Run: 2026-06-01-01KT1G9Y2P2ZN3944V0EX87DGX

The morning light filtered through flour-dusted windows of Hattie's Bakery, catching the silver bells above the door as it swung open. The scent of cinnamon and yeast hung thick in the air, mingling with the faint bite of autumn coming through the cracked door. "Two almond croissants and a loaf of sourdough, please. The usual." "That'll be nine-fifty. Margaret's been asking about you again." "Asking what? I haven't set foot in the senior center in weeks." "She's been saying you left your pie plate on her porch last Tuesday. The one with the lattice top." "I haven't been anywhere near Maple Street." "Funny thing is, somebody did. Her porch camera caught a figure, dark coat, around your height. Couldn't see the face. The town is buzzing, if you haven't heard." "And you think it's me, stealing pie plates? Honestly, the nerve. I'm the one who baked that pie in the first place." "Did I say I thought it was you? I'm just repeating what folks are saying." A pause. The espresso machine hissed, filling the silence as the regulars shuffled toward the display case. "So who do you think it is?" "That's the mystery, isn't it? Could be anyone. Could be nobody. But if I were you, I'd be keeping a closer eye on my own recipe box. Things have a way of disappearing around here lately."