The scent of freshly baked bread wafted through the air as the morning sun streamed through the bakery windows. A lone customer sat at a small table, sipping a cup of coffee and admiring the display case. Behind the counter, the bakery owner expertly piped a border of frosting onto a wedding cake. "I'm telling you, it's not natural. That Horton house has been in his family for generations, and suddenly it's value plummets." "Maybe the new owners just didn't want to keep it in the family," a second voice suggested, a hint of laughter in their tone. "Don't try to reassure me, I know better. There's something fishy going on here. I was chatting with Abigail Jenkins, and she mentioned something about a 'donation' to the town's historical society. Made me think of that fancy new grand opening at Horton's Hardware. Coincidence? I don't think so." "There are plenty of possible explanations, let's not jump to conclusions. After all, we just want to support the new business opening... even if my sous chef here refuses to make cookies for the grand opening. Get it together, Alice!" The bakery owner shot them a wry glance and rolled her eyes good-naturedly.