CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
One Week Later
“Officials are warning of a sudden death blight that has struck mature oak trees across the city.”
Cyrus watched the news report on the flat screen TV in the back corner of the Wicked Cat as he drank a tall can of IPA. An African-American reporter stood on a street corner speaking into a field microphone.
“City workers have reported at least one hundred oak trees that have died within the last week,” the reporter said. “The unusual part of the story is that there’s no explanation as to why it happened. It’s as if these perfectly healthy trees simply died with no warning. I’m here with a certified arborist to tell us his thoughts…”
She offered the mic to a middle-aged man in a polo who spoke with a grave tone. “We want the public to know about this.
