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The next day, Mitch entered the café with good news.
“Your sting operation has been approved, Zoe.” He stifled a smile at her excited expression.
“Yes!” Zoe high-fived Lauren.
“The gnome is in my trunk. I just need to put it in your garden and set up the cameras.”
“Ooh, what color is he – or she?” Zoe asked.
“He’s red and yellow.”
“But how will anyone know we’ve got a gnome in the rear garden?” Zoe frowned suddenly. “You can’t see the back lawn from the front of the street. You’d have to go up the side of the café and turn the corner to take a look. Or should we put it in the small front garden?”
“That will be too exposed to the street,” Mitch told them. “So far, the thief has stolen gnomes in obscured parts of gardens. I’m sure he cases the gardens first – and that’s what we’re counting on in this case.”
Mitch left to set everything up, returning a short while later.
“Here’s the camera feed.” He showed them how to access it on their phones.
“The lawn looks a bit shaggy,” Lauren murmured. She hadn’t realized until now.
“Brrt?” Annie had wandered over to the counter. There weren’t many customers at the moment.
“We’re going to catch the gnome thief,” Zoe told her. “Look!” She held out the phone to Annie.
“It’s like when you had a video play date with AJ last night,” Lauren added.
“Brrt.” Annie stared at the screen, her green eyes wide.
“Nothing’s happening right now,” Lauren told her.
“But I hope it does!” Zoe added.
***
“WE FORGOT TO ASK MITCH if he had any news about Edna’s death,” Lauren told her cousin a short while later. Mitch had left and the three of them had stared at the camera feed for a few minutes, until more customers trickled in.
“I’m sure he would have updated us if he knew anything,” Zoe assured her. “I bet Detective Castern isn’t sharing any information with him.”
“You’re probably right.” Lauren shivered. She hoped the detective didn’t return to question her again.
“You know, we should solve Edna’s murder,” Zoe told her as she plated a triple chocolate cupcake.
“You don’t think Detective Castern is up to the task?”
“He hasn’t caught the killer yet,” Zoe pointed out.
“That we know of.”
“The murder happened a week ago.” Zoe tsked. “Why isn’t it all over the front page of the newspaper that the killer was caught? I’m sure I read somewhere that it’s a lot harder to catch the killer after the first forty-eight hours of an investigation.”
“You sounded like Ms. Tobin just then.” Lauren was amused despite herself.
Zoe shuddered. “No way! Although, I am enjoying the new mellower Ms. Tobin.”
“So am I,” Lauren agreed. She had been one of their few customers who hadn’t deserted them when a cupcake rival had set up their truck right outside the café recently.
They chatted about their plans for the weekend. Zoe still hadn’t made up her mind between Nepalese and Moroccan for her dinner with Chris tomorrow night. Lauren thought he would be surprised whatever restaurant Zoe chose.
Lauren and Mitch were still deciding what to do tomorrow night. She knew he would take her to dinner in Sacramento if that was what she wanted to do – in fact, why didn’t they double date with Zoe and Chris? But as she looked at her cousin’s glowing face as she pondered restaurant choices, Lauren thought Zoe might enjoy some alone time with Chris. She’d propose doubling another time.
Every few minutes, they glanced at the camera feed on the phone, but everything looked exactly the same.
“No thieves,” Zoe said sadly as they closed at five.
“No,” Lauren agreed, wondering if that was good or bad news.
Martha suddenly barreled into the café.
“Brrt!” Annie ran to greet her
Zoe looked at Lauren, her eyes sparkling. “Ooh, we should tell Martha we have a gnome in the garden. She might tell her friends down at the senior center.”
“And they might tell their friends, mentioning it in passing ...” Lauren smiled slowly.
“And BAM! When the gnome thief hears about it, he’ll try to steal our gnome!”
***
THAT NIGHT, THEY FILLED in Mrs. Finch on the gnome sting operation, including innocently telling Martha about their new garden decoration.
“She seemed to find the news very interesting.” Lauren recalled how Martha had blinked in surprise when they told her about their gnome.
“My goodness,” she exclaimed. “I hope you girls will be careful.”
“Brrt!” Annie agreed. Yes.
Lauren explained her craft dilemma to Mrs. Finch.
“You could try crochet,” Zoe suggested. “You could borrow my hook. And you might have some left-over wool from your scarves and hats. I think I used up all my yarn, but I’ll check.”
“Thanks,” Lauren replied. “But I’m not sure if crochet is for me.”
“What about string-art or making bead jewelry?” Zoe listed the other crafts she’d tried.
“What about embroidery?” Mrs. Finch suggested.
“Not that.” Zoe shuddered. She was not known for her sewing skills.
“Brrt,” Annie seemed to agree with Zoe.
“There’s always pottery,” Zoe suggested. “But you’d have to start off with making an ashtray, like I did. Or two ashtrays. I know! You could come to my pottery classes!” Her brown eyes lit up with enthusiasm.
“Thanks, but I’m not sure if clay would be my thing, either,” Lauren replied with a smile. She knew her cousin enjoyed her classes in Sacramento and besides learning pottery skills, Zoe was able to visit Chris as well. Lauren didn’t want to muscle in on that.
“I think for now I’ll stick with knitting,” Lauren added. “I’ll just have to think up a new project.”