The aroma of freshly baked bread mingled with the sweet scent of cinnamon as the bell above the door jingled. "Morning, Clara. Busy as ever, I see." "Morning, Sam. You know how it is. The early bird gets the scone." "Or the gossip. Heard anything interesting lately?" "Well, Mrs. Thompson was in earlier, and she mentioned something about the mayor's missing cat." "Again? That cat has more adventures than the rest of us combined." "True, but this time it’s different. She said she saw it sneaking around the old mill." "The old mill? That place gives me the creeps. Why would a cat go there?" "Who knows? Maybe it’s after the mice. Or maybe it’s something else." "Something else? Like what?" "Well, rumor has it that the mill's been seeing some unusual activity at night." "Unusual? You mean like ghosts?" "Not quite. More like lights and shadows. People moving around." "Sounds like a mystery to me. Maybe we should check it out." "Us? Investigate the old mill? You’ve been reading too many detective novels, Sam." "Perhaps, but wouldn’t it be exciting? Just think of the stories we could tell." "Alright, but if we find anything, you’re buying the next round of pastries." "Deal. Let’s solve this mystery, one crumb at a time."