Run: 2026-02-25-01KJ95TVPK5D3PNQEV4B5Q14WS

The scent of proofing yeast and burnt sugar hung heavy in the warm air of the Crumb & Whistle. Outside, a persistent drizzle blurred the pastel storefronts of Pebble Creek, turning the cobblestones into dark, slick mirrors. "I’m telling you, it wasn’t on the rack when I turned the ovens on at five." "Are you absolutely certain? It’s a heavy silver ladle, Clara. Hard to misplace between the sink and the stove." "I checked the flour bins, the proofing drawers, and even the industrial freezer. It’s vanished." "And the back door stayed bolted?" "Double-locked from the inside. Just like always. But there was a smudge on the pantry windowsill. A strange, oily residue." "Blue?" "Electric blue. The exact shade of the shutters on the new vicar’s cottage." A tray of almond croissants slid onto the cooling rack with a crisp, metallic clatter. "He’s been in here every morning this week, always asking about the building's history." "He’s a man of the cloth, supposedly. Why would he want an antique soup ladle?" "Maybe it isn't the silver he’s after. My grandmother always said there was a map etched into the handle." "A map to what? The town's original spring?" "Or the vault they walled up during the Great Fire."