Run: 2026-11-11-01M755F4E5ETRWXMKVCC9F2MM4

The bell over the bakery door chimed, and the smell of cinnamon rolls still warm from the oven rolled over me like a sigh. “You’re going to tell me it’s the cat again, aren’t you?” “I would, if I’d seen the cat.” “Then what brings the town’s most punctual deputy in before dawn?” “Free coffee and a muffin. Also, I wanted to see if Mrs. Laird’s recipe tin was still in the back.” “It’s gone. Cleaned out like someone knew exactly where she kept it.” “When?” “Sometime between closing and my first batch, around five. The back door latch was lifted, not broken. Polite, even.” “That’s not a burglar, that’s a neighbor.” “Exactly what I was thinking. The lemon bars were her secret, and half the town has been trying to steal that recipe for thirty years.” “Did anyone else have a key?” “Just you, me, and Ruth, who’s been home since Tuesday with that twisted ankle.” “Her alibi’s solid, then. But the new helper started yesterday.” “The one from the city? With the fancy knife set?” “Exactly. She asked a lot of questions about the lemon bars.” “We should ask her a few too, before the morning rush makes this a town meeting.”