Run: 2026-02-24-01KJ8V7SYB26PZR9QBX13SBHXJ

The morning light filtered through the checkered curtains of Sweet Crumbs Bakery, casting warm squares across the flour-dusted counter. The scent of cinnamon rolls hung heavy in the air, mingling with fresh coffee and something unspoken. "You heard about Gerald, I suppose." "Found him in his garden shed. Martha nearly fainted when she went to borrow the hedge trimmer." "They're saying it was natural causes." "They're saying a lot of things." A muffin was torn in half, steam curling upward. "Natural causes don't explain why his prize-winning roses were all dug up." "People do strange things when they're not feeling well." "People do strange things when they're looking for something buried." The coffee machine gurgled into the silence. Outside, a blue jay landed on the windowsill and immediately thought better of it. "You know, Gerald ordered a cake last Tuesday. Wanted it decorated with a very specific message." "What kind of message?" "'I know what you did in 1987.' Wanted it delivered to the town council meeting." "And did you deliver it?" "Never got the chance. He was dead by Wednesday morning." Another piece of muffin disappeared. The coffee grew cold. "I think I'll make that cake after all."