In a small town, a perfumer with a keen sense of smell tracks down the source of a mysterious olfactory phenomenon leading to comas.
Sweet Memories
THE absence of irritating traffic noise or acrid pollution enchants the privileged residents of a rural town nestled in the valley of floral hills. This crime-free community is the perfect setting for bottling some of the world’s most treasured scents.
Clara is a petite and energetic woman who grew up in the town, assisting in her father’s flower export business. With her keen sense of smell, she can identify virtually any flora or herb.
After graduation, she traveled to France to study under the masters, intern to perfect her craft, and acquire a bit of a French accent. As someone with an international education who returned to establish a perfume business, Clara has become a local celebrity.
Jethro has had a crush on Clara since high school. He knows she is fond of flowers, but bouquets seem trite for someone with her refinement. Despite his overtures, his feelings are no more visible than local crime. It’s ironic that Clara’s childhood friend, Mollie, has been trying to get on Jethro’s radar.
Female residents are eager to sample Clara’s latest factory products with great fanfare. However, one fragrance gets into circulation without her approval. The tight-knit town grieves for a young woman suffering from a coma. Within days, a half dozen patients join her in the hospital.
Malodorous Investigation
Clara, recognizing faint remnants of the same sweet smell during visits to each patient, conveys the anomaly to the local authorities. Jethro, the town sheriff, is ill-equipped to handle an outbreak.
He audibly wonders if it’s a defective product, asking, “Can you tell me where this scent came from?”
“The most likely place is my laboratory. However, it isn’t a product I supervised.”
Jethro then enlists Clara’s assistance. “Okay, let’s interview some witnesses.”
Friends and family describe the same scenario between their cries of anguish. After applying the perfume, the sweet smell quickly dissipates, before the person falls unresponsive on the floor. By the time someone comes to assist, the aroma vanishes for all but those with keen olfactory senses. The sheriff collects the bottles as evidence, allowing Clara to take one for analysis.
Using the website, printed flyers, and audio announcements, residents receive a warning not to open any of the bottles with a lavender graphic. The response is not speedy enough for Mollie, who also experiences a coma. This heightens Clara’s vigilance to find a cure, but first, she must reverse engineer the product and uncover its source.
To protect her health, she performs lab tests instead of whiffs to list the ingredients—lavender, vanilla, and cinnamon. As a meticulous organizer, Clara knows the location of each aromatic ingredient within her facility and who has authorization to formulate them.
While replicating an inert version, she discovers that someone contaminated one of the fragrance ingredients with an obscure neurotoxin. A review of employment records and timesheets spotlights Frank, hired a year ago. His mysterious absence for a week accentuates his guilt.
The manhunt expands beyond borders when the sheriff enlists other authorities. As precious moments slip away, Clara works feverishly to find a cure. With the burden of the town on her shoulders, she recognizes an antidote is beyond her expertise.
When the news arrives that Frank was sent under deep cover by a competitor, federal agents detain him as he tries to flee the country. With a plea deal during interrogation, he names the ones responsible.
The sheriff, noticing Clara’s seething reaction, tells her, “Let’s keep our heads cool and let the police do their job.”
Acrid Accusations
Clara exits the sheriff’s station, her mind a whirlwind of emotions. Unable to contain her frustration, she books a flight to France that very night. As the plane soars through the clouds, confronting the very heart of the conspiracy consumes Clara’s thoughts.
Upon landing, she heads straight to her competitor’s headquarters. In the lobby, she pockets an evidentiary brochure with her competitor’s new fragrances. After the receptionist tries to interfere, Clara insists on seeing her mentor, forcing her way through the executives’ doors without an appointment.
“Quel genre d'esprits malades dirigent cette entreprise? What kind of sick minds run this company? Are profits more important than human life?” she shouts in French and English as security guards rush to escort her from the premises.
Clara dusts herself off when reaching the curb. At that moment, Interpol officials arrive to serve warrants and seal the company doors. She chants French expressions of “Victory” as her antagonists exit the building wearing handcuffs.
“La victoire! La victoire!”
As Clara’s plane descends into the United States, she braces for the challenging fight that’s far from over. She lands with the fragrance of waning optimism in a region still grappling with the mysterious comas.
Fortunately, within the week, the federal health agency provides an antidote for the neurotoxin. It brings a glimmer of hope when doctors rush it to the comatose residents.
Meanwhile, the trial proceeds within a crowded hall of oak and marble. The district attorney squares off with a team of high-priced suits seeking to discredit witnesses. The outcome represents not only justice for victims but also determines the fate of the entire town.
There is a tense moment when the defendant’s attorneys try to make Frank a fall guy. However, Clara schools her overwhelming fear of inadequacy, facing the intimidating lawyers with articulate eloquence.
She turns the tide of accusations by testifying that the company’s brochure lists new scents based on the ones she has developed during Frank’s employment.
This implicates them as the masterminds of a dastardly plan to steal trade secrets and eliminate their competition. The outcome remains uncertain, but it’s a victory for the day.
Blooming Emotions
When Clara leaves the courthouse, aromatic fields of poppy flowers welcome her back home. It seems to symbolize the recovery of early patients.
However, Mollie is not yet responding to treatment. While waiting for better news, Clara returns to her facility to institute safeguards and stringent background checks for new hires.
During a daily visit to her dear unconscious friend, she says, “I’m so sorry this happened to you. Please keep fighting.”
With a weak voice and fluttering eyelids, Mollie responds, “Don’t blame yourself.”
“Mollie? You can hear me! Sip some water.”
“Yes, did you find out what happened?”
“The people behind this are in police custody. A fake perfume was the cause.”
“Is that what Jethro told you?”
“Well, we worked together to find answers.”
“No slight to you, but I knew my hero wouldn’t let me down,” Mollie responds with apparent admiration.
“Jethro is your hero? Are the drugs you’re receiving making you delirious?”
“No, there’s no sense keeping my feelings bottled up after coming so close to death. I’ve felt this way for a long time, but he doesn’t notice me.”
“We’ll have to fix that. After sprucing up your hair, I’ll put in a good word for you.”
Clara leaves the hospital, arriving at the sheriff’s station. He asks, “How’s Mollie?”
“She’s much better. You should visit her yourself. When you do, pay close attention to her reaction. Mollie needs a companion.”
“But I have feelings for somebody else.”
“Whoever that is, she won’t compare with Mollie’s undying affection.”
After wrangling over the notion, Jethro, too shy to reveal his true feelings, agrees to pay more attention to Mollie. He leaves heartbroken but optimistic about a new prospect.
The next day, news of the verdict arrives with tense suspense before boisterous cheers from area residents. Ecstatic Clara hurries to share the good news with her friend.
The antiseptic hospital smell, in some respects like a sterile laboratory, is a stark contrast to the fields of blooming flowers Clara breathes in before visiting the patient.
“Jethro came to see me, real concerned like… and… and we’re going out on a date as soon as I get better.”
“That’s wonderful. No one else will be harmed by the fake perfume. When you get well, I’ll begin work on a perfume named Redemption, just for residents.
“To assure every customer that fragrances meet my high standards, the new packaging will include a tamper-resistant seal and a hologram stamp on the bottle.”
“That sounds great. I look forward to Redemption.”
The End
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