Run: 2026-04-27-01KQ74AFKYXPB9NN6HR4BDR4A7

The bell above the door jingled, competing with the heavy thrum of the dough sheeter. Flour hung in the air like morning mist, catching golden light that filtered through the display case of strawberry tarts. "You're early. The glaze hasn't even set on the cronuts." A bag hit the counter. "I couldn't wait. Besides, I needed to talk to someone who doesn't answer their phone after midnight." Fingers tapped the register. "I thought your signal was down at the mill again." "My signal is fine. My neighbor's isn't. The power has been cut to the Miller place for three days, yet I still smell smoke every time the wind shifts east." The mixer stopped. Silence stretched. "Old pipes. You know how the infrastructure down by the creek goes. Mrs. Higgins had the same drift last October." A crumb fell on a white rag. "Mrs. Higgins lives on the ridge. And she doesn't own a copper refinery." The bag was tugged, revealing a flash of tarnished brass through a torn seam. "Coffee. Black. Just how you take it when you're worried." Hands curled around the ceramic mug. "That place has been condemned for a decade." "Scones are on the house. But next time, check the ashes before you check the wires. Something's brewing, and it's not sourdough."