Inside the bakery, Janet found Mia stacking fresh croissants into the display case. Mia’s freckled face lit up with concern when she saw Janet. “Is everything okay? I saw all the commotion but figured I should just stay out of it and get to work. It’s already 5:30.”

Janet hesitated, choosing her words carefully to avoid upsetting or worrying Mia. “There was… an incident in the alley. Someone’s hurt.” 

Mia frowned but continued to stock the case without pause. “That’s awful. Do they think it’s a robbery or something?”

Janet shook her head. “I don’t know yet. But, Mia, can you think of anyone - anyone at all - who’s been acting strangely around the bakery recently?”

Mia’s brow furrowed as she thought. “Not really… Oh, wait. That critic lady, Greta. She was here last week, right? She kept hanging around, asking weird questions about your recipes.”

Janet nodded grimly. She’d thought the same thing. Greta had asked more questions about the menu than seemed normal, and her sharp tone suggested she was fishing for a weakness. Could she have taken a piece of paper from the notepad while Janet’s back was turned?

Before she could ask Mia anything else, there was a knock on the front door. Janet turned to see none other than Lucas Flynn standing in the doorway. He was wearing construction boots, caked with dust, and his expression was tense.

“Morning,” Lucas said, shifting from one foot to the other. “I guess something happened out in the alley this morning…? Everything okay?”

Janet forced a smile, though her nerves jangled. “We’re fine, thank you. Did you talk to the police?”

Lucas’s eyes darted toward the police activity in the alley. “Anything I should know about? I keep my tools out back sometimes,” he responded, ignoring the question.

“Our delivery driver from the dairy was… found dead out there this morning,” Janet lowered her voice. “I’m sure the police will stop by and tell you more,” she continued, wishing he’d leave. Lucas lingered a moment longer, his gaze unreadable, before finally nodding and stepping back outside. 

“Okay,” he responded slowly, then almost as an afterthought, he said, “If you need anything…”

“We’re fine,” Janet repeated. “Just need to get back to work so I can open in a few minutes.”

Lucas nodded and turned to leave, calling back awkwardly, “Have a good day.”

Janet locked the door and leaned on the glass. She sighed and rubbed her temples. Between Greta’s invasive questions, Lucas’s strange behavior, and Emma’s unexpected visit last week, the list of people acting suspiciously was growing longer by the second. And the police hadn’t even finished processing the scene yet.

Just as Janet started jotting down her list of potential suspects for Detective Callahan, her phone buzzed. The message was from an unknown number, but the words made her blood run cold:

“Stay out of this. You don’t want to know the truth.”

The mystery thickens… Don’t miss the next thrilling chapter. Keep a close eye on your inbox tomorrow for Part 3: Shadows of Suspicion.