The bell above the door jingled as it opened, letting in a crisp breeze. Rows of freshly baked pastries filled the air with a warm, sugary aroma. "Morning! You're here early." "Courtney's midnight orders for the book club. If I didn't get these lemon tarts, she'd have my head. How's business?" "Steady. The apple turnovers sold out faster than I could whip up another batch. Speaking of which, did you hear about Mrs. Whittaker's garden gnome?" "The one with the red hat? Gone missing?" "Like a shadow in the night. And Ian swears he saw it walking down Elm Street. Can you believe that?" "Walking? Ian needs to cut back on his late-night coffee. But it's strange. Mrs. Whittaker cherishes those gnomes. Did you see the new one she just put out? Creepy little thing." "The one with the scar on its cheek? Gives me the chills. She says it's handcrafted and rare. Honestly, I'd miss the raspberry scones more than a garden gnome." "Speaking of which, how about a sneak peek before they hit the display?" "Absolutely. Coming right up. You hear about the mayor's cat, too?" "Missing?" "Safe and sound... napping in the back of the bakery. Mayor's relief was comical." "Guess it's the mystery of the town's wandering gnome now." "Mystery indeed. But first, let's deal with these tarts."