document them all.”
“Are they tagged?” he asked.
“You do tag everything, don’t you?” He leaned on the counter and watched her, a look of puzzlement on his face.
“That’s the thing. Everything has a scan code, but when we scan them, they come up blank. No such item found. It’s confusing.”
“So your shop is sprouting pre-tagged items and it’s keeping you up to all hours,” he said.
“It’s probably just a computer glitch. You’ve lost some data. It’s a pain to have to re-key everything, but it’s not a mystery.”
“You probably are right,” she said.
“But here’s a real mystery. While I was walking Mr. Bradshaw, a woman ran right into me and she’d been stabbed.” She drank her hot chocolate and told John the whole story.
“But that’s unbelievable,” he said. “How could that happen in Seagrove?”
“I know,” she said. “A fatal stabbing here in little Seagrove. What’s the world coming to?”
“Wait. Fatal? You didn’t say she’d died,” he said.
“She hadn’t, yet. But you should have seen the size of the knife sticking out of her back. It was huge. I don’t see how she could survive.” Sadie shuddered at the memory.
“Wait and see,” John advised. “Humans are remarkable creatures. Maybe she’ll live.”
Sadie smiled at him. “You’re a bastion of hope, John. And now your chocolate has made me so sleepy I must go home. Thank you.”
John locked the door behind her and she supposed he was going back to his new pastry recipe. She and Mr. Bradshaw went home to bed.
Sadie was drinking coffee on her balcony the next morning when Zack appeared. Although the sun was warm, the air was crisp and she had a blanket wrapped around her coat. She called down to him as he levered himself from his jeep after parking on the street outside her shop.
“Another coffee?” She gestured to The Bakery. “And a sticky bun? Please?”
“You read my mind,” he called back and disappeared into the bakery.
Sadie wondered if living next door to The Bakery was an advantage or a detriment. Her midsection was not getting any smaller. She shrugged, her doctor pronounced her healthy, so who was she to worry? The Bakery was a godsend. She could get the best coffee in town right next door. Considering Sadie had a serious caffeine addiction and knew her own coffee making skills were inferior, the availability of ready-made coffee a few steps from her door was a lifesaver.
“I’m here on official business,” Zack said as he placed two cups of coffee and a bakery bag on the table between them.
“But first, tell me why you are wearing a coat and a blanket?” He grinned at her.
“You look kind of like an under the bridge box-dweller in New York City.”
“It’s getting cold out here,” Sadie said, “but I’m not ready to give up my perch above the street just yet.”
“We could get you a little plastic tent and a space heater and then you could be out here all winter.” Zack raised his eyebrows at her. “I would do that for you.”
“Oh, stop. When it starts snowing, I’ll have my coffee inside, you awful man.” She kicked him gently with the toe of her fake fur slipper.
“What’s the official business?”
“I need to get your statement about the stabbing last night. I tried sending Wilson or Smith, but they declined. I think they are afraid of you.”
“They are not afraid of me. They just know I’d rather see you. No one is afraid of me.” She rolled her eyes.
“There’s not much to tell. I was walking Mr. Bradshaw – where is he? Did you see him when you came in?”
“He’s downstairs helping Betty clean the shop,” he said.
“He came to say hello with a cobweb on his whiskers.”
“Those dang spiders all are trying to move inside now that it’s cold. He’s not happy about it.” She sipped her coffee and peered
“Are they tagged?” he asked.
“You do tag everything, don’t you?” He leaned on the counter and watched her, a look of puzzlement on his face.
“That’s the thing. Everything has a scan code, but when we scan them, they come up blank. No such item found. It’s confusing.”
“So your shop is sprouting pre-tagged items and it’s keeping you up to all hours,” he said.
“It’s probably just a computer glitch. You’ve lost some data. It’s a pain to have to re-key everything, but it’s not a mystery.”
“You probably are right,” she said.
“But here’s a real mystery. While I was walking Mr. Bradshaw, a woman ran right into me and she’d been stabbed.” She drank her hot chocolate and told John the whole story.
“But that’s unbelievable,” he said. “How could that happen in Seagrove?”
“I know,” she said. “A fatal stabbing here in little Seagrove. What’s the world coming to?”
“Wait. Fatal? You didn’t say she’d died,” he said.
“She hadn’t, yet. But you should have seen the size of the knife sticking out of her back. It was huge. I don’t see how she could survive.” Sadie shuddered at the memory.
“Wait and see,” John advised. “Humans are remarkable creatures. Maybe she’ll live.”
Sadie smiled at him. “You’re a bastion of hope, John. And now your chocolate has made me so sleepy I must go home. Thank you.”
John locked the door behind her and she supposed he was going back to his new pastry recipe. She and Mr. Bradshaw went home to bed.
Sadie was drinking coffee on her balcony the next morning when Zack appeared. Although the sun was warm, the air was crisp and she had a blanket wrapped around her coat. She called down to him as he levered himself from his jeep after parking on the street outside her shop.
“Another coffee?” She gestured to The Bakery. “And a sticky bun? Please?”
“You read my mind,” he called back and disappeared into the bakery.
Sadie wondered if living next door to The Bakery was an advantage or a detriment. Her midsection was not getting any smaller. She shrugged, her doctor pronounced her healthy, so who was she to worry? The Bakery was a godsend. She could get the best coffee in town right next door. Considering Sadie had a serious caffeine addiction and knew her own coffee making skills were inferior, the availability of ready-made coffee a few steps from her door was a lifesaver.
“I’m here on official business,” Zack said as he placed two cups of coffee and a bakery bag on the table between them.
“But first, tell me why you are wearing a coat and a blanket?” He grinned at her.
“You look kind of like an under the bridge box-dweller in New York City.”
“It’s getting cold out here,” Sadie said, “but I’m not ready to give up my perch above the street just yet.”
“We could get you a little plastic tent and a space heater and then you could be out here all winter.” Zack raised his eyebrows at her. “I would do that for you.”
“Oh, stop. When it starts snowing, I’ll have my coffee inside, you awful man.” She kicked him gently with the toe of her fake fur slipper.
“What’s the official business?”
“I need to get your statement about the stabbing last night. I tried sending Wilson or Smith, but they declined. I think they are afraid of you.”
“They are not afraid of me. They just know I’d rather see you. No one is afraid of me.” She rolled her eyes.
“There’s not much to tell. I was walking Mr. Bradshaw – where is he? Did you see him when you came in?”
“He’s downstairs helping Betty clean the shop,” he said.
“He came to say hello with a cobweb on his whiskers.”
“Those dang spiders all are trying to move inside now that it’s cold. He’s not happy about it.” She sipped her coffee and peered
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