THE CASE OF THE MISSING APPLE SEASON Part 2 BIG PUMPKIN RESPONDS By Yvonne Saxon

Mid-November: Barely 5 p.m. and it was dark already. Dry leaves blew in front of me, scraping the sidewalk. Behind me, two of Big Pumpkin's goons kept pace. They'd been following me since I left Granny Smith's place where we'd celebrated the rise in apple sales. Since September when Granny Smith and Company hired me and begged me to keep Big Pumpkin from steamrolling the apple season, word had gotten out. Bushels of apple recipes had come out online and social media influence meant apples were flying off the shelves at farmer's markets and grocers. The heavy footsteps increased their pace behind me. I pulled my coat collar up and my fedora down to block the chill brisk wind.