on a large concrete flower planter while enjoying his lunch suddenly grabbed his head. He moaned and then started convulsing, his arms and legs flailing as he, too, tumbled to the concrete. He suddenly started gasping for air and clutching at his throat, and all three of the affected adults’ faces and hands started to turn a bright cherry red. As the third man fell, he knocked over the Styrofoam container of salad that he had been enjoying. Tomatoes, lettuce and purple cabbage went flying, as well as the bag from Marino’s Deli that advertised where he had no doubt bought his lunch.
Chaos ensued. Several nearby people screamed, while others ran across the plaza, unsure of the threat but still trying to get to safety as if there was an active shooter, despite the fact that no gunshots had sounded. A brave few tried to help the people who had fallen.
Marino’s Deli? Time suddenly seemed to stand still as Eleni took in the scene around her. A cold sweat swept over her as she looked at her own lunch that she and her daughter had just purchased from Marino’s. Her own Styrofoam container hadn’t been opened yet, but her daughter’s salad filled with the purple cabbage and other salad fixings she loved so much was open, and her daughter had already taken two or three bites from her perch on the picnic table. She looked closer at her daughter. Katie’s skin was suddenly flushed and turning redder right before her eyes, and the faint scent of almonds permeated the air.
“Mama, I feel yucky,” Katie said softly. She put her little hands up to her throat and was suddenly struggling for air. “I can’t breathe very good.”
Eleni pulled out her phone and immediately dialed 911, at the same time pushing her daughter’s food across the table as far away as possible and then pulling her daughter into her arms.
“911. What’s the nature of your emergency?”
“My daughter can’t breathe, and others are getting sick and falling down in the Southern Plaza in downtown Chicago near the river.” She glanced around the scene. “There are at least three others, no, make that five other people, that are all getting sick. We need help immediately!” She struggled to keep the fear out of her voice and speak coherently, but her heart was beating so loudly it seemed to drown out her words. Her throat felt dry and she swallowed convulsively.
“Do you know CPR?” the woman asked from the other end of the phone.
“Yes, but my training was a while ago,” Eleni replied in a raspy voice.
“Okay. I’ll walk you through it if it turns out you need to do it. Just stay on the line. Help is on the way. I’m sending emergency personnel to your location while we’re speaking.”
Panic swelled inside Eleni’s chest as she lay Katie down on the concrete and loosened the buttons on her child’s jacket. She’d lost her husband only a year ago. She couldn’t lose Katie, too. Her daughter was everything to her. The little girl started gasping for breath, and her face and hands had gotten even redder. The child’s big gray eyes were rounded in fear, and Eleni’s hands shook as she tried to help her daughter stay calm. “You’re going to be okay, Katie. Just lie here and concentrate on your breathing. Help is coming.” She tried to keep her voice even and soft, despite the terror that was surging within her. “That’s good. You’re doing great, Katie. I’m talking to a woman on the phone who has already sent someone to help. She’s telling me what to do so I can help you.”
Katie nodded, but suddenly reached over and grasped Eleni’s hand and held on tightly. Eleni could tell that each breath was labored, but thankfully, the little girl hadn’t lost consciousness or gone into convulsions like a couple of the nearby adults. The mere thought of Katie’s condition worsening like what was happening around them sent chills of fear throughout Eleni’s entire body. She was poised and ready to do CPR if needed, but so far, it wasn’t required. Even though Katie was struggling, she was still breathing on her own and conscious. Eleni immediately started to pray in a soft soothing tone that only she and her daughter could hear.
“Dear God, please save my daughter. Please help her breathe, and stop whatever is going on inside her so she can get well. Please help the medical people get here quickly so they can help Katie and the others who are also sick. Please help her stay calm, and know that You are with her always. Strengthen her, Lord. Amen.”
Emergency medical personnel and law enforcement arrived shortly and immediately spread out among the victims, helping who they could and keeping the crowds away that had started forming around the edges of the plaza. Eleni barely noticed them as she kept her focus on her daughter. She wanted to do everything she could to make sure her little girl was as comfortable as possible. A female EMT with kind brown eyes knelt next to Eleni and immediately began assessing Katie. She called for a gurney, and before Eleni even registered what was happening, they were both ensconced in an ambulance, being whisked away to the nearest hospital with the sirens blazing. A small oxygen mask had been strapped over Katie’s mouth, and the child seemed to already be breathing a little better. The EMT continued to monitor Katie’s blood pressure and heart rate as the ambulance raced toward its destination.
“Any history of breathing problems?” the EMT asked.
“None,” Eleni replied as she squeezed Katie’s small hand. “She’s up-to-date on all of her immunizations and is hardly ever sick.”
“Can you tell me what happened today?”
“We were just getting ready to eat our lunch like we do every weekday, when Katie noticed some of the other people around us getting ill. Then she started having trouble breathing, too.” She studied Katie carefully, who was much less agitated now that the oxygen was getting into her system. It was hard not to exhibit the anxiety she was feeling inside, but Eleni knew she had to stay calm for her daughter’s sake. Katie still held her hand, but her grip had loosened. Eleni gave Katie’s hand a squeeze and met the EMT’s eye. “Any idea what’s going on here?”
