Free When the Cookie Crumbles by Virginia Lowell Page B

list. I’m heading over to the community center to help.”
    “More supplies? But you and Rosemarie were both here yesterday with long lists. Rosemarie said she didn’t think you’d need anything more.” Rosemarie York ran the Chatterley Heights Community Center, which possessed a kitchen large enough to accommodate Maddie and her team of gingerbread house bakers.
    Ellie’s normally serene face puckered with concern. “I know, but we seem to be running through our icing ingredients quickly. It worries me, though I hate to think that anyone from Chatterley Heights might be involved.”
    “Mom, you’re leaving out sentence parts again.”
    “Hm? Oh, sorry. I haven’t said anything to anyone else, especially not Rosemarie. She’d feel responsible because she’s the community center’s administrator, but what can she do? She has to leave the front door unlocked so the decorating team can come and go, which they are doing until well into the night. And, of course, the kitchen door doesn’t have its own lock.”
    “Mom, are you saying someone is walking off with the icing ingredients? The Gingerbread House is donating most of the baking items. Have you mentioned this to Del?”
    “Not yet.” With a slight shake of her head, as if shecouldn’t believe her own observations, Ellie said, “I’ll be glad to cover the cost from my own pocket, dear.”
    “That’s not the point.”
    “I know that, Livie. To be honest, I can’t be certain that ingredients are actually disappearing. Royal icing can be tricky, as you know. Our less experienced bakers might be trying to hide their failures out of embarrassment. Silly of them, of course, but…forget what I’ve said, Livie. I’ll keep my eyes open, and if I think someone is stealing, I’ll report it to Del at once.”
    Olivia nodded, silently vowing to tell Del as soon as she saw him again.
    W ith Maddie at the Chatterley Heights Community Center, frantically working on the finishing touches for the gingerbread houses, Olivia and Bertha were kept busy through lunch and beyond as a steady stream of customers visited the store. Spunky held court from his chair in front of the window. He had merely to lift his head or thump his tail, and most customers succumbed. Now that school was back in session, he was safer from kids who thought it was fun to yank the long hair that flopped over his eyes.
    By one p.m., The Gingerbread House had run out of prepared gingerbread mix. An hour later, Olivia noticed an empty shelf that had held a large display of gingerbread boy and girl cookie cutters. It seemed as if everyone within a twenty-mile radius had entered the celebration spirit. If she didn’t restock the gingerbread items soon, she figured she’d have to change the name of the store.
    Another half hour passed before Olivia finally had a few minutes to begin refilling the shelves. She raided theinventory in her storage closet, filling a large basket with various colors of gel food coloring, gingerbread cookie-cutter sets, and the last three gingerbread house kits. As she locked the storage closet door behind her, she heard Spunky’s happy yap. She turned to see Hermione Chatterley gazing around with the rapt attention of a child in a toy store. She wore a maroon dress covered with tiny pink rosebuds. Once again, Olivia thought of her great-grandmother, dressed to go shopping in the city. She also thought of wallpaper.
    Spunky jumped down from his chair and trotted over to Hermione.
    “Hello, little one,” Hermione said as Spunky stood on his hind legs to greet her. “What a sweet boy you are.”
    Olivia knew he was angling for another piece of meat. “Spunky, down. Mrs. Chatterley, welcome to The Gingerbread House. Is there anything I can help you find?”
    “Olivia, I’m so glad to find you here,” Hermione said. “I was feeling rather cooped up in the house and wanted a walk, so I thought I’d toddle on over to your charming little store. I’ll wander around a