Vanished, Part 9

Vanished, Part 9, by Kathryn

The bakery was filled with delicious smells. Loaves of bread, muffins, biscuits, cookies, and all sorts of treats were lined up on the shelves.
An older man was behind the counter. His hair-what was left of it-was ruffled and his vest unbuttoned.
"Is there something I can do for you?" he asked.
"Yes. Have you seen an older lady? She has greyish hair and is about so tall." She held her hand up beside her head to show how tall Vicky was.
"Nope, sorry."
"Have you seen any men, or strange looking people?"
"Are you familiar with this area of town?" He gazed at her perfectly fitting suit, her bright white gloves, and the rather stylish hat she wore on her dark brown hair. "I would say not. Lady, everybody looks strange around here."
"Well you don't have to get snappy," Dot said. "You have to understand this is very important!"
The man just stared at Dot.
"Can I use your back entrance?" She finally asked. The man waved his hand towards a brown door. She opened it to find herself in a dark, smelly alley. Trash cans lined the back of brick buildings, and water dripped onto the pavement from leaky pipes. Dot stepped carefully over a pile of papers, and headed cautiously down the alley. How different this was from where she lived. It almost seemed like a different city.

Meanwhile, the cab that Tip was in screeched to a stop right in front of Jensen's Bakery. He hopped out and paid the driver, then hurried into the sweet-smelling bakery.
"Yes?" The man asked.
"Have you seen a younger lady? She has dark brownish hair and is about so tall. "
The man looked at Tip.
"I'll answer you if you answer me. Are all you uptown New Yorkers like this?" His hand ran through his white hair, and his eyes were wide.
"Huh?" Tip asked, impatiently.
"Never mind. She went through there." Again he waved his hand towards the brown door.
As Tip slammed the door shut, the old man shuffled to the other side of the counter, and grabbed a tin can. On a piece of white paper he wrote:

Questions: 25 cents each.

There, he thought.