Run: 2026-02-24-01KJ8VPC4D73ENBKW7HE96RES5

The morning light filtered through the front windows of Sweet Crumb Bakery, catching the flour dust that always seemed to hang in the air like tiny constellations. Behind the counter, a tray of cinnamon rolls sat cooling, their glaze still glistening. "You heard about Margaret's garden shed, I assume." "Heard about it? I drove past it this morning. Police tape everywhere." "Three weeks now since anyone's seen her cat, and suddenly they find that locked trunk buried under her begonias." "I don't want to speculate." "Then why are you whispering?" A pause filled the space between them, punctuated only by the soft ticking of the rooster clock above the register. "All I'm saying is, I delivered a dozen scones to her house last Tuesday, and someone had dug up the entire north side of the yard. Freshly turned soil. And Margaret stood in the doorway looking like she hadn't slept in days." "That woman has always been peculiar." "Peculiar is collecting porcelain frogs. This is something else entirely." The bell above the door chimed. Both women straightened, smiles appearing like masks pulled from a drawer. "Welcome to Sweet Crumb. What can we get you, Sheriff?"