#macaroni cookie

The Cookie Bureau of Investigation was in shambles. Granted, it had always run on a low number of staff and was held together by overtime work and dangerous quantities of caffeine, but things were only getting worse. Workers were being let go for any excuse the higher ups could think of. The office tension was thicker than toffee jelly stew, as several desks were left empty. Files and paperwork filled the ones that remained occupied, as those retained were forced to work on their former colleagues' cases. In one of the private offices, behind a closed door with the nameplate 'Detective Cheddar Cheese Cookie', two detectives working hard at their ever growing pile of papers, files, and envelopes. Cheddar Cheese normally avoided paperwork like the plague. It would be up to Macaroni Cookie to do it, and give him the details. Macaroni always insisted on doing things by the books, after all. With fifteen complicated and unique cases, the only way to attempt to tackle this impossible workload was together.

There was a knock at the office door. Macaroni stiffened in anticipation of what was almost certainly inevitable to follow. "Come on in." Cheddar said in his New Pralines drawl. The door creaked open slowly, an intern entered, holding four thick files.

"I'm sorry to bother," they said hesitantly. "but I have another four cases for you."

"Of course." Macaroni sighed, slumping in his chair. He cleared his throat. "Thank you, go ahead and leave them on the desk." he attempted to say politely. The intern sheepishly slid the files onto the desk.

"If I may ask, whose caseload have we been given?" Cheddar Cheese spoke up.

"E-Egg Cream Cookie." the intern answered, wringing their hands.