The Mystery on Cobbett's Island

the first turn in the road, Trixie caught sight of a sign near the curb, painted to look like a large birthday cake, with ETHEL’S BAKERY lettered on the side. They parked in front of the small two-storied building that was set a little back from the street. On the ground floor, a large bay window with crisp white curtains was filled with an assortment of cookies, buns, cakes, and pies.
    “I'll bet Ethel lives upstairs,” said Trixie as they walked up the gravel path to the shop. “Doesn’t it look like there’s an apartment up there?”
    “Fm sure she does,” said Mart, tearing himself away from the tempting display in the window long enough to read the nameplate on the door to the upper floor. “It says ‘Mrs. Edward Hall.’ ”
    “My legs are shaking like leaves,” Trixie confessed.
    As she opened the door, a little brass bell tinkled overhead, and an aroma of “sugar and spice and everything nice” made their mouths water. Two customers were ahead of them, and, with only one person behind the counter, there was time to look around the little shop. Its spotless white walls were decorated simply with a few beautiful old blue and white plates. A bouquet of mixed flowers stood on a table opposite the bay window, and glass-fronted cabinets filled with baked goods occupied the other two sides. Behind the counter was a cheery-looking woman in a blue and white striped dress, her graying hair braided in a coronet around her head. Trixie noticed that she was full of chitchat, exchanging bits of local gossip and inquiring about this one and that one as she filled the orders.
    “Now, what can I do for you young folks?” she asked pleasantly when the other customers had finally left.
    “We really don’t know what we want, everything looks so good, although my brother did mention jelly doughnuts,” Trixie said with a smile.
    “What boy doesn’t like jelly doughnuts?” The woman laughed. “Why, my son would eat them practically by the dozen. If I hadn’t put my foot down, he would have eaten up all my profits!”
    “And look at those adorable gingerbread men!” cried Diana. “Why don’t we take some home to Bobby and the twins?” she asked, turning to Trixie.
    “Gleeps! I remember now that I promised Bobby I’d bring him a present, and I probably won’t have a chance to get a game or anything for him before we go home. These will be perfect. I'll take two of them, please, Mrs.—” Trixie paused expectantly.
    “Hall, my dear, but most folks just call me Ethel. I said to myself when you came in that you weren’t from around here,” she chattered on. “Being in the shop as long as I have, I know just about everyone in town and most of the summer people, too.”
    “Actually, all of us, except Peter here, are from Sleepyside, up in Westchester,” Brian said. “We’ve been over on Cobbett’s Island for a week or so, but we wanted to see Easthampton and Sag Harbor before we went home.”
    Trixie, who was watching Mrs. Hall intently; noticed an expression of sadness cross her face as she lowered her head.
    “I used to know Cobbett’s Island real well,” she said. “As a matter of fact, I was born and raised there.” She hesitated. “Yes, and married there, too.”
    “We love the island!” Honey exclaimed. “I can’t imagine why anyone would ever want to leave it. It’s so beautiful!”
    “I loved it, too, and it holds wonderful memories for me, but memories can be painful, as you know. Oh, what am I saying? You’re all too young to have anything but bright memories.” She was smiling again.
    “I think I know what you mean,” Jim said. “I lost both my parents when I was just a little kid, so my childhood was pretty grim, but I try not to think about it any more than I can help.”
    “That’s right, young man; no use dwelling on the past, I always say. That’s why I came over here after I lost my husband, to make a new life for myself and my boy.”
    “Well, from the looks of this lovely little shop, I’d say you had succeeded,” Trixie said, looking around admiringly. “Do you do all the baking yourself?”
    “I used to when Eddie was home to help wait on customers, but when he went off to college, I had to get someone to help me. But I still do all the special cakes and such,” she said with a touch of pride.
    “Is your son coming back here after college?” asked Mart. “I can’t think of a pleasanter business, and, by the way, I'll take a dozen jelly doughnuts,