Break In

"Detective Leo, the nation's renowned detective has solved the case of the missing ingredient. He has done this by...", said Leo to his grandkids.

"Wait... wait," interrupted Matthew, one of Leo's grandkids.

"Shhhhhhhhh. Don't make grandpa stop the story," Angela exclaimed. Matthew made a face at her.

"You can't be the boss of me," he replied, in a harsh tone.

"Yeah. You make us play whatever you want," said Sam. 

"I just wanted to get a quick snack," Matthew replied. Sam turned around and stared at Matthew

"This time, I agree with Angela. You're always getting chicken nuggets during storytime," told Sam.

"Heyyy," Matthew continued. 

Leo frowned at them. After a long time of the kids staring at Leo and vice versa, the youngsters started laughing. Leo couldn't resist a chuckle. He was 79 years old but looked much younger.

"Okay, okay. Let's get on with the story. It started in 2014 when I was walking past the...," Leo started.

Detective Leo was in his office, sipping a cup of coffee. This 23-year-old was the smartest in the department. Leo was often called 'Sherlock'. He had the best seat in the building; overlooking the streets below, sitting the closest to the coffee maker, and near others of his profession, unlike the rest who have to walk over to the other side of the building just to ask doubt to another officer. While drinking his latte, he got a notification on his phone. He looked down and noticed his friend was texting him. Robert Jefferson was a fellow detective, as well as Leo's friend. Leo began texting him.

Robert: Leo, did you read the news yet?

Leo: No, why?

Robert: There's been a break-in at Noah's Bakery

Leo: Hmmm. I'm going to investigate that

Robert: Good, I'll meet you there

Leo: Ok, thanks, Robert!

Robert: :)

Leo was eager to take the case. He quickly refilled his coffee cup and headed out to the parking lot.

Noah's Bakery was a family business. It started out in the Great Depression as a way to make money. It gradually became a famous store throughout the town. It's best selling product, 'The Cube', was a mixture of donuts, jam, sugar, and a secret ingredient. People have tried recreating the product, but 'The Cube' was always supreme.

Robert stood at the entrance, along with the owner's family and a couple of other officers.

"What happened," asked Leo

"The secret ingredient was stolen", replied Robert.

Leo suddenly felt sad for them. Their secret ingredient was the main item that was keeping their business alive. It attracted tourists who were passing by the area. People tried guessing what the ingredient was after tasting 'The Cube' but never got it right. He headed toward the family.

"Good morning sir," Leo said.

"Goo-Goo-Good Morning Det-Det-Detective," stuttered the owner, who's name was also Leo.

"Hold up," interrupted Matthew.

"What do you want this time," Angela sighed. Sam also asked the same thing.

"Should we call the owner Leo, Leo 2?" Matthew asked politely. Leo thought about it for a moment.

"Hmm, maybe," replied Leo. "Ok, let's get on with the story!"

Leo took notes while talking with Leo 2. This is what he got:

1. The burglar broke the windows on the escape

2. He/She didn't notice the security cameras, but his/her face wasn't captured

3. There was a tattoo on his/her left arm that resembled a cake

4. They pumped their fist after they got their hands on the ingredient

He asked Robert to make the case private, so the media won't display any information online. Robert nodded and said he had to go home. It was a tiring day, so Leo decided to head back too. It was 15 past 8 by the time he got home. The coffee he drank got him boosted throughout the day but now made him weary. He decided to head to bed.

The next day, Leo headed back to the police department. He went over to Robert's office and sat down on a chair next to him.

"So, any more news," asked Leo.

"Nope. Nothing. I'm trying to think of leads from the CCTV footage and Leo's statement about the break-in," replied Robert.

They thought about it for a while until a thought popped up in Leo's mind.

"Hey. Remember the tattoo we saw on Leo's arm," Leo asked.

"Yup, had a picture of a cake, right?" Robert questioned. Leo nodded

"What if it was a rival bakery," said Leo. Robert thought about it for a moment until his face lit up.

"That might be right," replied Robert. "I'm going to try to gather some suspects"

While chowing on some hotdogs during the ride to the station, Leo asked another question.

"Maybe we could start on the highest-ranking bakeries in the town. Three bakeries might have caused this incident. One is Nick's Bakery, Sweeteries, and Sugar Wars. Maybe the three owners of those bakeries could be our top suspects," Leo explained. Robert thought about it for a moment and nodded in approval.

In the afternoon, Leo convened with Robert and the suspects. There was Nick, Sophia, and Paul.

"They all had the cake tattoo on them. They were the only ones in town with those designs," said Robert. Leo thought about it and looked at the suspects. First up was Nick from Nick's Bakery.

"I didn't do anything," he said.

"Sorry, it's just the regular routine," the detective explained. "Tell me everything you know."

"I was in my home watching television. Many people were in my bakery today, so I was very tired. After watching a bit of TV, I decided to head to bed. When I was about to drift to sleep, I heard glass shatter. I looked out my window and saw Noah's Bakery's window shattered," he said. Next up was Sophia from Sweetery.

"I'm telling you. I didn't do anything. I was at my mother's house to give her some sweets from my bakery. It was a few blocks away from my house and Noah's Bakery. I was about to leave the house when I heard glass shatter. I walked over to where I heard the noise and saw that Noah's Bakery's window was damaged," she explained. Next up was Paul from Sugar Wars.

"I'm innocent. I was at my house when I heard glass shatter. I looked outside and saw Noah's Bakery's window shattered," he explained. Leo was not convinced. He ended his argument so abruptly, unlike the other suspects. He also had a scar on his face, which might be the result of smashing into glass. Leo decided to play a trick on him.

"I wonder why the burglar was wearing a green sweatshirt during the night," Leo said.

"You mean gray," Paul replied. He looked up in shock. Leo had asked Robert before to now share any details about the theft.

"You are under arrest for theft and robbery," Leo exclaimed while handcuffing Paul. Paul shook his head in disbelief.

The family thanked Leo after he handed them the secret ingredient. Leo 2 thanked Leo for his hard work. "Detective Leo, the nation's renowned detective has solved the case of the missing ingredient. He has done this by...," was in the newspaper the next day. Leo has become a nationwide celebrity.

"Whoa," exclaimed Matthew.

"That was so cool," Sam said.

"Can you do that another time?" questioned Angela.

"Ah, these old bones can't do anything anymore. Maybe one day, you could be the next Detective Leo," Leo replied. The kids thought about it for a moment. They then nodded in approval.