Run: 2026-07-25-01KYCTCTVVM31JJCFM56SKS2JR

The scent of warm cinnamon and caramelized sugar hung thick in the morning air, punctuated by the steady hiss of the espresso machine. Flour dusted the marble counter like a light snowfall. "Pass the powdered sugar, would you? The raspberry scones are almost ready." "Here. But you’re deflecting. Did Mayor Higgins really come in at dawn?" "At five sharp. Bought two dozen almond croissants and looked as if he hadn't slept a wink." "Almond? He’s deathly allergic to nuts. Everyone in Honeycomb Hollow knows that." "Precisely. And he didn't even wait for his change. Just threw a crisp hundred-dollar bill on the counter and bolted." "Who buys two dozen croissants they can't eat?" "Someone hiding an unexpected guest over at the old lighthouse, I’d wager." "Or someone trying to appease the new health inspector." "Careful with that piping bag, you’re getting buttercream on the display glass." "Sorry. It's just—the lighthouse was supposed to be locked up tight." "Supposed to be. But I found a stray smudge of cocoa powder on the back alley doorframe this morning." "Cocoa powder? Is that a clue?" "Not unless our local thief leaves a signature on every chocolate tart he steals."