Page 42 of The Misplaced Warrior

“Extremely,” King Rudolf chirped. “Now who are you? For the record.” He held out his hand like he had a recording device or something. But actually, it was just his silver flask.

The woman flustered slightly. “Well, I’m Ginger Snaps, the senior baker for Alchemy Bakeries, as Cocoa told you.”

“Yeah, I was just disbelieving that was your real name,” Rudolf muttered, unscrewing the lid from the flask. “Like where are you weirdos getting your names from?”

Ginger scoffed. “I was born with this name. And it’s completely normal.”

“Sure,” he murmured, shaking his head. “And you are the senior baker. Does that mean there are no others?”

“That’s right,” she replied. “I supervise a team of junior bakers but I’m the one in charge of the products.”

“Does that mean you send out the levain to the bakeries?” Sherlock asked.

“Well, yes,” she answered. “I cut and mark all the levains.”

“Ha!” King Rudolf stated, pointing directly at the woman.

She gave him a skeptical expression. “Of course, the last one to check these is our Quality Control Officer and then the CEO. Then they are sent out to the various bakeries.”

King Rudolf pulled back his hand a little sheepishly. He glanced to the side. “I mean…nothing…nothing at all.”

“Can you take us to this Quality Control Officer and the CEO for Alchemy Bakeries?” Sherlock asked. “We have some questions for them.”

“Oh, about the murders?” Ginger asked.

“Yes,” Sherlock answered. “Although we didn’t say that they were such…”

The woman stiffened. “Well, I just assumed that’s what they were. I mean, a bunch of head bakers die randomly after their shifts. It all seems to point to murder.”

“Maybe,” Sherlock muttered, noncommittally.

“Maybe you should be an investigator,” Rudolf said, taking a swig. “But first, we’ll meet with your bosses.”

“Oh, Eddie isn’t my boss,” Ginger corrected. “As a Quality Control Officer, he’s on the same level as me. But yes, I’ll take you to meet with him and our CEO. They will no doubt be arguing, so put on your adult ears, just in case they are using bad words.”

King Rudolf covered his ears, shaking his head. “Thanks. I don’t want to hear naughty language…”

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

THE CRUMBLING COOKIE EMPIRE

Alchemy Bakeries Corporate Office, Los Angeles, California, United States

Ginger Snaps led the three through the storage area, up a set of stairs and to the executive offices. Cocoa Twist, apparently along for the ride at this point, trailed behind them. At the end of their long tour through the winding hallways and warehouse areas of Alchemy Bakeries, that’s where they found the pair they’d asked to speak to. And as Ginger had foretold, they were arguing, although Gen couldn’t make out their words until they were closer.

“You said it was mine,” one man said.

“I did not,” another replied. “I said, I was thinking about it. Alchemy Bakeries has been in my family for a long time. I can’t just give that up.”

“Well, soon you’re going to have a worthless company and you’ll be begging me to buy it,” the first man warned as Gen and the others neared the door to a closed office.

Ginger looked back at them, a pursed expression on her face that seemed to say, “I told you so.” She then turned back around and knocked on the wooden door, making the arguing immediately halt.

A man with a head full of brown hair and wearing a suit answered the door, looking around at the group in confusion. “What’s all this?”

Ginger motioned to the detectives and Gen. “They are here about the murders. They want to question you and Mitch. Open up, buster.”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “My name is Eddie and you know that.” The man still pulled back the door, holding out an arm to the detectives. “And please come in. I welcome any resolution to these mysteries that have befallen my company.”

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