Secret Ingredient

Secret Ingredient - 2

                                                                                          3

Ryan stared, then made a face.  “Yeesh.  Yeah, could be.”  He leaned close and sniffed.  “But it smells like chocolate.”  He took the paper and turned it over, revealing the Midnight Delight logo.  “Well, that explains the chocolate smell.”

“And the blood,” she added.

Blood-filled sangrefleur blossoms covered in chocolate – nossies loved them like white sharks loved chubby seals.

Ryan looked around.  “So, if this is a joke, we’re supposed to believe a candy-addicted vampire is holding someone prisoner nearby.”

“That’s what the clue says, Sherlock.  But where?”

They both looked up.  The two windows above the bakery were tightly shuttered. 

“What if it’s not a joke?” Ryan said.

“Don’t go there, Ryan.”

He turned to her.  “‘Trapped Please Help’… we can’t just walk away from this.  We have to take it to the cops.”

Emma lowered her voice.  “We can’t do that, and you know why.”

“We’ll just be a couple of lycan kids who found–”

“But we’re not lycans.  And if that comes out, the Jantzes will be in almost as much trouble as we’ll be – huge trouble.  We can’t risk that.”

“Then what–?”

Suddenly Emma knew.  “The baker!  Mister Haverstrom!  We found it outside his store, so it’s only natural we turn it in to him.  Let him give it to the cops.”

“Great idea!”

For a third time, they bounded through the bakery door.

“You two again?” Mr. Haverstrom said, smiling.  “What now?  Another scheme to get free cookies?”

“No,” Ryan said, putting the bottle and the message on the counter.  “We found this outside on the sidewalk.”

Mr. Haverstrom’s smile disappeared as he read the message.  “Is this a joke?”

“Could be,” Emma said, “but we thought it should be reported anyway – just in case it’s not.”

“Have you shown this to the police?”

“No,” said Ryan.  “We thought you’d want to do that, seeing as it was found right outside your shop.”

His eyes narrowed.  “Where outside?”

“Right by the drainpipe.”

“I see,” he said softly.  He slipped the message back in the bottle and tucked the bottle into a pocket in the front of his apron.  “You did the right thing, kids.  I’ll take this to the police as soon as I close up.  In the meantime…”

He went to the day-old cookie tray and started filling a sack.

Ryan said, “Could it have come from upstairs?”

Mr. Haverstrom gave his head a quick shake.  “No one lives up there.  I use it for storage. You know, bags of flour and stuff like yeast and cake boxes.”  He handed Ryan the brimming sack.  “Here.  For you and your sister.  Don’t eat them all at once.  Save some for after dinner tonight.”