Run: 2026-09-23-01M37PC8N5M84GMDZJBTWB5B61

The bell above the door jangled, though no one came in. "Did you hear that? Third time this morning." "Old building. Drafty door." "Maybe. But that's not the strange part." "Oh?" "Someone ordered two dozen cinnamon rolls for pickup today. Paid in cash, no name. The envelope was under the door when I opened up." "So? Folks like their privacy." "The money was clipped to a note. It just said, 'Don't ask. Pickup at the marina, noon.'" "Hm. That's peculiar." "Peculiar enough that I haven't touched the envelope since. It's sitting right there behind the register." "You didn't call the sheriff?" "Would you? Half the town would know before the lunch rush." "Fair point. But the marina? Nobody's docked there since the Harlan business." "Exactly what I thought. So... are you busy at noon?" "You want me to come along?" "I want someone with me who won't gossip. And who can carry a bakery box without eating the contents." "Well, when you put it that way." "Just don't tell your mother." "She already knows something's up. She always knows." "Then we tell her nothing. She can smell a secret through a brick wall." "Agreed. Now, are those croissants fresh, or do I have to wait?" "You're missing the point of this conversation entirely." "I never miss the point. I just prioritize appropriately."