A/N: Since we haven't had the Eastern Orthodox New Year yet, I figure there's still time to post a Christmas story.

Disclaimer: I don't think of this as copyright infringement. I think of it as fair us.

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Felix Lee was a contented man. He had a challenging job, colleagues he considered close friends, and the prospect of a very happy holiday in front of him. Since Rachel had taken time off the previous Christmas, he had jumped at the opportunity to spend time with his family this year. As he pointed out slyly, it was only fair. After all, they were going to be spending time with their loved ones, why shouldn't he?

In truth, neither Jacob nor Rachel begrudged the big man his time off. They were looking forward to spending their first Christmas as a couple. The reality was that the type of crimes and abuses they investigated, like everything else, slowed down around the holidays. In all of the years that Jacob had been with the Bureau, his expertise had been called upon over the Christmas holidays only once. Rachel had been assigned to his detail only a few months previously and neither of them had minded. Jacob had still been grieving for his wife, Maggie; Rachel had been thankful for a reason not to spend the holidays with her father.

The trio had assumed that this year would be the same. A chance to catch up on paperwork while fighting off the boredom of being stuck in the Hoover Building. The down time was especially hard on Jacob. None of the mounds of paperwork generated by their work was his responsibility. Occasionally he would have to verify a conclusion, elaborate on the methodology used to solve a problem, or produce a receipt, but that was all.

Without a case to occupy him, Jacob was reduced to consulting for other divisions within the FBI or other government agencies. Sometimes, to his horror, he was required by Frank Fuller to attend one of the interminable cocktail parties held by various politicians, in order to lobby for the FBI. Frank firmly believed in getting the most use possible out of his Special Science Advisor.

This year, however, had produced more down time than usual. They had finished up their last case in early December and had been at loose ends since. Rachel had been pleased with the long break. She was exhilarated to think that she would be starting off the year with her paperwork completely caught up; for the first time ever. Felix was her unwilling acolyte in this endeavor while Jacob frantically tried to find ways to keep off of Frank's radar. In the end, he decided that the illusion of work would be his best bet to stave off Frank's demands that he accompany him to various political events. And the best way to create that illusion was to set up some sort of faux experiment in his small lab. He was undecided as to what form this experiment would take when Felix unwittingly provided the inspiration.

While checking on some old paperwork, Felix had run across the file on a case they had taken them to Illinois the previous December. A case in which some office workers had suffered from lead poisoning after drinking alcohol made with a faulty still. To Rachel's consternation and Felix's glee, Jacob decided to teach Felix the right way to set up a still. Rachel had been astonished at how quickly Jacob had converted Bunsen burners, beakers, and glass tubing into a small still.

"I take it you've done this before?" she inquired. Jacob had only smiled and continued his tutelage of Felix. For the next two weeks, the sounds and smells of fermenting alcohol filled the lab. Rachel sat in a corner doing paper work, pointedly ignoring their activities.

It was the day of Felix's scheduled departure. Jacob and Felix had finished their experiment and had decided to celebrate by having a party. They strung some lights on the still and piled presents on Rachel's desk. Felix had brought in speakers for his iPod and Christmas music was softly playing. Jacob filled some beakers with a bright red liquid and offered one to Rachel.

"You do realize," Rachel said caustically, "that it's illegal to make moonshine? And why is it that disgusting color?"

"It's not moonshine, Rachel," Jacob informed her. "It's vodka." His lips twitched. "Cherry vodka. I thought the color was more festive, more in keeping with the season."

Rachel scrunched up her nose in distaste, but before she could speak the door to the lab opened. A young man entered, looked around uncertainly, and approached Jacob. With the ease of long practice, Rachel stepped between the two men.

"Can I help you?"

"Umm, Dr. Hood?" The young man looked over Rachel's shoulder. "I'm Special Agent Terrance Mason. I was told to report to you. I've been assigned to take Agent Lee's place while he's on vacation leave."

"What do you mean you're replacing Felix? Why haven't I heard anything about this?" Rachel asked sharply.

