Run: 2026-04-24-01KPZV9T9WBSXJ0E12KZ7B1ATD

The bell above the door jingled as Margaret stepped inside, shaking rain from her umbrella. The smell of cinnamon and warm butter wrapped around her like a familiar sweater. "You're late. The lemon tarts are nearly gone." "I'm not late, I'm deliberate. There's a difference." "Tell that to Mrs. Pemberton. She bought the last six." "Six? What on earth does a woman living alone need with six lemon tarts?" "That's precisely what I wanted to ask. But then I remembered something interesting." "Oh?" "Her nephew arrived from London yesterday. The one nobody's seen in fifteen years." "The one who was meant to inherit from her brother?" "The very same. And he walked past the window not twenty minutes ago, looking like a man who hadn't slept." "Pour me a coffee, would you? And one of those cheese scones, if there are any left." "Two left. I saved them." "You're a treasure, Alice." "I'm a businesswoman. Now sit by the window. You'll have a lovely view of Mrs. Pemberton's front door from that table." "How convenient." "Isn't it just? I thought you might appreciate it, given your particular hobbies." "They're not hobbies. They're civic contributions." "Of course, dear. Eat your scone."