Image description: The YeastEnders village of Walnutford, with baked-goods characters gathered in Almond Square outside The Queen Victoria Sponge.
“Peggy?”
Ronnie Roly-Poly whispered from behind the flour sacks.
Peggy Cherry Bakewell didn’t answer.
Across the custard river, Bruno Brioche still held the empty blue tin.
Sticky Nick faced him.
“What exactly is Peggy supposed to be hiding?”
Bruno laughed.
“You really don’t know?”
“If I knew, I wouldn’t be asking.”
“Then perhaps you weren’t as important to the Bunch as you thought.”
Nick folded his arms.
“I never thought I was important.”
“That must be why you put your name on half our paperwork.”
Behind the sacks, Dot Crumble whispered, “He’s got you there, Nicholas.”
“Ma, I can hear you.”
Bruno frowned.
“So can I.”
Peggy stood up.
“Well, since we’re all listening, you might as well tell us.”
Roxy Rhubarb groaned.
“Aunt Peggy, we were hiding.”
“I don’t hide behind flour.”
“You have been for the last ten minutes.”
“I was waiting dramatically.”
Peggy marched towards Bruno.
“What’s supposed to be in those papers?”
Bruno placed the tin on the ground.
“Something that doesn’t belong to me.”
“That’s a first.”
“Or to you.”
The smile disappeared from Peggy’s face.
Ronnie came out from behind the sacks.
“What’s he talking about?”
“Nothing,” said Peggy.
Bruno laughed again.
“Ask your aunt how she got the Queen Victoria Sponge.”
Peggy stepped towards him.
“My pub is none of your business.”
“Not yet.”
Bruno turned and walked away.
Roxy called after him.
“What does that mean?”
Bruno stopped beside the old mill.
“It means the Buttered Bunch isn’t interested in your beer pumps or Peggy’s begonias.”
Peggy bristled.
“They were twelve ninety-nine.”
Phil whispered, “Nineteen.”
Bruno disappeared into the darkness.
Back at the Queen Victoria Sponge, the papers covered three tables.
Rye-vita worked through the first bundle while Ronnie and Roxy untied another.
Dot found a third bundle underneath the fruit machine.
Peggy stared at her.
“What was that doing there?”
“I needed somewhere safe.”
“You put important documents under a fruit machine?”
“Nobody ever wins on it. Seemed ideal.”
Rye-vita held up an old map.
“Come and look at this.”
Almond Square had been drawn in faded black ink.
The Queen Victoria Sponge stood in the centre of several marked plots.
Lines ran from the pub towards the old mill, the custard river and buildings that no longer existed.
Roxy pointed to a handwritten note.
“What does that say?”
Ronnie leaned closer.
“Original transfer.”
Peggy reached for the map.
Rye-vita kept hold of it.
“Peggy, how did you get this pub?”
“I bought it.”
“From whom?”
Peggy hesitated.
Phil stopped sorting papers.
“Aunt… Mum?”
“Don’t you start.”
Ronnie frowned.
“Peggy?”
“It was years ago. The previous owner wanted out. I wanted in. Money changed hands. End of story.”
Rye-vita tapped the words ORIGINAL TRANSFER.
“Apparently not.”
The pub door opened.
Sticky Nick walked in alone.
Dotty Crumble hurried over.
“Dad! What happened?”
“Bruno’s gone back to the mill.”
Rye-vita looked up.
“Why?”
“He’s expecting a delivery.”
“What sort?”
“I don’t know.”
Roxy grabbed her coat.
“Then we’ll find out.”
Ronnie grabbed hers.
“Oh no you don’t.”
Roxy smiled.
“You’re coming too?”
“Obviously.”
Half an hour later, the sisters watched the old mill from across the custard river.
A van reversed towards the loading doors.
Two figures carried wooden crates inside.
Each crate bore the same dark stamp.
BB.
Ronnie nudged Roxy.
“Look.”
A third figure had appeared beside the van.
Sticky Nick.
Roxy stared across the river.
“He said he was going home.”
Ronnie shook her head.
“No, he didn’t.”
Nick shook hands with one of the Buttered Bunch.
Then he followed them into the mill.
Roxy whispered, “Is he spying on Bruno?”
Ronnie kept watching the door.
“Or has Sticky Nick just gone back to work?”
Blindman Makes 