Mason stiffened; he hadn't expected opposition to his presence from Dr. Hood's handler. Dr. Hood had caused quite a stir when he appeared as a guest lecturer at the Academy. The cases he had described sounded like something out of a book or a movie. He had been excited to hear that he was being posted, even temporarily, to the Special Science Advisor's team. He decided that his best chance of being allowed to stay was to appeal directly to Dr. Hood.

"The Director said that he'd meet me here to explain the situation. I'm sure he'll be here shortly." Mason responded, his gaze on Jacob, as if he, not Rachel had spoken. He stepped around Rachel and stretched out a hand. "I'd like to say that I'm looking forward to working with you Dr. Hood."

Jacob reached out and realized he was still holding the beaker in his right hand. He shifted it to his left and shook Mason's hand. "Um, I see." He considered the young man before him. While he seemed pleasant, Jacob did not like the way he had not acknowledged Rachel. His lips slowly curved into a smile. "Well, Terrance, welcome to the team." He held out the beaker. "We're having a small Christmas party. Drink?"

Mason returned his smile. "Thank you sir." He took the beaker Jacob offered and downed the contents in one gulp. His face took on an alarming hue and he started coughing and sputtering.

Rachel began pounding him on the back. "Jeez, Hood, what are you trying to do? Kill the kid?"

Mason tried to shoot her a dirty look for the kid remark, but it was difficult as his eyes were still streaming. At that moment Frank Fuller entered the lab. He took one look at Mason's condition, the still that Jacob has constructed, and burst out laughing.

"So that's what kept you too busy to help me with lobbying Congress this year." He shook his head. "And you've taken to running experiments on my agents."

Jacob returned his old friend's smile. "It's not that bad Frank." He turned and picked up two more beakers and handed one to Frank. "Actually it's one of my better batches."

"Cheers." The two men clicked beakers.

The three agents watched in horror as the Director took a healthy sip of the contents of the beaker. He coughed a few times and said in a strangled voice, "To much cherry flavoring. Again."

Rachel and Felix exchanged amused looks. Better batches? Again? They knew that the Director and Hood had been friends since their college days. This exchange held the promise of a good story; if they could convince him to tell it. While the man loved to talk, he could be surprisingly reticent on some subjects.

"Speaking of your agents." Jacob gestured toward Mason. "This one seems to think he's been assigned to me."

"Mmm," Frank said, taking another sip. "Standard procedure. He'll fill in for Lee while he's on vacation."

"Sir, with all due respect," Rachel objected, "I hardly think that's necessary. We haven't had a case in weeks. And if we are called out, I'm…"

"I know," Frank interrupted. "But protocol dictates that Lee be replaced while he's out on leave. Besides," he shrugged. "Mason just finished his training at Quantico. I needed to find something for him to do; his regular slot won't open up until after the new year. This will be a good experience for him."

Draining his beaker he turned to leave with a pointed look at Rachel. "I'm counting on you to make sure of that Young."

"Of course sir," she replied stiffly.

With the Director's departure, the threesome stared at Mason for a few moments. Felix finally broke the silence.

"So, you just finished up at the Academy?"

"Yeah, I was assigned to White Collar Crimes, but they weren't ready for me yet. The Director decided to place me here. I guess…"

"Whatever," Rachel cut in. "So, what have you been told about this detail? About your duties?"

Mason shifted his gaze to her and swallowed almost audibly. Dr. Hood wasn't the only one to create a stir at the Academy. Some of his classmates had taken one look at Agent Young's long blonde hair, slender figure and delicate features and began making lewd remarks. These were cut short when, in the course of her introduction, the supervisory agent informed them that Agent Young had not only been awarded the FBI Star, but was also a recipient of the Medals of Valor and Meritorious Achievement.

"Not much," he stammered. "Ma'am," he added hastily at Rachel's cocked eyebrow. "That I was in charge of advance support and recon if you, uh, we, get called out on a case. Otherwise, I was to consider myself at Dr. Hood's disposal."

Rachel frowned in irritation. Just what she so did not need; a stranger on the team. A stranger who might reignite the old gossip. She knew that she and Jacob were careful when on the job to treat each other in as professional a manner as possible. But damn, they had been working together for years. Even before they had developed an intimate relationship, they had grown comfortable in each other's presence. Had developed routines, in-jokes, habits that this kid might misinterpret.

