"Did you hear about Mrs. Thompson's cat?" "Her cat? No, what happened?" "Gone. Just vanished. She swears it was stolen." "Stolen? In this town? Who would steal a cat?" "That's what I said. But you know Mrs. Thompson, always jumping to conclusions." "True. Remember when she thought the mailman was a spy?" "How could I forget? Poor Mr. Jenkins. He still avoids her house." "Well, I hope she finds her cat. It's not like there's much else going on around here." "Actually, there is. You know the new guy who moved into the old Miller place?" "Yeah, what about him?" "He's been asking a lot of questions. About the town, the people. It's a bit... odd." "Maybe he's just curious. New place and all." "Maybe. But he was particularly interested in the bakery." "The bakery? Why?" "That's what I asked. He said he loves pastries. But I saw him snooping around the back alley last night." "Snooping? Did you tell anyone?" "Not yet. I wanted to see if it was just a one-time thing." "Well, keep an eye on him. And let me know if you see anything else strange." "Will do. And if you hear anything about Mrs. Thompson's cat, let me know." "Of course. This town never ceases to surprise me."