"Lena's Bake-N-Sip Cafe was the go-to spot in town, where everyone knew everyone. Mary sat at a small table by the window, sipping a cup of coffee as she waited for her day to wind down. Across from her, Max sat with a plate of freshly baked scones, his eyes fixed on her. Across the way, the morning sun streams in through the windows, illuminating the crema in Sarah's already-glazed scone. She smiled as a customer called out, "Hey, Max! Those look amazing!" Max looked up, his eyes locking onto Sarah's before drifting back to the scone, his expression unreadable. What was he thinking? Was he trying to tell her something, or just thinking about something else? Lena closed her book and watched, intrigued, her mind wandering to the rumors circulating about the local farmer who'd been acting strange in the days leading up to the murder investigation. A customer called out again, "Max, your strawberry topping is looking lopsided!" Max's hand flew to his pocket, but his eyes never left hers. Why the unnecessary jitters?"