"I guess we're stuck with you." Rachel said ungraciously. "I'm not sure what we're going to do with you, but…" She shrugged her shoulders.

Jacob contemplated the young man thoughtfully. While he could understand Rachel's irritation, he thought it was unwise of her to show it. A token protest to Frank, to say that this Mason was not needed was one thing. But to continue to show her dislike of the situation would only raise questions in Mason's mind and, if he got to hear about it, in Frank's as well.

"One thing Terrance can do, is help me dismantle the still." Jacob looked at it regretfully. "It's a shame, but I don't think Frank…"

Felix snickered. "Nope, I don't think the Director would appreciate the ATF raiding the Hoover Building. I'm surprised we got away with it for as long as we did."

Rachel shook her head and checked her watch. "As much I can't believe I'm the one saying it, the still will have to stay where it is." She smiled at the look of surprise on Jacob's and Felix's faces. "At least for now," she amended. "If we're taking Felix to the airport we should get going."

"Wait," Felix objected. "We have to open our presents first."

Mason stood by a little awkwardly as the trio exchanged presents. It was obvious to him from the comments and laughter that accompanied them that this team shared some history. After all, the noise cancelling headphones and leather gloves Agent Lee received weren't what you'd consider funny presents.

He perked up when Lee handed Dr. Hood his present. He wondered what you gave a genius for Christmas. He couldn't believe it when it turned out to be a Three Stooges DVD. Dr. Hood pretended to be offended, but from his smile Mason could see that he appreciated it. Agent Young had liked her iTunes gift certificate also.

"Will you be coming back?" Mason asked as the others were putting on their coats and collecting their belongings.

Rachel shook her head. "No, it's mid-afternoon and what with the traffic getting to Dulles and back, it wouldn't be worth our while." She rolled her eyes at the crest-fallen look on Mason's face. "Look, why don't you take the rest of the day off? We'll see you back here first thing tomorrow morning."

Mason sighed in disappointment as the door to the lab swung closed. It looked like his temporary assignment wasn't going to live up to his dreams. He jumped when the door to the lab re-opened suddenly.

"Umm, Terrance? I brought in a couple of mason jars," Dr. Hood stuck his head around the door frame. "Why don't you fill them up with the vodka? Take one up to Frank's office and keep one for yourself."

Mason stood gaping, but before he could react, Dr. Hood was replaced in the doorway by Agent Young. "Don't you dare drink any that stuff." She smiled at him for the first time. "At least not until you're safely at home." Mason's breath stopped at the sight of her smile. 'Man, maybe this posting won't be so bad after all.'

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The next two days passed slowly. Despite his best efforts, it was obvious to Mason that he wasn't making much of an impression. Dr. Hood kept looking at him quizzically, as if he was trying to remember who he was and why he was there. Agent Young kept referring to him as 'the kid.' He was grateful, however, that she seemed reconciled to his presence.

He figured this was due to his willingness to assist with the paperwork. Unlike Agent Young, who found the paperwork a burden, he found it fascinating. It allowed him to catch a glimpse into the kind of things Dr. Hood investigated. Mason fervently wished that a case would come up before Agent Lee returned.

While they were both friendly enough, answering his questions, it was clear that they considered him an outsider. When Dr. Hood suggested to Agent Young that a coffee break might be a good idea, she had agreed readily. He had lifted his head from his files eagerly, only to be disappointed when she had told him to keep an ear out for the phone while they were gone. His shoulders slumped as they left him alone in the lab. Moments later, however, the phone rang, granting him his wish.

Mason burst through the doors of the cafeteria looking around for Dr. Hood and Agent Young. He spied them sitting at a corner table and he hurried over to their table; his face shining with excitement. "Dr. Hood, Agent Young, we've got a case!"

"Great," Rachel groused. "There goes Christmas."

Jacob's lips twitched, it was clear from the look on the younger man's face that he wasn't expecting that reaction. "What's going on Terrance?"

