Run: 2026-09-02-01M1GVNY4VA9KR5Z7P4Q9WPPQY

The bell above the door had barely settled before the whispers started. "Did you hear about Marlene?" "Everyone's heard about Marlene. Cinnamon roll today, please, and don't skimp on the icing." "She left town at midnight. One suitcase, cat under her arm." "Right after the church fund went missing. Funny timing." "Mmm-hmm. And she left her pie crust recipe pinned to the bulletin board." "With a note?" "'Ask Eleanor about the lockbox.'" "Eleanor Hale? She's ninety-two." "Ninety-two, and the only one left with a key." "That's not her fair-winning recipe, you know." "How could you possibly know that?" "Marlene's secret was lemon zest. That one calls for lard." "So it's a message, not a recipe." "Or a confession." "The oven's been running hot again. Second time this week." "Someone's been in here after hours, then." "The back lock had fresh scratches this morning. Shiny ones." "You should tell the sheriff." "Harold? He still calls her 'the Tucson mystery.' Thinks she took the money and ran." "Maybe she did." "A woman doesn't leave her prize recipe behind if she's guilty. That's her whole reputation, abandoned on a corkboard." "So what are you saying?" "I'm saying roll's on the house today. Lock up when you go." "Where are you off to?" "To ask Eleanor about the lockbox."