Excellent Dolly's Discovery The Box That Talked by Patty Mazzurco      Mystery Contest Winner

Dolly arrived at Reincarnated Thrift just before 8 a.m., juggling her coffee and keys as she unlocked the back door. The morning sun barely touched the alley behind the store, but even in the dim light, she could see the mound of donations piled against the door. It wasn’t unusual—people often dropped off boxes, bags, and the occasional piece of furniture after hours, ignoring the posted signs about donation hours. She sighed. “Every day’s a treasure hunt,” she muttered, quoting the store’s slogan, though it didn’t always feel that way. Dolly dragged the donations inside, one box at a time. Some were sturdy and neatly labeled, but others were a mess—flaps crushed, bags torn, a faint smell of mildew hanging in the air. One particularly grimy box caught her attention as she set it on the sorting table. It sagged at the bottom, dark stains spreading across one corner. When she got a whiff of it, she gagged. It reeked of spoiled food and damp paper. “That’s a dumpster candidate,” she said aloud to herself, pushing it aside. But as she turned away, something tugged at the back of her mind. During a recent training session, a manager from another thrift store had shared a story that stuck with her. A box filled with trash—rotten shoes, stained Tupperware—had nearly been tossed, but at the very bottom, they’d found a $30,000 diamond necklace. “Most treasures are hidden where you least expect them,” the woman had said, smiling as though delivering a prophecy. Dolly stared at the smelly box, groaning. “This is ridiculous.” But she pulled on a pair of gloves, grabbed a box cutter, and sliced the tape open anyway. The top layer was exactly what she expected—crumpled newspaper, moldy socks, and what looked like an old cereal box. She wrinkled her nose as she dug deeper, muttering under her breath. “I swear, if all I find is someone’s garbage, I’m giving myself a raise.” Her hand brushed something solid and heavy beneath the mess. Dolly froze. She carefully pushed aside the rotting junk until she uncovered a black plastic bag, knotted tightly. Something about the way it sat—its unnatural weight—made her uneasy. She set it on the table and, holding her breath, peeled the plastic open. Inside was a hammer. The head was crusted with something dark, and though Dolly tried to dismiss the thought, she knew it wasn’t rust. A chill ran through her as she spotted something glinting on the wooden handle—jewelry. A delicate gold bracelet had been wrapped around the hammer’s base, as though someone had tried to hide it in haste. Dolly staggered back, her pulse pounding in her ears. She recognized that bracelet. It had belonged to Linda Carlson, one of their regular donors. Everyone knew the Carlsons; they’d been all over the local news. Richard Carlson had been murdered in his home three weeks ago—blunt force trauma, no weapon found. Dolly’s hands shook as she grabbed her phone and called the police. “You need to get down here. Now.” By the time Detective Hughes arrived, Dolly had replayed every detail of the last few weeks in her mind. The store had seen an influx of donations recently, and the volunteers had been stretched thin. One face stood out: Frank, a quiet volunteer who’d started showing up right after Richard’s murder. He’d been overly helpful, always offering to haul the dirtiest donations out back, saying he didn’t mind sorting through the junk. It didn’t take the police long to find Frank. When they brought him in, Dolly happened to be in the back room, pretending to sort donations, but really straining to hear. Frank was there—dirty, disheveled, his face a mask of disbelief as Detective Hughes confronted him with the hammer and bracelet. “It was you, wasn’t it?” Hughes said. “You killed Richard Carlson and thought you could dump the evidence here. Just trash in with the other trash.” Frank’s jaw clenched. For a moment, he said nothing. But then, with a bitter, humorless laugh, he muttered, “And I would’ve gotten away with it, too… if it hadn’t been for that stupid box.” Dolly froze, goosebumps prickling her arms. Did he just— The officers cuffed Frank and led him toward the door, his head hanging in defeat. As he passed Dolly, he glanced her way, eyes cold and empty. Dolly’s breath caught, but she stood her ground. Later, as the commotion settled and the detectives packed up the evidence, Dolly shook her head. “He really said that? Like some Scooby-Doo villain?” Hughes gave a small, wry smile. “Yeah. Guess he thought he was smarter than everyone else. People like him always do.” Dolly glanced at the donation table, now empty except for a lingering stain from the box. She shivered, suddenly grateful for the strange training that had told her to look deeper. Most treasures are hidden where you least expect them. Except this time, it wasn’t treasure. It was justice. Mystery Contest Winner

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