"The Director called. He's had a joint request for your services from the Center for Disease Control and the Philadelphia field office."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "That's interesting, but what exactly is the problem?"

Mason looked a bit flustered. "Uh, the Director said that it was an E coli outbreak. . . ."

"E coli?" Jacob interrupted. "That explains the CDC's involvement. But why would the field office get involved in a case of food poisoning?"

Rachel looked thoughtful. "It must be more than that, I mean, for the FBI field office to get called in? It has to be something bigger than just E coli."

They both looked at Mason expectantly. He flushed in embarrassment. These were good questions and they shouldn't have had to ask them. He had been so excited to think that he was going out on a case with Dr. Hood that he hadn't reported properly. He took a deep breath and began again.

"According to the CDC, the patients are all suffering from exposure to Shiga toxin-producing E coli bacteria. They've asked you to come up for a consult since they can't determine the source of the bacteria." He turned to Rachel. "The local field office got involved because the victims are all members of a local church. They're thinking it might be a hate crime. The Director said that we would get fuller information once we're on the scene."

"Much better." Rachel looked at Mason with some amusement. "But where exactly is the scene?"

He smiled at her. "Bethlehem." He was satisfied to see that both Agent Young and Dr. Hood's jaws dropped.

"You mean," Rachel said slowly, "we're going to Bethlehem two days before Christmas?"

Mason could only grin and nod. The three of them burst out laughing and he felt, for the first time, a measure of acceptance.

"We better get going," Rachel said, wiping her eyes. "We need to make arrangements…."

"Uh, Agent Young, ma'am?" Mason interrupted. "I've taken the liberty of having the motor pool gas up your SUV and bring it around front. I've got my go-bag in the lab. We can leave for Bethlehem, Pennsylvania as soon as you and Dr. Hood are ready."

"We're driving?" Rachel frowned. "Why?"

"I checked with the airlines before I came down here," Mason explained. "The next flight to Philadelphia doesn't leave for three hours. Bethlehem is only about 150 miles away, we could be there by then, if we leave now."

"Not bad kid." Rachel looked at him approvingly. "Felix couldn't have done better himself."

Mason smiled weakly. While he appreciated the compliment, he could have done without the 'kid." He was soon caught up in the bustle of departure. He felt slightly superior when he discovered that they would have to stop by both Dr. Hood's and Agent Young's apartments; neither had a bag at the lab. He was startled to find that they lived in the same building. His comment on this fact died on his lips at the sight of Agent Young's raised eyebrow.

The drive to Bethlehem passed quickly. Most of the time was taken up with Dr. Hood lecturing them on the various forms that E coli could take and the symptoms they could expect to find. Mason was beginning to feel a little queasy when Dr. Hood broke off his lecture to exclaim "Alex!"

"Beg pardon, sir?" Mason was slightly confused.

"My sister," Jacob explained. "She was expecting us at her house on Christmas Eve, I should call her, let her know we won't be coming."

"No need," Rachel answered. "I called when we stopped to get our bags." She met Mason's eyes in the rear-view mirror. "How about you, kid, anyone expecting you to show up on Christmas Day?"

He shifted uneasily in the back seat. "Uh, no ma'am. My family's all in Indiana. I don't have any time off accrued yet, so…"

Rachel and Jacob exchanged guilty looks. They had been so caught up with the idea of their first Christmas that they hadn't really given a thought to their young companion. Rachel especially felt like kicking herself. She knew what it was like to be fresh from training, with all of your former classmates and new friends scattered to various postings around the country. 'Damn, he probably doesn't know a soul in DC outside of us.'

"Just as well," she said. "At least you won't be disappointing anyone."

She then proceeded to launch into a detailed description of what the division of labor would be once they arrived in Bethlehem. He would need to rent himself a car as soon as they arrived. As their 'recon' man he would be responsible for scouting out locations and doing preliminary interviews of the church members, while she and Dr. Hood would head to the hospital. His was surprised when he realized that this meant that he would be working independently. It hadn't occurred to him that he would be given that much freedom in his first case.

