Run: 2026-07-25-01KYD5G6YMYQSXGJY8DAFM1659

The bell above the Buttered Crumb's door jingled as the morning rush thinned. Maple scones lined the counter, but one display tray sat conspicuously empty. "You're telling me someone stole the prize-winning pie? The night before the festival?" "Every last crumb. The contest entry, gone. And whoever did it left the cash register untouched." "That's peculiar. A thief who wants pie but not money." "Or someone who wants very badly to win tomorrow." "Edna Pruitt's been runner-up three years running." "Edna's seventy-two and uses a walker. You think she broke in through the back window?" "I think the back window wasn't broken. I checked. It was unlocked." "Meaning?" "Meaning it was someone who knew we never lock it. Someone from around here." "The whole town knows you never lock anything, Harold. You once left your car running through an entire church service." "That's not the point. Look at this." "Flour. There's flour on the windowsill. White flour." "And I bake exclusively with whole wheat." "So does the thief bake with white flour?" "There's only one kitchen in town that still uses bleached flour." "The diner." "Get your coat. We're paying Marlene a visit."