Chapter 27

Halle got off the bus and walked. Another ten minutes and she'll be there. She'd put aside all her worries for today and focused on one thing: taking Yui shopping in the evening.

She'd asked Shizuka to keep it a surprise. Just in case she couldn't make it, she didn't want to disappoint Yui. She really hoped that today wouldn't cause any new problems.

She reached the café and unlocked the door. She smiled. Pace wasn't here yet. She left her purse on the counter and opened the Bakery Room. There was flour on the floor. She was surprised. This hadn't happened before. They placed all of them perfectly before leaving there was no way it could've fallen.

Unless . . .

"Damn it." She didn't even notice when she opened the Baking Room that it was not locked.

"Hey, you're early as usual." Halle heard Pace as she came inside.

"Pace!" Halle shouted. "Come here."

"What happened?" she asked as she strode to the Baking Room. "Oh my."

"This hasn't happened before."

"It has happened once and we found a rat." said Pace crinkling her nose at that thought. "Wasn't a good day."

"But we've been careful ever since." said Halle.

Pace brought a broom and started sweeping the floor. Halle picked up the container on the floor and placed it back up.

"I'm not convinced." Halle finally said.

"Unless we have proof it was someone else, we have to go with mice." said Pace.

"The Baking Room was not locked." said Halle. "Do you remember if you locked it or not yesterday?"

Pace pondered.

"Because we keep it closed even when customers are here, we were very cautious about that."

"I don't remember not locking the door. I always lock it."

"There's the proof."

"But the café was locked." said Pace. "It doesn't make sense that way. What if I had forgotten?"

"You remember the last time you forgot?"

"No . . ."

"You think I'm paranoid."

"No, I don't."

"Then why do you look at me like I'm crazy?"

Pace stared at her.

"Does anybody else have a key to the café?"

"It's just you and me."

Halle thought for a moment. "I keep it with me in the bedroom. Nobody I know uses it when I'm not there . . . hey, did you bring the keys today?"

"Yeah, they're always in my bag, I don't take them out at home." Pace went and rummaged thru her bag.

Halle went over. Pace tensed up. "Are they with you?"

Pace sounded panicked. "I always had them here. I can't find it."

She took all the things out and shook her bag. Nothing fell outside except for a pack of tic-tac. "I didn't . . ."

"You said you don't take the keys out of your bag at all, right?" asked Halle. "Did you go out yesterday?"

"On second thought," said Pace. "I may have lost it at the junction. I went to a pharmacy, it was nearby. While going back someone bumped into me and my bag fell out of my hand. I couldn't see his face. He was wearing a hoodie."

Halle smiled wickedly. "So it was him. We need to change the keys by the end of this day. We need to clear everything here including the cupcakes and donuts at the counter. He could've poisoned it for all I know. Let's check all the bottles whether they've been emptied or not."

Pace's jaw slacked. "Why do you think he would do something like that?"

Halle sighed. "Tell me this. Why would he want the keys to the café if he is not the type of person who would do that?"

Unless he wanted to kidnap either of us early in the morning. She didn't say this to Pace though. Right now it looked like Pace was going thru shock and didn't want to accept things as they happened. Halle looked away. Heck, if she had done it she wouldn't be here in the first place.

"But how can you be sure that someone bumped into me just to get the keys? It happens in the movies, not in real life."

"I am not letting this go," Halle said with finality. "It could be some random rat that pushed this off and you forgot to lock the Baking Room. It could be him. It could be a random person. I am not letting any of the probabilities go."

Pace fell silent.

"You stay here," said Halle. "I'll get a new set of lock and keys."

Pace didn't reply as she left.

"Hey," Arien said. "Where're you going?"

"Come to think of it," Halle said under her breath. "It wouldn't be open."

"What wouldn't?"

"Well," said Halle. "We lost one of our keys and the Baking Room was unlocked with the flour all over the floor. I find it suspicious, so I want to buy a new lock and key. But she thinks I'm paranoid."

"It kinda is," Pace muttered.

Arien looked at the both of them. "If someone wanted to sneak in then they would've cleaned up the mess right?" Arien offered.

"You're not wrong." said Halle. "But it looks just too easy."

"Hey, detective," said Arien. "I see customers coming already. You got 'em donuts? I wouldn't want to miss them."

"Come in." said Halle. "Sorry to keep you outside."

"No problem."

"Hey," Halle turned to Pace. "Did you check the other items in the Baking Room? Are they all good?"

Pace went in to check. Halle turned to Arien and gave a hesitant smile.

"What are you thinking?"

"I am wondering if the donuts and the cupcakes are good enough to sell. What if it was tampered?"

"Shall I check them?"

"Can you?"

Arien raised his eyebrow. "Are you mocking me?"

Halle held her hand up. "I'm sorry, it came out wrong. I asked if it is possible to find it out . . . not if you can or not."

"Yeah, I have a good sense of smell." Arien pointed to his nose. "I got to know about it after an unfortunate event. Don't ask about it."

"Okay . . ."