She also informed him that his 'support' duties including finding them a hotel. His eyebrows rose when Agent Young casually informed him of the requirements for the rooms he was to reserve for them. It seemed that she and Dr. Hood needed not merely adjacent, but connecting rooms. She didn't care where his room was, as long as it was on the same floor. He had a fleeting thought that maybe his classmates at Quantico weren't so far off the mark after all.

The last part of their trip was made mostly in silence. Mason used his phone to Google car rental agencies in Bethlehem and he reserved a car online. He also spent time researching the church that was the focus of the outbreak. All too soon, they were dropping him off.

Rachel checked her watch. "Hood and I are heading for the hospital to meet with the people from the CDC. After you get us rooms somewhere, check out the church. Do you have the contact info for the agent in charge from the Philadelphia office?"

Mason nodded.

"Good, check in with him. Find out what they know about this case and have them turn over their files. Let him know we'll be taking over, if he has problems with that, he can take it up with me." She turned to Hood, "anything you want to add?" When he shook his head, she glanced at Mason. "We'll see you later." With that, she put the SUV into gear and roared off.

Mason stood for a moment looking slightly lost. He then shook himself and hurried to begin his duties.

Jacob watched the young man in the side-view mirror as they pulled away. He felt sorry for the youngster. "Don't you think you were a little hard on him Rachel?"

Rachel threw him a smile. "He's a smart kid Jacob. He'll do fine. He just needs a little seasoning. Dealing with the locals will be good for him."

Jacob shook his head doubtfully. He knew full well that his appearance on the scene of a crime was more often met with hostility than cooperation. The locals didn't like having people from Washington swooping in and taking over. He hated to think that Terrance was taking the brunt of that resentment.

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"What the hell do you mean, you're taking over my case?" snarled Special Agent Will Harness.

Mason shifted uncomfortably. He wondered resentfully if Agent Young had expected him to receive this kind of reception, if that was why she had given him the assignment of contacting the agents from the local office. He wouldn't put it past her.

"It was my understanding that you joined with the CDC in requesting Dr. Hood's presence," Mason replied stiffly.

"Yeah, we agreed on the consult. The CDC can't identify the source of the bacteria and that's holding up the investigation." His eyes narrowed in dislike. "But I never agreed to handing over my case."

"Well you should have familiarized yourself with Dr. Hood's MO before you asked for his help," retorted Mason. "He always works with his own team."

"That's just bullshit, I don't care what you say, I'm not turning over my files to you."

"Fine," Mason smiled grimly, remembering Agent Young's parting words. "You can take it up with Agent Young, she's Dr. Hood's handler." 'Let her deal with this asshole.'

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What had seemed like a simple E coli outbreak was anything but. The victims were members of the local Episcopal church choir. They had become ill after a potluck Christmas party held at the rectory the previous week. While not all of the choir members had become ill, a substantial number of them had.

The emergency room doctor who treated the first victims assumed that they had eaten contaminated beef. But there were no beef dishes at the potluck. As more victims showed up at the hospital another complication was discovered. There wasn't a common dish that linked all of the victims. The final victim to show up in the emergency room caused the most consternation.

He was a local police officer. He had been at the rectory to discuss with the priest the church's need for someone to direct traffic on Christmas day. While he was at the rectory while the potluck was going on, he hadn't eaten anything.

With no clue as to the cause of the outbreak, the local medical authorities had called in the CDC. The CDC, however, was hampered in their investigation. Since the victims didn't develop symptoms until two days after the party, the food had already been disposed of. They had positively identified E coli O157 as the culprit, but they couldn't figure out how it got into the food. They had examined the kitchens, pantries, and trash of the contributors to the potluck and couldn't find a trace of the E coli bacteria.

The CDC then theorized that the victims must have been deliberately infected with the E coli. It was at this point that the police had been called in. The local chief of police had quickly realized that he was out of his depth and had requested help from the FBI. While the FBI was quick to theorize that the E coli outbreak was a hate crime, without a source for the bacteria, their investigation was stymied. This was the situation when Jacob and Rachel arrived at the hospital.

Jacob frowned over the reports that the CDC had compiled. "I don't understand, why are you so sure that E coli outbreak was deliberate?"

