**Title: The Haunted Bakery**

**Characters**:

- **G-Ma**: A feisty, no-nonsense grandmother with a knack for solving mysteries and a heart of gold.

- **Peggy**: G-Ma's lifelong friend, a retired schoolteacher with a sharp mind and a vast knowledge of the town's history.

- **Gladys**: Another close friend, a witty and resourceful former nurse with a knack for getting to the bottom of things.

**Story**:

G-Ma, Peggy, and Gladys sat in their favorite corner of the local diner, sipping their tea and catching up on the latest town gossip. The conversation shifted when G-Ma mentioned the unexpected inheritance she received from her distant cousin, Eliza—a charming, old bakery in the heart of town.

"Did you hear the rumors about that place?" Peggy asked, raising an eyebrow. "They say it's haunted."

"Haunted?" G-Ma scoffed, but a flicker of curiosity sparked in her eyes. "Well, there's no such thing as ghosts, but if there are any, they'll be sorry they messed with me."

The three friends decided to check out the bakery that very afternoon. As they stepped inside, the smell of freshly baked bread filled the air. It was a quaint, inviting space, but there was something off about it. The townspeople had been avoiding it, claiming strange noises and eerie lights at night.

The first night, G-Ma, Peggy, and Gladys stayed late to clean up and take stock of the bakery's inventory. As they worked, the old wooden floorboards creaked under their feet, and the wind howled outside, making the windows rattle. Suddenly, a soft, ghostly whisper echoed through the room, sending shivers down their spines.

"Did you hear that?" Gladys whispered, clutching her broom tightly.

"It's just the wind," G-Ma said firmly, though her eyes darted around the room. "Let's keep working."

But the strange occurrences didn't stop. The lights flickered, objects moved on their own, and once, they found a message written in flour on the countertop: "Leave now."

Determined to get to the bottom of the mystery, G-Ma decided to hold a stakeout. The three friends armed themselves with flashlights and settled in for a long night. Around midnight, they heard footsteps coming from the back of the bakery.

"Who's there?" G-Ma called out, brandishing her flashlight like a weapon.

A shadowy figure darted across the room, disappearing into the kitchen. Peggy and Gladys followed closely behind G-Ma as she led the charge. They found the back door slightly ajar and a piece of torn fabric caught in the doorframe.

"This doesn't look like a ghost to me," G-Ma said, examining the fabric. "Someone's been sneaking in here."

The next day, they decided to set a trap. They spread a thin layer of flour on the floor to catch any footprints and left the bakery as usual. That night, they hid in the alley across the street, watching the bakery closely. Just after midnight, they saw a figure slip inside.

Rushing back in, they caught the intruder red-handed. It was Benny, a local handyman who had once worked for Eliza.

"Benny! What are you doing here?" Peggy demanded.

Benny looked sheepish. "I wasn't trying to scare anyone. I just... I was looking for something."

G-Ma crossed her arms. "Start talking, Benny."

He explained that Eliza had hidden a valuable family heirloom somewhere in the bakery, and he had been trying to find it. The noises and lights were his doing, hoping to scare off any potential buyers until he found the heirloom.

"We can help you find it, Benny," G-Ma said, her tone softening. "But you should've just asked."

Together, they searched the bakery, finally uncovering a hidden compartment under the old oven. Inside, they found a beautiful, antique locket that had belonged to Eliza's grandmother.

With the mystery solved, G-Ma decided to keep the bakery running. The townspeople returned, lured by the delicious smells and the promise of a friendly, ghost-free atmosphere. And as for Benny, he became a regular helper at the bakery, grateful for G-Ma's understanding and forgiveness.

The haunted bakery was no longer a place of fear, but a beloved part of the community, thanks to G-Ma, Peggy, and Gladys, the trio of friends who had unraveled its mysteries.

**Title: The Poisoned Potluck**

**Characters**:

- **G-Ma**: The feisty grandmother and amateur sleuth.

- **Peggy**: G-Ma's sharp-minded friend, a retired schoolteacher.

