Significant Ingredient

"911, what's your emergency?" Thalia Rogers calmly spoke up when she answered the call. All she can hear is those deep breaths that the caller gives off.

"Listen." Thalia's hair was almost stand on an end by the coldness of the man's voice she heard. "There's a break-in at my bakery. I. . .I don't know who did it. There's no CCTV in my shop and outside either." The voice of the man on the other line was alarming. His strong breathing was almost deafening on Thalia's ear.

"Okay," she asked calmly. "Can I ask for your name?"

"Carlos," the man exclaimed. He was breathless and seemed to be running. It is not yet clear about what really happened, but it looks like the caller is still in a state of shock if you think about it.

"Carlos, I'm going to need more details about the incident so that I can send help. Is that understood? Let's start with your location. Can you tell me where you are? "

"I am at my bakeshop."

"And where is your bakeshop?" The man hurriedly said the address. He muttered it anxiously as if he's scared of what might happen next.

"Carlos, I need you to calm down. We need to find the person who broke into your bakery, but I need you to keep yourself together. Can you do that?" Thalia was busy in front of her computer. She was starting to get the vital information now to be able to send help to that place.

"Yes, please. . ."

"Alright, let's start. Carlos, can you tell me what happened?"

"At eight pm, I closed the shop. My last customer left twenty minutes before I closed it. After, I easily went to the house next to the shop. I did my night routine. Every night after doing everything and before going to sleep, I always go out of the house to drink at a convenience store. I live alone, and I tend to do that. It's more comfortable because I can see a lot of people that makes me relax. But then, when I came out of the house, the door of the shop was open. In an extreme panic, I hurriedly went inside. I no longer thought that what if the thief was there and he'll hurt me. When I got inside, the thief was gone, as is my secret ingredient that is indispensable in the product I serve to people." Thalia listens intently to what Carlos is saying. She enters every information into the system, which is also visible to the police, especially their response is on their way.

"Wait up. Is your bakeshop named Little Tongue, Carlos?" Thalia remembers buying a carrot cake last Friday. It was delicious and her family liked it a lot. Her siblings have been forcing her a few times to come back and buy, but she still does not have the time yet.

"Yes, it's Little Tongue."

"Oh! Your cakes are tasty. My family loved them especially my sibs." Thalia thought of talking so that the person she talked to would not be upset while waiting for the police to take action.

"It's an honor to hear that." For a moment, the man laughed, causing Thalia to breathe easily. Finally. At least, he's okay now. "Okay, I have the police on their way to your location. I'm going to stay on the phone with you until they arrive."

"Carlos Hanne. Is that your full name, Sir?" Thalia was still making sure. The information about the man is already in front of her. Carlos Hanne is basically in his early forties and at exactly six feet. He has a shaved head, a prominent brow, a strong chin, and broad shoulders. His eyes are clear and brown, which matches well with the man's tanned skin.

He lived alone in his house. He has no family and no children. He also operates the shop alone. Thalia admires that. He makes delicious cakes. She can't believe that he does all of that alone. He has no staff or assistant. His parents died last year due to a car accident. She wonders where his wife is, though.

According to the man, he is alone in his house. That is also stated in the information she obtained, but it is also clearly stated that the man is married.

"Yes. It's Carlos Hanne." The man's voice was calm. Finally, Thalia said to herself.

"Okay. So, you are telling me that someone broke into your bakery and took the secret ingredient. I repeat that is all that the suspect who broke into your shop took. There is a great possibility that a business rival planned to take it. Do you have someone in mind?" She has already received a message from the police that they have reached the place.

"The police are here. Thank you so much for your help," said the man on the other line. Thalia's shoulders dropped when she thought that the man might not answer her question, so she smiled widely when he spoke again. "Actually, I know someone. But no, we're not business rivals."

Thalia's mind was filled with curiosity. She already knows a lot about crime, but there is something in this situation that she really wants to know and scan information. After all, every time the police arrive in the area, their job is automatically over. 

"Well, that was weird," she almost whispered. The man on the other line laughed.

"It exactly is."

"Carlos," she called again. She really can't help but be curious. She really thinks it is quite weird, though. A thief who will only take the secret ingredient from a bakeshop and not the money or things there. There must be something so special about their ingredient. "Can you tell me what secret ingredient we are looking for? Can you describe it?"

The man laughed again before speaking. "Well, uh. . . It's cold and heavy– it's a corpse."

"What?"

"Yes, it's my dead wife; she's my secret ingredient."