Dr. Peterson, the doctor from the CDC, shrugged. "It's the only thing that makes sense. The kitchens were all clean and the dishes served weren't the usual suspects in an E coli outbreak."

"Usual suspects?" Rachel was puzzled.

"Yeah, E coli infections are usually the result of people eating undercooked beef or vegetables that weren't washed properly," he explained. "But nothing like that was served. Frankly, we don't think these people ingested the E coli."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Our final victim." Peterson said. "The local cop. He's definitely suffering from the same bacterial infection, but he didn't eat anything at the potluck."

"You're postulating an airborne infection?" Jacob looked up from the file folder he had been studying.

"Yes. Homeland Security has confirmed that E coli has been found in the atmosphere."

Jacob frowned. "Yes, I'm aware of that study, it was done at Berkeley several years ago. But they didn't find anywhere near the concentration needed to make someone ill."

"This is why we postulated an intentional exposure. In order for the airborne bacteria to have the necessary concentration to cause this outbreak, it had to have been premeditated."

"That's quite a syllogism." Jacob was skeptical. "How can you so confidently rule out food contamination?" He held his hand up to forestall the Peterson's objection. "Yes, I know, the police officer who didn't eat anything. But he might have picked up the infection in a secondary fashion. Have you questioned him thoroughly to rule that out?"

Peterson looked evasive. "Not exactly."

"What do you mean 'not exactly'?" Rachel said sharply. "Either you questioned him or you didn't."

"He's unconscious. He lapsed into a coma shortly after being admitted." Peterson said.

Jacob narrowed his eyes. "He's unconscious? Then how can you confidently say that he didn't eat anything associated with the potluck?"

"We didn't question him," conceded Peterson, "but all of the people at the potluck confirmed that he wasn't present. Besides, none of the kitchens showed any traces of E coli. You can't get away from that."

Jacob grunted an acknowledgement, as he turned back to the files. He flipped through the paperwork. "Where's the list of all of the food served? And who brought what?"

"We don't have that." Peterson looked puzzled. "What good would that do, I told you, all the kitchens were clean."

"You can never have enough data," Jacob replied absently. He turned to Rachel. "Can you get me a whiteboard and somewhere quiet to work? We'll see if we can reconstruct the menu from these reports."

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Jacob and Rachel had been working with the reports, checking to see which victim ate what, when Harness stormed into the room, trailed by Mason.

Harness took one look at Rachel and a sneer came over his face. "You're Young? You think you're gonna take over for me?"

Rachel's mouth tightened briefly, but she made no other sign of her annoyance. She flicked a glance at Mason, who was looking at her deadpan. 'So, the kid wants to see if I've got the balls to put this one in his place.'

"I'm Agent Young. And I don't think I'm taking over here, I am."

"That's bullshit! This is my case, we received…"

Rachel cut in. "I don't give a damn about what was. What is, is that the CDC has turned the investigation into the E coli outbreak over to Dr. Hood. That means that this investigation will be conducted by the Special Science Advisor and his team."

"Team?" scoffed Harness. "This kid breezes in and demands my notes and you…"

"I sent Agent Mason," Rachel said coldly, "to inform you about our taking over as a courtesy and to find out what ground, if any, you've already covered. What's more, you don't have jurisdiction here, there's no evidence of a federal crime."

"What the hell are you talking about? This is clearly a hate crime," blustered Harness.

"You came to that conclusion based on what?" Rachel challenged him.

"Profile of the victims, they're all member of some controversial church."

Rachel's eyebrows rose. "They're Episcopalian. You consider that a controversial denomination?"

Harness bristled at her tone. "That church, yeah. They're been in the news here, if you'd done your homework…"

"Ah, actually, it's not that controversial." Mason flushed at suddenly being the center of attention. "The church is involved in a zoning fight over their soup kitchen."

"There," Harness was triumphant. "One of the opponents of the soup kitchen spread the E coli."

Rachel looked at Mason expectantly. "That's not likely." The younger man flinched at the angry look he received from Harness. "The zoning complaint was filed by the president of the church's vestry council."

