The bakery was quiet when Holly and Lee returned, the warmth of cinnamon and sugar lingering from the morning rush. Holly carried the empty trays inside, setting them on the counter with a sigh of relief. Delivering to the Hospice had softened the sting of Crystal’s sabotage, but the memory of the slashed tires still gnawed at her.
Lee followed, his boots crunching against the thin layer of snow outside. He paused when headlights swept across the lot. A familiar figure stepped out of a patrol car—the Chief of Police, bundled in a heavy coat, his breath visible in the cold.
“Evening, Holly. Lee.” His voice was steady, but his eyes carried the weight of authority. “I came as soon as I heard.”
Holly’s heart tightened. “You think it was deliberate?”
The Chief crouched beside the van, runni
