Run: 2026-02-19-01KHVP485HTEH0K7569XWVVSTF

The little brass bell above the door jingled, perfectly in tune with the quiet hum of the espresso machine. The warm, comforting scent of cinnamon, melted butter, and rising yeast hung heavy in the crisp morning air, fogging the glass of the display case. "Two blueberry scones and a large black coffee, please." "Rough night? You usually only go for the chamomile tea this early." "You'd need a jolt of caffeine too if you'd spent the last eight hours crawling through Mrs. Higgins' prize-winning petunias with a flashlight." "Oh, good heavens. Please don't tell me." "Afraid so. Someone dug up the entire flowerbed right down to the root." "But the annual village garden tour is tomorrow! Here, take a cinnamon roll. On the house. Please tell me you at least found a clue." "Just one. A pristine, size-ten boot print stamped right in the damp potting soil. And a lingering smell I couldn't quite place." "Fertilizer?" "No. Almonds. Bitter, roasted almonds." "Well, isn't that a coincidence. I sold four dozen of my special almond crescents yesterday afternoon to the Mayor." "The same Mayor who placed second to Mrs. Higgins three years in a row?" "The very same. I'll put your pastries in a box. Need a napkin?" "Better make it three. I have a feeling things are about to get very messy."