All three of his listeners gaped at this. Encouraged, Mason continued. "It's really an internal fight. The priest at St. Matthias wants to dump the 1928 Book of Common Prayer and the president wants to keep it. So, he filed the zoning complaint to put pressure on the priest."

"Maybe this president decided to escalate things," Harness put in stubbornly. "It's still a religiously based offense; that makes it a hate crime."

"Nah, he's one of the victims." Mason said. "He's still in the hospital here."

"Looks like you're one who should have done his homework," Rachel smirked. "I suggest you head back to Philly."

Rachel turned to Mason with a look of approval as Harness stalked angrily from the room. "Great work, kid. How did you find out so much so fast?"

Mason sighed. He had hoped Agent Young would drop the 'kid' after he had demonstrated his competence. "It wasn't hard, ma'am. I Googled the church on the way up here. Then I stopped by the rectory before I got in touch with Harness. I had a long talk with the priest's wife, getting general background on the situation here."

"Very impressive Terrance. I appreciate your helping Rachel get rid of that idiot. It will make our work much easier." Jacob turned back to his whiteboard. "Now, if you could help us out here, we're trying to reconstruct the menu from these hospital reports."

"Would the sign-up sheet help?" Mason asked.

Jacob and Rachel looked at him blankly. "The what?"

"The sign-up sheet for the potluck. When I asked Mrs. Worrell if she could help me come up with a list of who was there, so I could begin setting up interviews, she pulled out the sign-up sheet. It lists who brought what and then she amended it to show everyone who showed up."

Jacob took the list Mason proffered. "This is fantastic, just what I wanted."

Rachel smiled at the young agent. "Kid, you're a miracle worker."

Mason's breath stopped at Rachel's smile and his mouth went dry. He blushed and mumbled something unintelligible.

With the help of Rachel and Mason, Jacob constructed an elaborate chart listing all of the dishes contributed and what each victim reported eating. Mason wondered why Dr. Hood found it significant that there were a two dishes that none of the victims had touched.

"But why is that important?" Mason questioned. "I mean, it's not like you eat everything at a party like that.

"Statistics." Rachel answered. She smiled at Mason's quizzical look. "In a sample size this large, it's statistically unlikely that there would be two dishes that no one would eat. One, sure." She elaborated. "There's always one person in a closed group like this who brings something that no one likes, that no one eats. But two? Not likely."

"Rachel's right," Jacob agreed. He tilted his head and bit on his bottom lip. "Do you understand the meaning of this?"

Mason thought for a moment and then spoke slowly. "If it's statistically unlikely that none of the victims ate those dishes, then one or more of them most likely did eat them. This means we can't really trust the victim's statements."

Jacob beamed as if Mason were a promising student. "Exactly. What the people from the CDC seemed to forget was that these people didn't begin to feel ill until two days after the potluck. It's not surprising that these people can't remember exactly what they ate."

He looked at Rachel, "we're going to have to re-interview all of the victims. And I want to interview the people who didn't get sick. See what they ate. We have to hope that police officer comes out of his coma, his account of his time at the rectory will be important."

"But Dr. Hood," Mason objected. "What good will it do to re-interview the victims? Why should they remember more now than they did when the CDC interviewed them?"

Once again he was taken aback when Agent Young answered. "Because we have something that the CDC didn't." She held up the sign-up sheet.

"What good will that do?" Mason wanted to know.

Rachel looked at him for a few minutes, considering. "What did you have for breakfast a week ago today?"

Mason looked at her blankly, searching his memory. "Ahh, I had…"

"And if I reminded you that you had breakfast at a diner and showed you a menu, would that help jog your memory?" Rachel raised an eyebrow.

Jacob smiled at the look on Mason's face. "With the list you found for us, I think our interviews will be much more productive than the CDC's."

Rachel stood and stretched. "We'll have to start tomorrow. Let's get back to the hotel and get something to eat. We can divide up the list and figure out a game plan. Come up with a list of questions."

The three of them walked out of the small lab, Jacob explaining to Mason that tomorrow would be a busy day. He thought it likely that they would have to start the investigation from the ground up. That he wasn't happy with the work of either the CDC or 'that idiot from Philadelphia.'