Run: 2026-10-20-01M5C6EC60ZA3MTG5MWWKR2Q95

"The morning special looks a little lopsided." "Lopsided is a style. The blueberries settled." "Blueberries don't leave a note that says 'Sorry about the mess.'" A pause, then the sound of a whisk against ceramic. "You found it behind the sourdough starter?" "Tucked under the ledger. Whoever wrote it has very loopy handwriting and a fondness for semicolons." "Half the town has loopy handwriting. Mrs. Abernathy uses semicolons in her grocery lists." "Mrs. Abernathy also ordered three dozen almond croissants at dawn and paid in nickels." "That's not suspicious. That's Tuesday." A tray clattered onto the counter. "The point is, someone was in the back room before we opened. And they weren't after flour." "Then what?" "The recipe for the apple butter bars is gone. The one with the secret pinch of cardamom." "This town would riot." "Murder seems extreme for cardamom." "Cardamom is a gateway spice. Next thing you know, someone's hiding a body in the proofing drawer." The whisk stopped. "You've thought about this." "Every baker has a contingency plan." "Or murder. Possibly both. Do we tell the sheriff?" "Not yet. First, we see who orders apple butter bars before noon."