“We’ll have to run some tests,” the woman hedged. “The doctors at the hospital can give you better answers once they have a handle on what’s going on.”
“Do you think it’s food poisoning?”
“I doubt it,” the EMT responded, shaking her head. “The symptoms are wrong. First of all, food poisoning usually takes a lot longer to affect the victim, but it also almost always causes nausea, vomiting and stomach cramps.” She fiddled with a dial on one of the machines.
“Are the others who were affected okay?”
“Not yet. Most are in transit to either the same hospital where we’re going or headed to Rush University Medical Center. There was a huge traffic accident nearby, so ambulances are getting diverted to different locations.”
A few minutes later, Katie had been transferred to a hospital bed in the emergency room, and a young female doctor was standing by her bedside and reviewing her chart. The doctor had beautiful warm brown skin and dark brown eyes that were shrewd and accessing. She exuded a quiet strength and confidence, and Eleni found her presence alone incredibly reassuring. This woman clearly knew what she was doing.
“Hi. I’m Dr. McNeill. What have we got here?” the doctor asked as she set the chart aside and turned her full attention to the child who was laid out on the bed before her.
“I started eating lunch and then couldn’t breathe very good,” Katie offered. “Then my skin started turning all red. See?” She held up her hands toward the doctor.
“Ah,” the doctor said as she took Katie’s hands and gave them a squeeze. “Well, it sounds like you’re breathing a little better now. Is that right?”
Katie nodded and Eleni explained what had happened, and then gave the doctor time to check her daughter’s other symptoms. Katie behaved well and answered the doctor’s questions during the examination, and was rewarded with a kind smile and a pat on the leg.
“Do you know what’s wrong with her?” Eleni asked once the doctor had finished.
“My first thought is cyanide poisoning,” Dr. McNeill replied. “That would explain the red skin tone, respiratory problems and that faint almond smell.” She gave Katie a reassuring smile. “Cyanide exposure can cause heart problems, like cardiac arrest, but Katie’s heart is doing great. We’ll know more about what we’re dealing with once the blood tests come back. For your daughter, it looks like her exposure was not as severe as what some of the others are experiencing, and I think she’ll be fine once the poison works its way out of her system. I’d like to keep her here for a few hours for observation, though.”
“Of course,” Eleni readily agreed. “How in the world would she get cyanide poisoning?”
“That I couldn’t tell you,” Dr. McNeill replied. “Although I believe law enforcement is investigating, and will be in touch—probably even before you leave the hospital. It’s not something we see very often.” She gave Katie another smile and squeezed her hand. “I’ll return in a few minutes once the test results come back. In the meantime, just rest. You’re going to be okay.” She left, leaving Eleni with her mind full of questions.
Cyanide poisoning? Who would do such a terrible thing, and how had her five-year-old daughter been exposed? Before she had a chance to think through the possibilities, a large man wearing a navy suit with a silver tie poked his head around the hospital curtain. He was tall, well over six feet, and had broad shoulders like a linebacker. His blond hair was cut short, in a military style, and he had pale blue eyes. In Eleni’s mind, he was obviously law enforcement from his demeanor and bearing.
“Eleni and Katie Townsend?” he asked.
“Yes, that’s right,” Eleni responded.
“I’m Chris Springfield, FBI. I wanted to talk to you about what happened downtown today.” He glanced at Katie and his manner suddenly changed from friendly to nervous in two seconds flat. He adjusted quickly and gave Katie a wide smile, even though Eleni could tell it was forced. “You doing okay, short stuff?”
Katie smiled up at him and Eleni was instantly glad this man took the time to greet her daughter, even though it was obvious that something was bothering him about the encounter. She’d dealt with several law enforcement officers when her husband had died last year after a horrible car crash, but they had been all business and similar to the “just the facts, ma’am” persona from the old TV shows. It was refreshing to see that this officer made the effort to put Katie a little more at ease, even though it cost him something personally.
She took his measure from head to toe. His shoes were polished to a high gloss, and he sported a small American flag tiepin and a military-style watch. His size and demeanor simply exuded authority, and he seemed professional yet a bit daunting at the same time. When he smiled, however, everything changed. His imposing visage softened, and he seemed approachable, even friendly. She glanced at his eyes, which were amicable but also intelligent and perceptive. She doubted he missed much with those eyes, and was instantly glad that he had been assigned to this case. She wanted answers, and this man just might be able to get them for her. Who had hurt her little girl? And why?
“Care to step away for a few minutes while I ask you some questions?” Chris Springfield motioned with his head toward the hallway to the mother who was hovering protectively over her daughter. His gut had tightened the instant he’d discovered that a child was involved in this case, and now that he’d seen the child’s big gray eyes with the dark lashes, his wariness had increased tenfold. His last case had just about destroyed him. An eight-year-old girl had been kidnapped and killed, and he had been helpless to stop it. He wasn’t sure he was strong enough to handle another case involving a child, but orders were orders. For now, and until he decided on a different course for his life, he had no choice but to investigate this case and do his utmost to solve it before another person was harmed, especially this precious little girl before him.
