Milo burst through the back door, his trench coat flapping like a dramatic cape. The thief was already halfway down the alley, the Mega Sandwich glinting under the streetlights like a greasy trophy.
"Stop, in the name of mustard!" Milo shouted, sprinting after him.
The thief darted left, hurdling over a recycling bin. Milo tried the same move but snagged his coat and went tumbling into a pile of cardboard boxes. He popped up, covered in packing peanuts, looking like a very determined snowman.
"Smooth move, Detective," Mrs. Pennyworth called from the doorway, wielding a rolling pin like a baseball bat.
The chase thundered into Main Street. A man walking his dog dove out of the way as Milo and the thief sped past. "What was that?!" he yelped.
"Sandwich crime!" Milo yelled over his shoulder.
The thief was fast, but Milo had a secret weapon: his detective intuition… and very long legs. He closed the gap, just as the thief darted into a narrow alley between a bookstore and a cheese shop.
Milo skidded around the corner - and stopped dead.
The alley was empty. No thief. No sandwich. Just… a single clue: a business card taped to a lamppost.
Milo ripped it down and squinted at the elegant lettering:
> "S. - Sandwiches Are an Art."
Mrs. Pennyworth caught up, panting. "W-Where'd he go?!"
Milo held up the card. "This isn't just a thief. This is an artist. And he's leaving us invitations."
Mrs. Pennyworth frowned. "Invitations to what?"
"An art show," Milo muttered. "And I have a feeling we're the main attraction."
At that exact moment, a delivery van screeched by, and something fluttered down from its open window - a flyer. Milo snatched it mid-air:
> "Grand Opening of Sam's Sandwich Studio: Midnight Tonight!"
He grinned. "Bingo."
Mrs. Pennyworth gasped. "You think he's going to show up?"
"Oh, he'll be there," Milo said, tucking the flyer into his coat pocket. "And so will I."