# The Missing Ingredient The morning light filtered through the flour-dusted windows of Sweet Crumbs Bakery, casting warm rectangles across the checkered floor. The scent of cinnamon rolls hung heavy in the air, mingling with fresh coffee and something slightly burnt. "You heard about Martha's garden shed, I suppose." "Heard about it? I could see the police lights from my bedroom window. Three in the morning, flashing blue and red like a terrible disco." "They found Gerald's missing ledger in there. Tucked right between the potting soil and a bag of bone meal." "Martha wouldn't steal a ledger. The woman returns library books three days early." "That's exactly what makes it suspicious, don't you think? Nobody's that honest without hiding something." The espresso machine hissed and gurgled. A tray of scones emerged from the back, golden and perfectly risen. "These need more lemon zest." "Don't change the subject." "I'm not changing anything. I'm simply saying that whoever planted that ledger in Martha's shed also knew that Gerald had been skimming money from the church fundraiser. And only three people had keys to his office." "Four, actually. You're forgetting about the new organist." The scone dropped onto the plate with a quiet thud. "Well. That changes things."