Run: 2026-03-25-01KMJ90F6DYE6W0600DTT2018P

The morning sun slanted through the front window of Buttercup’s Bakery, dusting the case of cinnamon rolls and lemon tarts in gold. The scent of vanilla and fresh butter hung warm in the air. A bell tinkled as the door closed behind the last customer, leaving only the quiet hum of the espresso machine. “Did you hear? Old Mr. Pendergast found Mrs. Calloway’s prize poodle wrapped in tinsel, barking up a storm in his azaleas.” “In tinsel? It’s nearly June.” “Exactly. And get this—he swears he didn’t touch the thing. Says he woke up, opened the door, and there it was. Festive as a misplaced Christmas ornament.” “That dog’s been missing since Tuesday. Mrs. Calloway had flyers all over town. Offered twenty dollars.” “Twenty? She gave me a scone just for promising to keep an eye out. I wonder if someone’s playing a prank.” “Or hiding something. Pendergast’s been acting mighty strange since the Town Hall meeting. Kept muttering about ‘dishonest ledgers’ under his breath.” “You think it’s connected? A dog and town budgets?” “Maybe. Or maybe someone just hates Mrs. Calloway’s rhubarb jam. You know she entered it in the fair last year and beat Doris’s.” “I’d hide a dog in someone’s yard for less. That jam tastes like cough syrup and regret.” A laugh danced through the room, mingling with the clink of a spoon in a teacup. “Still. Tinsel in June. That’s not just a prank. That’s a message.”