- **Gladys**: G-Ma's resourceful friend, a former nurse with a knack for getting to the bottom of things.

**Story**:

The annual town potluck was the event everyone looked forward to. It was a chance for the community to come together, share delicious homemade dishes, and catch up with friends. This year, the event was held at the community center, and G-Ma, Peggy, and Gladys were excited to contribute their famous apple pie.

The potluck was in full swing when disaster struck. Just as people were digging into the various dishes, a scream echoed through the room. Everyone turned to see Mrs. Johnson, the mayor's wife, clutching her throat and gasping for air. She collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

"Call an ambulance!" G-Ma shouted, rushing to Mrs. Johnson's side with Gladys right behind her.

As the paramedics arrived and took Mrs. Johnson to the hospital, the mood at the potluck turned somber. The guests were abuzz with speculation and fear, wondering if someone had tampered with the food.

"We need to figure out what happened," G-Ma said, determination in her eyes. "Gladys, you're the medical expert. What do you think?"

Gladys examined the remaining food on Mrs. Johnson's plate. "It looks like she was eating the potato salad when she collapsed. If it's food poisoning, we need to find out who made it."

Peggy approached the event organizer, Mrs. Thompson, and asked about the potato salad. "That was brought by Martha Evans," Mrs. Thompson said. "She left early to pick up her grandson. She's not the type to poison anyone."

"Let's start with Martha," G-Ma suggested. "We need to ask her some questions."

The trio drove to Martha's house, where they found her in her garden. Martha was shocked to hear about Mrs. Johnson's collapse and insisted she hadn't done anything to the salad.

"I swear, I made it the same way I always do," Martha said, tears in her eyes. "I would never hurt anyone."

"Did you leave the salad unattended at any point?" G-Ma asked gently.

Martha thought for a moment. "Well, I did leave it on the kitchen counter for a few minutes while I answered the door. I didn't think anything of it."

"Who was at the door?" Peggy asked.

"A delivery man," Martha replied. "He dropped off a package and left. I didn't recognize him."

Thanking Martha, the friends returned to the community center to inspect the kitchen. G-Ma noticed a small, empty vial in the trash bin. The label was partially torn, but the word "toxin" was still visible.

"This looks like our culprit," G-Ma said, holding up the vial. "But who had access to the kitchen?"

Mrs. Thompson provided a list of volunteers who had been in and out of the kitchen throughout the day. One name stood out: Carl, the new janitor who had started working at the community center just a month ago.

"We need to find Carl," Gladys said. "If he's responsible, he could be dangerous."

The trio tracked Carl to his apartment. They knocked on the door, and when he answered, he looked nervous and agitated.

"We need to talk, Carl," G-Ma said firmly.

Carl tried to slam the door, but Peggy and Gladys blocked it with surprising strength. "You're not going anywhere," Gladys said, her eyes narrowing.

Cornered, Carl confessed. "I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt. I was hired to sabotage the potluck, just to create chaos. I didn't know it would go this far."

"Who hired you?" G-Ma demanded.

"A man named Rick," Carl replied. "He paid me a lot of money to add the toxin to one of the dishes. I don't know why."

The friends called the police, who arrested Carl and began investigating Rick's motives. It turned out Rick was a disgruntled former employee of the mayor who sought revenge by causing public embarrassment.

Back at the hospital, Mrs. Johnson was recovering, thanks to the quick response of the paramedics and Gladys's medical expertise.

"You did it again, G-Ma," Mrs. Johnson said, smiling weakly. "You saved the day."

G-Ma, Peggy, and Gladys returned to the bakery, where they reflected on the day's events over a fresh batch of cookies.

"Another mystery solved," Peggy said with a grin.

"And another adventure with my best friends," G-Ma added, raising her teacup. "To us, and to the next mystery that comes our way."

**Title: The Missing Painting**

**Characters**:

- **G-Ma**: The feisty grandmother and amateur sleuth.

- **Peggy**: G-Ma's sharp-minded friend, a retired schoolteacher.