Eleni raised an eyebrow, but seemed to understand his motive behind talking in private. She turned to the child. “Katie, you stay here and rest, okay? I’m going to go down the hall for a few minutes and talk to this nice FBI agent. I won’t be very long.”
The child nodded and Eleni sent her a comforting smile, then followed Chris to a nearby alcove that housed a coffeepot and a box of stale doughnuts as well as several employee lockers. Chris motioned to a green vinyl chair while he took the one on the other side of a small Formica table. “Have a seat, Ms. Townsend.” Although the space wasn’t very private, it was in a corner that had less traffic than the main hall, and was away from Katie’s little ears. It would do for now. Chris took the seat with his back facing the row of lockers, which allowed him to surveil the surrounding area.
The woman complied as he pulled out his phone and got ready to take notes on an app. She looked somewhat familiar to him, but he couldn’t quite place her. “So, again, my name is Chris Springfield, and I work with the FBI as a member of a team of homicide special agents that get pulled in when we have an unusual case that needs our expertise. Our jurisdiction in this case exists because of suspected terrorism.” He paused, giving her time to let that sink in. “It looks like Katie is doing great, but we did have seven other people that were also hurt today, and five of those people died.”
Eleni gasped and covered her mouth with her hand, obviously upset. “Those poor people. I’m so sorry to hear that.”
Chris nodded and pushed forward. “Can you tell me what happened out there? We’re still trying to piece everything together, and every detail matters, even if it’s small and you don’t think it’s important. If you don’t mind, please start with when you left your house this morning, and go through everything you’ve done today until I just popped my head in from behind the hospital curtain and said hello.”
Eleni took a deep breath. “My daughter, Katie, is five, and she does better with a routine, so we basically do the same thing every day during the week. Today was no exception. We got up at about seven, had breakfast, got ready to go and grabbed the ‘L.’ We took the blue line at Irving Park station and rode into the downtown area. I dropped her off at about 8:15 at her kindergarten class at the church on Grand, and then I went to work in the building on the corner of Illinois and North Park. You know, the one they’re renovating?”
“Sure. Okay. So, what do you do?”
“I’m an investigative reporter for the Chicago Journal.”
Chris cringed inside, but did his best to keep his feelings from showing. It was just his luck to be interviewing a reporter. As a group, they were just about his least favorite people on the planet. A few years ago, he’d been burned by a reporter who had misquoted him in an article. As a result, a person had been unfairly victimized who hadn’t actually been involved in the original nasty situation. Even though it wasn’t his fault, he still carried the guilt around with him today. The paper had printed a retraction, but it was too little, too late, and the person still had a lingering limp as a result of the violence that had ensued. Of course, the woman in front of him had nothing to do with that affair, but her profession still bothered him. He shifted in his chair, hoping his uncomfortable response wasn’t too evident. These days, he was having a hard time masking his feelings. “Okay. Then what?”
Eleni shrugged. “I worked until noon, then went and picked up Katie for lunch. We do the same thing every weekday. We leave her school at about 12:05, and then we walk to Marino’s and get a salad. Then we take our food to the plaza if the weather is good, we talk about our day and I take her back to school at one o’clock. After lunch, I go back to work, and pick Katie up at a few minutes past five to head home again.”
Chris’s fingers flew as he wrote down more notes on the app on his phone. “Okay. Do you eat the same food at Marino’s every day? You said you get a salad.”
Eleni shrugged. “Pretty much. Katie and I are both vegetarians, so the salad bar works for us, and is one of the best lunch options downtown. Plus, the owner is the father of a friend of mine, and he gives me a great discount. We eat there so much, we have a running tab and pay by the month.” She tilted her head. “Do you think there was poison on the food? Mr. Marino is a sweetheart and would never be involved in anything that would hurt anyone. I’m sure he’s a victim here just like everyone else. I hope this incident doesn’t destroy his business.”
“Poison is one theory. The doctors think it might be cyanide, which means it was placed on the food deliberately. So far, the restaurant is the only common factor we’ve found between the victims, but we’re still investigating, and it’s early yet. I have several more interviews to conduct.”
Eleni’s face paled right before him and even though she tried to hide her hands, he could still see them shaking violently. “So, someone intentionally tried to kill us?”
“Yes, it seems intentional. We don’t know who the intended victim was yet, or if this was just a random act of terrorism. We’re also still waiting for the labs to confirm the form of cyanide used.” He leaned forward. “Did you eat any of your food from the restaurant?”
Eleni shook her head. “No. We were just getting settled. Katie took a couple of bites, and that’s when she noticed the people starting to struggle around us. I never even opened my lunch.”
Chris nodded thoughtfully, still taking notes. “Do you have any enemies, Ms. Townsend?”
Just then, a child’s scream echoed through the emergency room, and Eleni jumped to her feet. “That’s Katie!” She darted back down the hall and Chris followed close behind.
Had somebody just finished what they’d tried to accomplish with the cyanide poisoning earlier today?
Had the child been the intended victim all along?
Copyright © 2023 by Kathleen Tailer