The Mystery of the Disappearing Donut

Prologue: Presenting Private Investigator Max Flummox and his trusty but bumbling assistant, Benny Bloop. They love young people and adults who enjoy light reading.

Part 1

Whimsyville didn't get its name for nothing. The little countryside town, known among travel advisory users for its quirks and a tendency towards odd events, wasn't the most regular place to be. 

Neither were its residents. Its people, including oddball Mayor Munch, were an eclectic mix of idiosyncratic folks. 

The town was home to Private Investigator Max Flummox, known to the law enforcement authorities in the area for having a knack for solving unusual cases. His equally whimsical assistant, Benny Bloop, held the town's trophy for making the most number of bloopers in a year. Many townsfolk also turned to him for help because he had a heart of gold. 

The pair, on a vacation from the cloying clumsiness of Whimsyville, didn't expect that a phone call received by Benny would summon them back to the town in well, a whimsy second. 

Part 2

A flustered young man in his thirties met Max and Benny at the airport. The earnest young fellow shook Benny's hand. "Sir, apologies for cutting your vacation short. My name is Oliver Pinch. I desperately need  your help."

"No apologies necessary, young man," Max, ever the consummate professional, patted his shoulder. "Tell us what happened. "

The dutiful Benny reached into his shirt pocket for his trusty fountain pen and promptly squirted ink all over himself. 

"Oops," he smiled sheepishly.

Max shook his head. "You bumbling blooper," he reached for his fountain pen and handed it to Benny. "Here, just take notes. Now, Mr. Pinch, do tell us what happened."

"My aunt, Penny Pinch, who owns the bakery Penny's Perfect Creations, Whimsyville's newest bakery, has gone missing. The odd thing about it is she's missing just before the town's annual bake-off." 

"Did she leave any note behind or attempt to contact you?" Max frowned. 

"That's the other odd thing. She's not one to just up and leave 'em. She'd let one of us know if she's going anywhere." The young Oliver was beside himself, pacing around hysterically.

"Now, now, calm down, " Max tried to get a handle on this, as usual, unusual situation. "Let's get to the bakery first and find out more about what's going on. Benny, could you please drive us?" 

He tossed over a bunch of keys to Benny, who scrambled to catch them and quickly dropped them on the airport's hardwood floor. 

Max sighed and smiled at the same time. "Now, young men.Let's just go."

Part 3

They arrived at Penny's Perfect Creations. The bakery, much like its name, was the picture of perfection. It was pretty in pink, with pink curtains, a clean pink kitchen countertop, and picturesque pink cabinets. Benny, his usual clumsiness taking effect, knocked over a jar of flour, which scattered over the countertop. 

"Sorry, sorry," He apologized profusely. The other two men shook their heads. 

Max's keen eye caught sight of a telltale trail of white flour. "Let's see where this takes us."

They followed it to the town square, but it soon disappeared. With furrowed brows, Max gestured to an ice cream shop near where they were. "Let's ask around. Perhaps someone here has seen Ms. Penny Pinch."

A lady in her fifties greeted them in the shop. She seemed alert and a little too eager to tell Max, Benny, and Oliver her story when they asked if she knew anything about what happened to Ms Penny Pinch.

"Well," Sally Scoops drew a breath. She looked about as if to determine if anyone was listening. "You've come to the right person. Nothing escapes my eyes."

Max smiled to himself. Something told him that the nosy woman knew something that just might be of help. 

And, as expected, she began her tale in earnest. "I heard through the grapevine that Penny was about to elope with a pastry chef."

Alarm bells rang in Max's head. Who was this mysterious chef?

"And," she continued as Benny tried to take notes, continuously squirting ink whenever he shook his pen. "I did catch sight of a strange, shadowy shape when I was working here last night. Maybe that has something to do with it. "

Max couldn't argue with that. Perhaps it did. 

"What's more," Sally waved her arms with a flourish, "I heard that the town's Mayor, Mr Munch, received a really large package of donuts yesterday! Now, who needs so many donuts?"

Eager to leave her to her ruminations, the team went into the bakery again to see what else they could uncover. 

Max, his keen senses once again afire, spotted an old sack of flour. He opened it gingerly, and his eyes fell on a note. "Big Surprise," in bold, uppercase letters and anxious red ink, covered it. 

He smiled and looked at the people before him. "I think I know where Penny is. Follow me,"

The group, including bumbling Benny, the anxious Oliver, and the suspicious Sally, followed him out of the bakery. 

Part 4

Max, queerly enough, followed the trail of white flour they had seen earlier. Another look at it revealed a set of footprints that covered a snow-caked path.

The group followed the path. Benny's little legs could not take him far - they became snow-caked and heavy.

"Not far to go," Max assured him.

They came to a little cul-de-sac with little houses at the sides and finally reached a pretty pink house with a pink door. 

He faced Oliver. "You didn't think to start from her home?" The young man looked back at him, his cheeks turning beet red.

"Yes," Max announced, that's where she has been all the time," He knocked on the door, and a perfectly adorned, svelte woman in a pink dress answered. "Oliver! How did you find me? And who are these people?"

"We were worried when we couldn't find you at the bakery. You're always there," Oliver protested, his face resembling a tomato field.

"That's true," Penny Pinch nodded.

Max Flummox introduced himself. "I'm Max Flummox, private investigator."

"You don't seem flummoxed. How did you find me?" Penny raised her perfectly drawn eyebrows.

"Two things. You wouldn't want to be at the bakery because everyone would see you and steal your ideas for the bake-off tomorrow. Then, the trail of flour that you left at the bakery had to lead somewhere. I simply followed it, and the footsteps that led away from it."

"Quite clever, Mr. Flummox. Now, please don't disturb me. You all are already too near my newest creation."

They dutifully left Penny's Picture Perfect home.

Part 5

The bake-off the next day was abuzz with people, food, and flavor. Benny bought himself a hot dog from a hot dog stand set up near the judging tent. He tried pouring mustard and ketchup over it. His hands shook as usual, and he dumped the mixture all over his clean, checked shirt. 

Max looked at him and sighed. "If you weren't so hardworking, Benny...." 

Benny looked at him worriedly. Max didn't have to say anything else. 

The private investigator patted his shoulder. "You're safe as long as you work hard, my friend. Now let's go to Penny's tent and find out what she's up to."

Penny greeted him once he opened the tent. "Ah, Mr. Flummox, you're just on time. Try one of these." 

She opened a box of her perfectly pink donuts. Max and Benny took a bite of theirs. 

The donuts left behind a delicious, pleasant flavor of ripe strawberries. But there was a problem...

They disappeared after one bite.

"That's what I've been working on," Penny's pride was prevalent. A donut that disappears after just one bite, leaving behind a burst of flavor."

"Well, good luck, you've got this," Max affirmed. 

Part 6

Penny did win the bake-off. And the town's new signature dessert? Disappearing donuts.