- **Gladys**: G-Ma's resourceful friend, a former nurse with a knack for getting to the bottom of things.

**Story**:

After successfully resolving the mystery of the haunted bakery, G-Ma, Peggy, and Gladys had become somewhat of a local sensation. Their new venture, the bakery, was thriving, and the trio often found themselves in the midst of town gossip, with many coming to them with their problems.

One morning, the local museum curator, Mr. Thompson, rushed into the bakery looking visibly distressed. G-Ma, Peggy, and Gladys exchanged concerned glances as they saw him.

"G-Ma, I need your help," Mr. Thompson pleaded. "A priceless painting has gone missing from the museum!"

"Slow down, Mr. Thompson," G-Ma said, ushering him to a table. "Tell us everything."

Mr. Thompson explained that the painting, a renowned piece by a local artist, had been stolen overnight. The museum's security system had been tampered with, and the police had no leads.

"We'll help you," G-Ma said resolutely. "Peggy, Gladys, let's head to the museum and see what we can find."

At the museum, the trio examined the crime scene. The painting's empty frame still hung on the wall, and a security camera in the corner had been smashed.

"Whoever did this knew exactly what they were doing," Peggy observed, scrutinizing the broken camera.

Gladys knelt by the display case, noticing scuff marks on the floor. "It looks like they dragged something heavy through here. Probably the painting, covered and framed."

G-Ma nodded, her mind already racing. "Let's talk to the staff. Maybe someone saw something unusual."

They interviewed the museum staff, but no one had noticed anything out of the ordinary. Just as they were about to leave, a young intern named Lisa hesitated, then approached them.

"I did see something," Lisa confessed. "There was a man in a maintenance uniform hanging around the back entrance yesterday. I didn't think much of it at the time."

"Did you get a good look at him?" G-Ma asked.

Lisa nodded. "He was tall, with dark hair and a mustache. He was carrying a toolbox."

With this new information, G-Ma, Peggy, and Gladys decided to visit the local hardware store, hoping to find out if anyone had recently purchased a security system override kit or similar tools.

At the hardware store, the owner, Mr. Jenkins, remembered selling an expensive set of tools to a man fitting the description Lisa gave. "He paid in cash and seemed in a hurry," Mr. Jenkins recalled.

"Did he say anything that might help us?" Peggy asked.

Mr. Jenkins thought for a moment. "He mentioned something about needing to finish a big job before the weekend."

Armed with this clue, the trio returned to the museum to examine the security footage from the days leading up to the theft. They spotted the man in the maintenance uniform entering the museum, but always avoiding the cameras directly. However, they managed to get a clear shot of his face just once.

G-Ma took the photo to the local police station, where Officer Daniels recognized the man as Tony Marino, a known art thief with a penchant for disguises.

"We've been trying to catch him for years," Officer Daniels said. "If he's in town, he's probably staying somewhere low-key."

The trio decided to check out the local motels, starting with the seediest ones. At the third motel, they hit pay dirt. The clerk confirmed that Tony Marino had checked in two days ago but hadn't been seen since the previous night.

"Let's search his room," G-Ma said, her eyes gleaming with determination.

In Tony's room, they found various disguises, tools, and, hidden in the closet, the missing painting wrapped in cloth. Just as they were about to call the police, Tony walked in.

Caught off guard, Tony tried to make a run for it, but Gladys tripped him with her cane, and Peggy quickly restrained him.

"You're not going anywhere," G-Ma said, standing over him with a steely gaze.

The police arrived and took Tony into custody, thanking G-Ma and her friends for their help. The painting was safely returned to the museum, and Mr. Thompson couldn't thank them enough.

"Once again, you three have saved the day," Mr. Thompson said with a grateful smile.

As they left the museum, Peggy turned to G-Ma. "What will we tackle next, G-Ma?"

G-Ma chuckled. "Let's get back to the bakery first. I have a feeling our next adventure will find us soon enough."

And with that, the trio headed back to their beloved bakery, ready for whatever mystery came their way next.

The End