# The Missing Recipe The bell above the bakery door chimed softly. "You're here early." "Couldn't sleep. Someone broke into the display case last night." "The one with Margaret's prize-winning scones?" "The very same. Twenty years of competition, and now they're gone." "Did you call Sheriff Davies?" "He's coming by at nine. But between you and me, I don't think he'll find much. Whoever did this knew exactly what they wanted." "You think it was deliberate? Not just a random break-in?" "The till was untouched. The jewelry display wasn't even looked at. Only the scones." A long pause filled the small shop, broken only by the gentle hum of the refrigerator. "Martha mentioned something odd last week. Said she saw young Tyler sneaking around after closing time." "Tyler? The baker's nephew?" "That's the one. Looked guilty as sin when she called out to him." "But he loves his aunt. Why would he steal from her?" "Maybe he didn't steal them. Maybe he wanted the recipe." The early morning light caught the empty display case, its glass glinting like an unanswered question.