Run: 2026-02-16-01KHM5XNQEH8RH8MTVZ9526Z2J

The bell above the door chimed with a soft, sweet sound. "Is that gingerbread I smell, or just wishful thinking?" "Fresh from the oven. I added a dash of black pepper this time, for a little kick." "Adventurous. I’ll take a dozen of the maple scones, too. Book club is at my place tonight." "Oh, the one with the retired librarian and the yoga instructor? How’s that going?" "Murderously, actually. We’re reading that new one set on a Scottish island. But that’s not the real news." "Don’t tell me. Phyllis finally admitted she broke the antique teapot at the last meeting?" "Worse. She brought a plus-one. A mysterious nephew no one knew she had, who just happens to be asking very specific questions about the old mill fire." "The one from thirty years ago? That is curious. Almost as curious as why someone would pay for a dozen scones with a fifty-dollar bill covered in what looks like garden soil." "…I’d better wrap those up for you. Quickly."