"Well, butter my biscuit! You'll never guess who I spotted sneaking out of the Mayor's office at the crack of dawn today," whispered Mabel, leaning in conspiratorially over the breakfast table. Her best friend Betty leaned forward, equal parts scandalized and thrilled by the juicy gossip. "Who? Tell me!" Mabel paused for dramatic effect, sipping her coffee before continuing. "None other than Claire Thompson! Can you believe it? L'il miss goody two-shoes midnight meeting with the Mayor? What's that all about, I ask you?" Betty gasped, nearly choking on her danish. "The Mayor? Really? But why? What could a nice young woman like Claire possibly be doing in his office at that ungodly hour?" Mabel shrugged, shaking her head. "Beats me, girlfriend. But you know what they say - early bird catches the worm. Or in this case, maybe the scandal! Hmm?" The two old biddies cackled like witches, delighting in the town's Latest development. After all, they reasoned, even the most dull-seeming people always secretly had a little intrigue bubbling just beneath the surface. And Mabel and Betty were determined to find out just what exactly was happening in muddled Mayfield...